- Year built
- 2001
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 40
- Floors
- 46
- 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, 2006–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,235
- Listing discount
- 4.8%
- Recorded sales
- 54
- On record
- 2006–2026
231 East 55th Street is the for-sale condominium that occupies the upper floors of a tall, mixed-use Midtown East tower completed in 2001 to a design by Costas Kondylis, one of the most productive residential architects of New York's late-20th-century high-rise era. The structure stacks two distinct uses in a single building: an institutional residence on the lower floors and a market-rate condominium above. The condominium portion — addressed as 231 East 55th Street — is what trades on the open market.
The appeal of the upper-floor condominium is altitude and light. By sitting near the top of a roughly 46-story tower on a Midtown East side street, the condominium apartments capture open exposures and skyline views that a low- or mid-rise building on the same block could not deliver. For buyers seeking a new-millennium condominium with real view value at an accessible Midtown price point, that is the building's core proposition.
The location is central Midtown East — the same block as a well-known neighborhood institution, a short walk from the Lexington Avenue and 53rd Street subway lines, and within the dining and commercial density that defines the area. Buyers should understand the mixed-use program clearly: it is a structural feature of the building, and it shapes both the entry experience and the way the building is managed.
Architecture and unit composition
The tower presents as a modern setback high-rise, its stepped massing a function of both zoning and the dual-use program stacked within it. The condominium apartments occupy the upper floors, where the floor plates yield predominantly one-bedroom and compact two-bedroom layouts. Because it is a condominium, residences are valued on a price-per-square-foot basis, with floor height, exposure, and view the dominant variables — the higher and more open the apartment, the stronger the pricing.
The view envelope is the architectural asset here: upper-floor units look out over the surrounding Midtown grid with the open sight lines that altitude provides. Renovation condition and exposure drive the spread between otherwise similar lines.
Building operations
231 East 55th Street operates as a condominium with a full-time doorman. Because the broader structure is a mixed-use building, prospective buyers should review the allocation of building services between the condominium and the institutional portion and the common-charge structure during due diligence — these are the diligence items specific to a stacked, dual-use tower.
Governance is by a condominium board. Condominium ownership carries the flexibility characteristic of the form: pied-à-terre use, investment ownership, and subletting are permitted under the declaration, pets are permitted, and resales are not subject to cooperative-style board approval. Any right-of-first-refusal mechanics and renovation rules should be reviewed against the current bylaws and house rules. As with any building of this vintage, review current engineering reports, board minutes, and reserve studies during due diligence.
Recent sales
231 East 55th Street is a Midtown East condominium with a real, if modestly sized, resale market. As a condo, apartments are read on a price-per-square-foot basis; the building's roughly forty condominium units skew toward one-bedroom and small two-bedroom layouts, so turnover is moderate and pricing often draws on both in-building history and the broader Midtown East condominium set. Recorded transfers establish a price band anchored by the building's compact-layout profile and lifted on the upper floors by the view premium.
The pricing argument is accessible altitude: a 2001 condominium with genuine upper-floor views at a Midtown East price point below the corridor's trophy inventory. The mixed-use program is a factor sophisticated buyers model carefully — it affects common charges, services, and the entry experience — and it should be addressed directly in any pricing analysis. Verify the most recent closings against NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers and exclude any non-arms-length transfers.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 2026 | 34A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,050 sf | $1,225,000 | $1,167/sf | off-mkt |
| May 5, 2026 | 45B | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 856 sf | $940,000 | $1,098/sf | -3.6% |
| Feb 25, 2026 | PHB | 2 BR · 3 BA · 1,547 sf | $2,000,000 | $1,293/sf | -12.9% |
| Oct 10, 2025 | 44A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,700 sf | $1,795,000 | $1,056/sf | -4.5% |
| Jun 24, 2025 | 45A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,700 sf | $1,900,000 | $1,118/sf | -4.8% |
| Jul 3, 2024 | 43AB | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,638 sf | $1,850,000 | $1,129/sf | -7.3% |
| Jun 20, 2024 | PHB | 2 BR · 3 BA · 1,603 sf | $2,350,000 | $1,466/sf | -27.7% |
| Dec 7, 2023 | 36A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,200,000 | -27.3% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,235/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 4.8% 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 1-01329-7501) 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
Understand the mixed-use program. The condominium sits above an institutional residence in the same tower. Confirm how building services, amenities, and common charges are structured at offer stage.
Altitude is the value. Upper-floor units carry the building's view premium. The higher and more open the exposure, the stronger the apartment — view it in person at multiple times of day.
Condo flexibility is real. No board approval to purchase; pied-à-terre, investment use, and subletting are permitted under the declaration. Confirm the specifics.
Diligence on the building applies. Review engineering reports, board minutes, and reserve studies; for a mixed-use tower, also confirm the service and cost allocation between uses.
Run the mansion-tax math. At and above $1M, the cliff thresholds apply — model them.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the view. For upper-floor units, the open exposures and altitude are the marketing story; document them clearly.
Address the mixed-use program proactively. Buyers will ask about the institutional residence below — be prepared to explain the structure and the common-charge picture.
Price against the right set. With moderate in-building turnover, defensible pricing blends in-building history with the broader Midtown East condominium comparables.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 231 East 55th Street, also evaluate:
- 303 East 57th Street (The Excelsior) — large full-service Midtown East building nearby
- 425 East 58th Street (The Sovereign) — 1970s full-service Midtown East tower
- 430 East 58th Street — Midtown East condominium
- 226 East 52nd Street (The Enclave) — boutique Midtown East condominium nearby
The Roebling Team at 231 East 55th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass works across Midtown East and the broader Manhattan condominium market. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers in mixed-use towers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, operations, and the realities of pricing where a dual-use program shapes the economics — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 231 East 55th Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the full context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires — comparable analysis at the apartment level, due diligence priorities, and the pacing that fits your timeline.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Gramercy — read The Roebling Team Guide to Gramercy.
Get the full picture on this building.
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