The Sterling (209 East 56th Street)
209 East 56th Street, New York, NY 10022
BBL 1013300007 · BIN 1038591
- Year built
- 1960
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 103
- Floors
- 13
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Permitted with board approval per listing records
- Subletting
- Permitted after two years of ownership per listing records — verify current terms with the managing agent
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
- Financing
- 80 percent maximum per listing records — confirm with the managing agent at offer stage
- Flip tax
- $50 per share, paid by the buyer, per listing records — confirm current terms with the managing agent
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf (floor-adjusted)
- $770
- Listing discount
- 2.9%
- Recorded sales
- 124
- On record
- 2003–2026
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Sterling 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.
The Sterling is a full-service Midtown East co-op that delivers doorman service and a roof deck at entry-tier pricing, on a block that sits within walking distance of Sutton Place without carrying Sutton Place's numbers. A 1960 postwar high-rise on East 56th between Second and Third Avenues, it competes on carry and convenience: a 24-hour doorman, a live-in superintendent, a common roof deck, and a policy framework — per listing records — that permits pieds-à-terre, subletting after two years, and 80 percent financing. That stack widens the buyer pool well beyond the owner-occupant-only norm and positions the building as a practical option for buyers who want staff and a Midtown East address without a trophy budget.
The building is straightforward postwar work — a well-run, amenity-appropriate co-op rather than an architectural statement — and it trades accordingly, in the entry-to-mid band of the Midtown East cooperative market. What it offers is location and service: the E/M and 6 at Lexington–53rd, the 4/5/6/N/Q/R/W at Lexington–59th, and the East River residential enclaves a few blocks east, all from a block that stays quiet and residential relative to the Third Avenue commercial spine.
The financial framework is worth reading closely. The flip tax is a modest per-share figure paid by the buyer rather than the seller — an unusual structure that shifts the cost to the purchase side and should be modeled into closing costs on the buy, not the sell. As with any co-op at this tier, the policy details around subletting, guarantors, and pet approval are worth confirming with the managing agent, since brokerage records occasionally conflict on the finer points.
Architecture and unit composition
The Sterling runs thirteen stories of postwar construction, with a renovated lobby and hallways and a common roof deck as its principal shared amenity. The inventory is predominantly studios and one-bedrooms, with a set of combined apartments created over the building's life. Layouts are 1960s-practical — efficient room shapes, real closets, and defined foyers in many lines — and they renovate cleanly. Exposures are mid-block, so light and outlook track floor height more than line. The building runs on through-wall or window air conditioning rather than central systems; buyers pricing renovations should set HVAC expectations accordingly.
Building operations
This is a staffed, full-service co-op: a 24-hour doorman, a live-in superintendent, elevators, central laundry, private storage, and a common roof deck, with a renovated lobby and hallways. There is no on-site garage or fitness center. A ground-floor dental practice occupies the building's commercial space. The offering plan, proprietary lease, and by-laws are on file in The Roebling Research Library and available to clients during diligence.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $41,766/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $33
- Modeled exposure split equally across 105 units (the city tax-lot count). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City record last verified September 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair, with repairs due by the deadline stated in the filing. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2025–30. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City record last verified September 2026.
Recent sales
Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2026 | 7A | 1 BA | $405,000 | -6.9% | |
| Aug 3, 2026 | 8D | 1 BR · 1 BA | $612,000 | -2.1% | |
| Oct 31, 2025 | 5ABC | 2 BR · 3 BA · 1,500 sf | $930,000 | $620/sf | -19.1% |
| Jul 31, 2025 | 2B | 1 BA | $402,000 | +0.8% | |
| May 21, 2025 | 5K | 1 BA · 560 sf | $400,000 | $714/sf | +0.3% |
| Apr 8, 2025 | 10A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 550 sf | $451,000 | $820/sf | -9.6% |
| Apr 8, 2025 | 6F | 1 BR · 1 BA · 700 sf | $625,000 | $893/sf | -8.0% |
| Jan 9, 2025 | 2F | 1 BA · 535 sf | $400,000 | $748/sf | +14.3% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2025): a median $770/sf (floor-adjusted) across 5 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 2.9% 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 1-01330-0007). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
Closed rents at The Sterling, last 36 months
| Size | Leases | Median / month |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 4 | $3,047 |
| 1 bedroom | 4 | $3,637 |
Also $69 per sq ft per year (8 leases that report square footage). 8 closed sublet leases, October 2023 to September 2026. Most recent lease March 2026. Sizes with fewer than 2 leases are not shown. Compiled by The Roebling Team at Compass from closed leases.
At the recent median sale of $410K (11 transfers since 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $10,088 to close, or 2.5% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $0
- No mortgage recording tax or title insurance on a co-op purchase
- Attorneys, lender, building fees and filings: $10,088
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
Keep up with The Sterling and its market
The Roebling Report, monthly: Manhattan sales data and analysis, including buildings like The Sterling. Unsubscribe anytime.
We’ll use your email for The Roebling Report and note your interest in this building. See our privacy policy.
What to know if you’re buying
Model the buyer-paid flip tax. The $50-per-share flip tax is paid by the purchaser per listing records — an unusual structure. Build it into your closing costs, not your seller's net.
The policy stack is flexible for a co-op. Pied-à-terre, subletting after two years, and 80 percent financing — per listing records — widen the framework beyond the owner-occupant norm. Verify each in current form, including guarantor and pet-approval specifics, with the managing agent before offering.
Prioritize floor. In a mid-block building, light and outlook are a function of height. Price accordingly.
Weigh the service package against carry. A 24-hour doorman and roof deck at this price is the core value; compare it against leaner co-ops nearby and the condominiums that price higher.
Run the board math early. The Co-op Board Qualification Calculator is the right first step.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with service and location at this price. A full-service doorman building steps from Sutton Place, at entry-tier pricing, is a strong story. Put it first.
The flexible policies widen your pool. Pied-à-terre and post-seasoning sublet permissions reach investors and pied-à-terre buyers that stricter co-ops miss. State the framework plainly.
Condition drives the spread. In a mid-block building where exposures vary modestly, renovated-versus-original is the pricing axis. The Renovation Cost Calculator frames it for buyers.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Sterling, also evaluate:
- 339 East 58th Street — prewar Sutton-adjacent co-op nearby; the prewar-character alternative
- 136 East 56th Street — Midtown East co-op on the same block
- 220 East 54th Street — Midtown East co-op with comparable inventory
- 231 East 55th Street — Midtown East co-op alternative
- 333 East 55th Street — Midtown East co-op nearby
More Midtown East buildings
- Elysia (200 East 59th Street) — 2018 condominium by CetraRuddy Architects
- 204 East 47th Street (The Diplomat) — 1956 condominium
- Place 57, 207 East 57th Street — 2005 condominium by Ismael Leyva Architects
- 211 East 46th Street, 211 East 46th Street and 212 East 47th Street — 1979 condop by Philip Birnbaum & Associates
- 211 East 51st Street (Midtown East) — 1958 condominium
- 212 East 48th Street — 1924 co-op
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Midtown East — read The Roebling Team Guide to Midtown East.
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.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at The Sterling?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.