- Year built
- 1984
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 25
- Floors
- 14
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pets permitted under the condominium declaration
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2022
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,341
- Listing discount
- 4.3%
- Recorded sales
- 35
- On record
- 2004–2022
226 East 52nd Street is a product of one of New York's most distinctive — and now largely legislated-away — building types: the Midtown "sliver." Built in 1984 to a design by Marvin H. Meltzer, the tower rises on a narrow lot among the low-rise townhouses and small apartment houses of Turtle Bay, its slim footprint and stepped, balconied massing a deliberate response to the scale of its neighbors. Buildings of this proportion are difficult to construct under current zoning, which gives the Enclave a scarcity that is structural rather than promotional.
The boutique scale is the building's defining trait. With roughly two apartments per floor and only about two dozen residences in total, the Enclave offers something the Midtown East market is short on: a small, full-service condominium with the privacy of a townhouse and the convenience of a doorman building. Buyers who want a low-density, low-traffic ownership experience in central Midtown — without the anonymity of a 300-unit tower — are the building's natural audience.
Its position on a quiet Turtle Bay block, directly north of the Greenacre Park pocket park and within a short walk of the Lexington and Third Avenue corridors, reinforces that character. This is a neighborhood building, not a trophy, and it has held a steady, identifiable niche for four decades.
Architecture and unit composition
The Enclave reads as a slim brick-and-stucco tower with setbacks and semicircular curved balconies — a vocabulary typical of the early-1980s sliver. The narrow plan means most floors hold only one or two apartments, producing layouts with generous exposure for their size and a sense of privacy uncommon in a building of this footprint. The balconies are a meaningful feature, giving many units private outdoor space.
The apartment mix runs to one- and two-bedroom layouts. Because it is a condominium, the building's residences are valued on a price-per-square-foot basis, with floor, exposure, outdoor space, and renovation condition driving the variation. The upper floors capture the building's best light and the open views that the surrounding low-rise context makes possible.
Building operations
The Enclave operates as a boutique full-service condominium: a full-time doorman, a common rooftop deck with panoramic views, central laundry, and central air conditioning. As a small building, it does not carry the broad amenity package of a large tower — there is no on-site fitness center or pool on the published list — and buyers who prioritize those should weigh that against the privacy and intimacy the building offers.
Governance is by a condominium board. Condominium ownership provides the flexibility that defines the form: pied-à-terre use, investment ownership, and subletting are permitted under the declaration, pets are permitted, and resales are not subject to the board-approval process of a cooperative. Any right-of-first-refusal mechanics and renovation rules should be reviewed against the current bylaws and house rules during due diligence.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $31,576/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $55,860/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $105 – $186
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 →Recent sales
226 East 52nd Street is a small but actively traded Turtle Bay condominium. As a condo, apartments are read on a price-per-square-foot basis, and the limited unit count means turnover is naturally modest — there will not always be a recent in-building comparable, so pricing often draws on the broader Turtle Bay / Midtown East boutique-condo set. Recorded transfers over the building's history range from one-bedrooms through larger two-bedroom layouts.
The building's pricing argument is the scarcity of the sliver form combined with full-service convenience: a private, low-density condominium in central Midtown. Because the sample size in-building is thin, careful comparable selection across nearby boutique condominiums is essential. Verify the most recent closings against NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers and exclude any non-arms-length transfers from your analysis.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2022 | 18 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 630 sf | $845,000 | $1,341/sf | -10.1% |
| Mar 25, 2021 | 10 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,140 sf | $1,150,000 | $1,009/sf | -8.0% |
| Nov 16, 2020 | 8 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,140 sf | $1,225,000 | $1,075/sf | -7.5% |
| May 2, 2019 | 14 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,750 sf | $1,990,000 | $1,137/sf | -26.2% |
| Jan 29, 2019 | 22 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 665 sf | $655,000 | $985/sf | -3.5% |
| Oct 26, 2018 | 11 | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 930 sf | $999,000 | $1,074/sf | -8.8% |
| Oct 5, 2018 | 7 | 1 BR · 800 sf | $850,000 | $1,063/sf | +3.2% |
| Oct 6, 2016 | 25 | 1 BR · 800 sf | $950,000 | $1,188/sf | -4.0% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2022) cleared a median $1,341/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 4.3% 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 1-01325-7501) 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
Condo flexibility is real. No board approval to purchase; pied-à-terre, investment use, and subletting are permitted under the declaration. Confirm the specifics at offer stage.
It is a boutique building — set expectations accordingly. Roughly two dozen units and a doorman, but not a full amenity package. The trade is privacy and scale for breadth of services.
Outdoor space is a differentiator. Many units have private balconies; the value of that outdoor space is line-specific. View it in person.
Comparable selection requires reaching beyond the building. With thin in-building turnover, pricing depends on the right boutique-condo comps across Turtle Bay and Midtown East.
Run the mansion-tax math. At this building's price points, the $1M (and potentially higher) cliff thresholds apply — model them.
What to know if you’re selling
Tell the scarcity story. The sliver form and boutique scale are genuine differentiators; the marketing should lead with privacy, light, and outdoor space.
Price against the right set. Because in-building comps are sparse, defensible pricing relies on a carefully chosen group of nearby boutique-condo sales.
Closing is condo-fast. Resales are not subject to board approval; expect a 30–45 day path from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 226 East 52nd Street, also evaluate:
- 303 East 57th Street (The Excelsior) — larger full-service Midtown East building nearby
- 322 East 57th Street — Harry M. Clawson of Caughey & Evans's 1929-1930 Manhattan cooperative
- 425 East 58th Street (The Sovereign) — 1970s full-service Midtown East tower
- 430 East 58th Street — Midtown East condominium
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Gramercy — read The Roebling Team Guide to Gramercy.
Considering a move at The Enclave?
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 Enclave 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.