The Octavia
216 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017
Midtown East
BBL 1013207502 · BIN 1037840
- Year built
- 1985
- Type
- Condominium
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,217
- Listing discount
- 2.3%
- Recorded sales
- 69
- On record
- 2004–2025
The Octavia is a slim 32-story condominium in the heart of Turtle Bay, completed in 1985 and designed by Daniel Pang & Associates. Its defining feature is its layout discipline: with only two apartments per floor on the tower, residents enjoy a level of privacy and elevator exclusivity that larger postwar buildings cannot match. The result is a boutique 47-residence condominium with the height, light, and views of a far bigger building, and the intimacy of a much smaller one.
The architecture is distinctly of its era and well aged — a slender tower with curved balconies and a setback at the eighth floor that gives it a recognizable silhouette on the East 47th Street streetwall. Inside, the homes are known for spacious, well-proportioned layouts, oversized windows, herringbone wood floors, and the private terraces and expansive city views the height affords.
For buyers, the case is a full-service, privacy-focused condominium with strong layouts and views, steps from Grand Central, the United Nations, and the Lexington Avenue and cross-town transit — at the more attainable end of the Midtown East condominium market.
Architecture and unit composition
Daniel Pang's design is a slim 1980s tower: a setback at the eighth floor, curved balconies that soften the facade, and a narrow floor plate that makes the two-apartments-per-floor configuration possible. That slenderness is the point — it delivers light on multiple exposures and views in every direction as the building rises.
The 47 residences are notably spacious for their era, with the oversized windows, herringbone floors, and private terraces that distinguish the building. The two-per-floor layout on the tower means most homes enjoy through-light and corner exposures, and the upper floors capture the open Midtown and East River–adjacent views the height provides. Layouts vary by floor and line, with the highest homes carrying the building's best outlooks.
Building operations
The Octavia runs as a full-service condominium. A full-time doorman and concierge staff the lobby, a live-in superintendent handles building needs, and residents have a bicycle room, a laundry room, and private storage. The two-per-floor density keeps the building feeling private and uncrowded, which is part of its enduring appeal.
As a condominium, ownership is flexible. Purchases clear through a condominium right-of-first-refusal — for which the building documents a waiver fee on a sale — rather than a co-op board interview, financing is not capped the way it is at co-ops, and pied-à-terre, investor, and LLC purchases are customary. The building's policies are accommodating: gifting of funds is allowed, and parents buying with children is permitted. Common charges, transfer and move-in fees, and the tax picture follow the offering plan and house rules, which we help buyers read.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
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
- Notable fees
- Move-In/Out $900 each; Waiver of Right of First Refusal $350; expedited closing $400
Recent sales
Recent closings 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 | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 2025 | 26A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,639 sf | $2,150,000 | $1,312/sf | -13.8% |
| Nov 26, 2024 | 24B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 625 sf | $825,000 | $1,320/sf | -8.2% |
| Nov 14, 2024 | 23A | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 801 sf | $765,000 | $955/sf | -13.9% |
| Oct 23, 2023 | 18B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 625 sf | $680,000 | $1,088/sf | -12.3% |
| May 10, 2022 | 12A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 801 sf | $915,000 | $1,142/sf | -1.1% |
| Dec 30, 2021 | 30A | 1,639 sf | $1,600,000 | $976/sf | off-mkt |
| Dec 16, 2021 | 17A | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 801 sf | $765,000 | $955/sf | +0.0% |
| Jul 30, 2020 | 31A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,639 sf | $1,292,500 | $789/sf | -13.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $1,217/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 2.3% 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 1-01320-7502) 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; square footage from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a full-service, privacy-focused condominium with the flexibility the structure implies. Financing is not capped the way it is at co-ops, the purchase process is condominium-standard — a right-of-first-refusal rather than a board package — and pied-à-terre and investor purchases are customary. The building's policies are buyer-friendly: gifting of funds and parents buying with children are both allowed. The differentiators are floor, view, and the two-per-floor privacy, so evaluate exposure and level carefully. Budget for the closing-side fees — including the right-of-first-refusal waiver and move-in costs — and read the offering plan for common charges and the tax projection.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with privacy and views. Two apartments per floor, curved balconies, spacious layouts, and high-floor city views are a distinctive package in postwar Turtle Bay. Benchmark to the Turtle Bay condominium segment, where floor, view, and exclusivity drive value. The condominium structure speeds the close through a right-of-first-refusal, and the buyer-friendly policies — gifting and parents-buying allowed — widen the pool. The Grand Central, UN, and subway proximity anchors the location pitch. Position the high-floor, best-view homes accordingly — that is where the premium concentrates.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Octavia, also look at these nearby Midtown East and Turtle Bay options:
- 240 East 47th Street — Turtle Bay cooperative nearby
- 212 East 48th Street — a 1924 prewar Turtle Bay cooperative
- 305 East 45th Street — Turtle Bay building near the UN
- 250 East 49th Street — a 24-story full-service condominium
- 301 East 48th Street — Midtown East cooperative
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Midtown East — read The Roebling Team Guide to Midtown East.
Considering a move at The Octavia?
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 The Octavia 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.