231 East 55th Street
231 East 55th Street, New York, NY 10022
BBL 1013297501 · BIN 1038578
- Year built
- 2001
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- About 40
- Floors
- 46
- Pets
- Pets permitted under the condominium declaration
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Generally allowed in condominiums; not confirmed for this building
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
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, 2026 to date
- $1,172
- floor-adjusted, 2 sales
- Listing discount
- 4.8%
- Recorded sales
- 55
- On record
- 2006–2026
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 231 East 55th Street 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.
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. Resales are not subject to cooperative-style board approval. Any right-of-first-refusal mechanics, renovation rules, and the pied-à-terre, investment, sublet and pet policies should be reviewed against the current declaration, bylaws and house rules. As with any building of this vintage, review current engineering reports, board minutes, and reserve studies during due diligence.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Concierge
- YesSource: recent listing records
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of Buildings elevator records
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $5,498/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $160,042/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $11 – $333
- Modeled exposure split equally across 40 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; condominium owners are typically charged by each unit's common-interest percentage.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. A filed Safe grade is not a guarantee of current condition: owners still maintain the facade and, where required, observe parapets each year. Future inspection timing (Local Law 49 of 2025 changed the cycle framework from October 1, 2026), repair and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Recent sales
The roughly forty condominium residences include one-bedroom and compact two-bedroom layouts. That count and mix do not establish moderate turnover; count qualifying sales over a stated period and review available inventory. Compare measured price per square foot and total prices with relevant Midtown East sales, adjusting for floor, exposure, condition, services and costs.
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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2026 | 34A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,050 sf | $1,225,000 | $1,167/sf | — |
| May 26, 2026 | 45B | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 856 sf | $940,000 | $1,098/sf | -3.6% |
| Mar 12, 2026 | PH-B | 2 BR · 3 BA · 1,547 sf | $2,000,000 | $1,293/sf | -12.9% |
| Nov 3, 2025 | 44A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,700 sf | $1,795,000 | $1,056/sf | -4.5% |
| Jul 2, 2025 | 45A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,700 sf | $1,900,000 | $1,118/sf | -4.8% |
| Jul 22, 2024 | 43B | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,638 sf | $1,850,000 | $1,129/sf | -7.3% |
| Jun 27, 2024 | PH-B | 2 BR · 3 BA · 1,603 sf | $2,350,000 | $1,466/sf | -27.7% |
| Dec 15, 2023 | 36A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,200,000 | -27.3% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,172/sf (floor-adjusted) across 2 sales. Floor-adjusted means each sale is restated to a constant mix of floors, so the figure can differ from the plain median of the sales listed above. 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.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2026 | 38C | $999,990 |
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; each condominium apartment is its own tax lot). 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What would your apartment rent for?
Enter your apartment and I'll send you what it would rent for, from comparable closed leases at 231 East 55th Street and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $1.51M (6 sales in the past 24 months, since October 31, 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $64,344 to close, or 4.3% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $15,100
- Mortgage recording tax: $21,801
- Title insurance: $6,795
- Attorneys, lender, building fees, reserves and filings: $20,649
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
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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.
Condominium purchase process. No co-op board approval to purchase; purchases run through the condominium's application and right-of-first-refusal process. Confirm pied-à-terre, investment-use and subletting rules in the declaration, bylaws and house rules.
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. Assess the available dated in-building transactions alongside matched Midtown East condominium sales; do not infer turnover from the residence count.
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
More Midtown East buildings
- 226 East 52nd Street (The Enclave) — 1984 condominium
- 227 East 44th Street — 2014
- 230 East 50th Street — 1927 co-op
- 232 East 47th Street (The Club at Turtle Bay) — 1988 condominium by Liebman & Liebman
- 235 East 49th Street (Midtown East) — 1925 co-op
- The Pfizer Building (235 East 42nd Street)
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Midtown East — read The Roebling Team Guide to Midtown East.
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 231 East 55th Street?
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646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com