- Year built
- 1986
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 361
- Floors
- 41
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Permitted under the condominium rules
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
- Financing
- Approximately 20 percent minimum down payment (condominium — no co-op financing cap)
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
- $1,037
- Listing discount
- 3.0%
- Recorded sales
- 295
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Vanderbilt is a 41-story condominium on 40th Street between Second and Third Avenues, a Frank Williams design completed in 1986 for a development team led by William Zeckendorf. It sits in the heart of East Midtown — near Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, Tudor City, and the United Nations — and it delivers a deep amenity package that distinguishes it from much of the corridor's postwar inventory.
The building's amenity suite is its calling card. A 70-foot indoor swimming pool anchors a health club that also carries a jacuzzi, saunas and steam rooms, a gym, and a squash / racquetball / half-basketball court — a sports program rare for a building of this size and era. Add a residents' lounge and screening room, a game room, an on-site parking garage, and even an in-building dry cleaner and salon, and the result is a full-service condominium with an amenity depth that rewards day-to-day residents.
As a condominium, The Vanderbilt offers the transactional flexibility the corridor's cooperative inventory does not: a roughly 20 percent minimum down payment with no co-op financing cap, permitted pied-à-terre and investor use, and condo-fast closings. Its Grand Central proximity anchors steady commuter-driven rental and resale demand.
Architecture and unit composition
The roughly 361 residences occupy the tower's 41 stories, running from studios and one-bedrooms through larger multi-bedroom layouts. Some lines carry corner balconies, and the north-facing upper floors carry Chrysler Building and East River views — the building's premium exposures. The 1980s red-brick massing is updated at the base by a private pass-through driveway, a practical convenience in a dense East Midtown location.
The health club and 70-foot pool anchor the building's amenity identity.
Building operations
The Vanderbilt operates as a full-service condominium with a 24-hour doorman and concierge, a live-in resident manager, an on-site parking garage, and the deep sports-and-pool amenity suite noted above. As a large condominium near Grand Central, the building carries an active owner-rental sub-market — a normal profile for an investor-friendly commuter-convenient condominium and a factor buyers should weigh when reviewing the owner-occupancy ratio and financials.
Standard condominium buyer costs apply, along with the usual application and move-in deposits (confirm current figures at offer stage). Common charges and property taxes should be modeled at the apartment level; buyers should review the building's financials and reserve position during due diligence.
Recent sales
The Vanderbilt trades as a full-service East Midtown condominium with a strong amenity package and a Grand Central location. Recent pricing has run broadly in the $1,200 per square foot range depending on floor, exposure, and layout — for example, a one-bedroom on the 36th line closed in the mid-$780,000s in early 2025, roughly in line with the building's recent average. North-facing high-floor lines with Chrysler and East River views command the building's premium pricing; interior and lower lines trade at a discount.
Pricing is heterogeneous by floor, exposure, and layout. Comparable analysis should reference recent recorded closings on the specific line and floor rather than a single building-wide average.
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 31, 2026 | 11G | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 850 sf | $800,000 | $941/sf | -10.6% |
| Mar 5, 2026 | 2C | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 782 sf | $900,000 | $1,151/sf | -5.3% |
| Oct 31, 2025 | 4J | 1 BA | $532,000 | +0.6% | |
| Oct 23, 2025 | 34C | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 789 sf | $940,000 | $1,191/sf | -1.1% |
| Oct 17, 2025 | 41H | 864 sf | $840,000 | $972/sf | off-mkt |
| Aug 22, 2025 | 37C | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 790 sf | $900,000 | $1,139/sf | -2.7% |
| Aug 19, 2025 | 17E | 1 BR · 1 BA · 584 sf | $825,000 | $1,413/sf | -0.5% |
| Jul 22, 2025 | 9F | 1 BR · 1 BA · 618 sf | $690,000 | $1,117/sf | -4.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,037/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 3.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 2026 | 9J | $510,000 |
| Oct 19, 2022 | 6I | $559,000 |
| Apr 5, 2018 | 4F | $845,000 |
| Sep 12, 2017 | 32E | $825,000 |
| Jan 31, 2014 | 21I | $550,000 |
| Jun 17, 2010 | 38F | $720,000 |
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 1-01314-7501) 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
The amenity suite is a genuine differentiator. The 70-foot indoor pool and the sports facilities — including a squash / racquetball / half-basketball court — are unusual for a building of this size and a real day-to-day feature.
Condominium flexibility applies. Roughly 20 percent down, no co-op financing cap, pied-à-terre and investor use permitted, and condo-fast closings.
The Grand Central location anchors demand. Proximity to Grand Central and the East Midtown business core supports steady rental and resale interest.
Weigh the owner-occupancy profile. As a large commuter-convenient condominium, the building carries an active rental sub-market; review the current ratio and financials during due diligence.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the amenities and the location. The 70-foot pool, the sports suite, and the Grand Central proximity are the building's core selling points.
Price the view lines distinctly. North-facing high-floor inventory with Chrysler and East River views is the building's premium product.
Price at the line and floor. Reference recent recorded closings on the specific line rather than the building average.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Vanderbilt, also evaluate:
- 415 East 37th Street (The Horizon) — nearby Murray Hill full-service condominium with a rooftop pool and East River views
- 630 First Avenue (Manhattan Place) — nearby Kondylis-designed condominium with a rooftop health club
- The Corinthian (330 East 38th Street) — nearby Murray Hill full-service condominium
- 300 East 40th Street — East Midtown full-service condominium
- 50 United Nations Plaza — UN-area trophy condominium (trade-up comparison)
The Roebling Team at The Vanderbilt
The Roebling Team at Compass works across the Midtown East and Murray Hill condominium market, including the large full-service tower tier. We publish this building profile because Vanderbilt buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — amenity structure, view and exposure analysis, buyer-cost mechanics, and comparable analysis at the apartment level — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at The Vanderbilt, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Midtown East — read The Roebling Team Guide to Midtown East.
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