205 West End Avenue (Lincoln Towers)
205 West End Avenue, New York, NY 10023
Lincoln Square, Upper West Side
BBL 1011797503 · BIN 1070766
- Year built
- 1961
- Type
- Condop
- Units
- 543
- Floors
- 28
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pet-friendly — verify current house rules with the managing agent
- Financing
- Conservatively managed; a substantial minimum down payment applies (reported in the 30% range) — confirm current policy with the managing agent
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 1BR median
- $813K
- Recent range
- $390K – $2.5M
- Listing discount
- 1.9%
- Recorded transfers
- 476
205 West End Avenue is the northernmost of the Lincoln Towers co-ops — the building closest to Riverside Park and the far West 70s edge of the complex. Lincoln Towers is the Upper West Side's great post-war value engine, built in 1960–64 by William Zeckendorf's Webb & Knapp as the residential component of Robert Moses' Lincoln Square Urban Renewal Project, the same vast clearance that produced Lincoln Center. The history is heavy and worth knowing: the site was the San Juan Hill neighborhood, thousands of families were displaced, and I.M. Pei's early concept for the site gave way, on economics, to S.J. Kessler & Sons' standardized slabs.
What the architecture critics dismissed is what buyers have since figured out: the complex's private, professionally maintained open space — playgrounds, courts, gardens, security — cannot be reproduced anywhere in the Lincoln Center orbit, and the apartments behind the plain facades are large, light, and efficiently planned. As Lincoln Square gentrified and the Riverside South towers rose across Freedom Place, the complex's position shifted from urban-renewal artifact to structurally underpriced full-service housing.
The ownership history is its own New York story. The MacArthur Foundation put the complex up for sale in October 1984, and on May 1, 1987 all eight buildings converted to cooperative ownership; insiders bought at a steep discount to market, and the wave of profitable insider flips that followed drew press attention that summer. Note the important correction for buyers and their attorneys: despite the "205 West End Condominium" label that appears in some tax and aggregator data, apartments here trade as co-op shares, not condominium units — the condominium is only the legal wrapper around the cooperative corporation.
Architecture and unit composition
The building rises 28 floors in light brick across a deep parcel, approached by its signature circular driveway, with ground-floor professional and commercial suites in the complex's standard pattern. The 543 apartments run from studios through large combinations, with dining alcoves, big windows, and generous closets. Its northern position gives many upper-floor lines open Hudson River, Riverside Park, and skyline outlooks — though some western views have been affected by the newer Riverside Boulevard towers. Climate is through-wall rather than central; buyers weighing HVAC should confirm the specific line, as central air is not universal across the complex's eight addresses.
Building operations
Full-service at scale: 24-hour doorman and concierge, a live-in resident manager, and an on-site management office supported by the building's size. Residents have a fitness center, a children's playroom and community room, a central laundry, a bike room, private storage, an on-site dry cleaner, and an on-site parking garage, plus access to the Lincoln Towers Community Association's shared private grounds — playgrounds, basketball and pickleball courts, gardens, and security. There is no building pool and no roof deck. Board financing and sublet policy run on the conservative side for the complex; confirm current terms and any fees with the managing agent during diligence.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $176,325/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $27
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent). Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library.
See the full facade history →Management & transfer contacts
- Sublet policy
- Allowed — shareholder must own/reside 2 years first; 1-year lease increments w/ board approval; max 2 years in any 3-year period; annual sublet fee $.60/share/mo + $500 (yr1), $.75/share/mo + $500 (yr2)
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
- Notable fees
- Max financing 70% of purchase price; no interest-only/negative-amortization loans; no corporations or trusts; Closing Document Prep $750 (seller)
Recent sales
Recent transfers at this building, curated by The Roebling Team research desk. Apartment-level facts are independently verified before publishing; sale prices reflect the recorded transfer amount at the NYC Department of Finance.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10, 2026 | 2J | 2 BR · 1 BA | $999,000 | +0.0% |
| Jun 8, 2026 | 3E | 1 BA | $415,000 | +0.0% |
| Apr 1, 2026 | 7M | 1 BR · 1 BA | $760,000 | +0.0% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 1E | 1 BA | $390,000 | -2.3% |
| Dec 1, 2025 | 8R | 1 BA | $487,000 | -15.3% |
| Nov 18, 2025 | 27E | 1 BA | $640,000 | -3.8% |
| Oct 27, 2025 | 19B | 1 BR · 1 BA | $785,000 | +0.0% |
| Oct 21, 2025 | 23E | 1 BA | $535,000 | -2.7% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2025): a median $986/sf across 6 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 1.6% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Full closing history with price-per-square-foot over time, the complete retrade record, and every line that has traded.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01179-7503) and verified listing data. Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified by The Roebling Team research desk. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a co-op, not a condo — price it as one. Despite the stray "condominium" label in some data, you are buying co-op shares in the cooperative corporation, with board approval and a proprietary lease. Your attorney should review the by-laws and the condop wrapper (on file with us) so the structure is papered correctly.
The campus is the amenity. Private, secured, landscaped grounds shared only with the complex's residents, one block from Riverside Park. Families comparing against amenity-floor condos should weigh acreage against gym square footage; there is no equivalent nearby at this price tier.
Compare carry, not just price. Run the true monthly against separately metered condos with the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator, and note the through-wall (not central) climate systems.
The board framework is conservative. A substantial minimum down and a documented sublet path apply. Run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator before offering, and verify current policy with the managing agent.
Confirm the view. The northern position carries some of the complex's best river and park outlooks, but newer Riverside Boulevard towers affect certain western lines. Verify the specific exposure in person.
What to know if you’re selling
Sell the structural discount. Your buyer is cross-shopping Lincoln Square condos at materially higher per-foot pricing and higher taxes. The pitch is arithmetic: full service, private acreage, and Lincoln Center and Riverside Park proximity at the lowest carry in the district.
Differentiate within the complex. Eight addresses read identically to casual buyers. This building's specifics — northernmost position, circular driveway, largest-tier unit count, on-site dry cleaner, and river/park proximity — are the points that separate 205 from its siblings.
Lead with light and line. The spread inside the building tracks exposure: river- and park-view lines command the premium. Same-line history matters more than building averages, and we maintain it in the Research Library.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 205 West End Avenue, also evaluate:
- 185 West End Avenue and 180 West End Avenue — the adjacent northern and western Lincoln Towers siblings; the closest like-for-like alternatives
- 170 West End Avenue, 165 West End Avenue, and 150 West End Avenue — sibling Lincoln Towers co-ops; same conversion, same campus, differing layouts and HVAC
- 140 West End Avenue and 160 West End Avenue — the southern siblings, the largest buildings with central HVAC
- 165 West 66th Street — full-service Lincoln Square co-op nearby; the non-campus alternative
- 220 Riverside Boulevard and 200 Riverside Boulevard — the condo alternative immediately west, at a higher price point and carry
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across West End Avenue — read The Roebling Team Guide to West End Avenue.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
Considering a move at 205 West End Avenue (Lincoln Towers)?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 205 West End Avenue (Lincoln Towers) would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.