- Year built
- 1980
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 16
- Floors
- 10
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pets permitted under the condominium rules
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
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
- $1,124
- Listing discount
- 3.4%
- Recorded sales
- 12
- On record
- 2004–2025
245 East 50th Street — known as Ile St. Louis — is a boutique postwar condominium in Turtle Bay, on the tree-lined block of East 50th Street between Second and Third Avenues. Built in 1980, it offers something distinctive for a building of its size: a ten-story mid-rise with a rooftop terrace, giving a 16-residence building a genuine shared outdoor amenity and open views above the low-rise streetscape of Turtle Bay.
What buyers respond to here is the combination of postwar practicality and boutique scale. The building carries the efficient layouts and elevator convenience of an early-1980s condominium, with part-time door staff and in-building laundry, on a quiet Midtown East block within easy reach of the United Nations district, Grand Central, and the Second and Third Avenue corridors. The rooftop terrace is the standout feature and a real draw for a building this size.
The building is for buyers who want a practical, low-density Midtown East condominium with a roof deck and condo flexibility, without the carrying costs of a large full-service tower.
Architecture and unit composition
245 East 50th Street is a postwar mid-rise of its era — a ten-story masonry condominium built in 1980, topped by a rooftop terrace that gives the building its identity and its open outlook. The design is practical rather than ornamental, in keeping with the boutique postwar condominiums of Turtle Bay and Midtown East.
Inside, the 16 residences are efficient postwar condominium homes served by an elevator. Floor, exposure, layout, and light drive value; upper-floor residences and those with the best light and access to the roof carry the building's premiums. The low unit count and the rooftop terrace give the building a distinct, amenity-forward character for its size within the Midtown East market.
Building operations
245 East 50th Street operates as a boutique condominium with part-time door staff, an elevator, a rooftop terrace, central laundry, and resident storage. That is a well-judged package for a 16-residence building — a genuine outdoor amenity and part-time coverage without the staffing overhead of a large full-service tower, which keeps common charges proportionate. Common charges reflect the staffing and the roof deck; buyers should model the full monthly carry and review reserves and any capital history during due diligence, as is prudent for a boutique condominium now several decades into its operating life.
Recent sales
As a condominium, 245 East 50th Street prices on a price-per-square-foot basis, with floor, exposure, light, outdoor access, and condition supporting premiums. Turnover is light for a boutique building of this size; both resale and owner-rental activity occur, but it is an ownership condominium, not a rental building. Apartment-level context — floor, exposure, layout, and condition — drives pricing more than any building average, and the roof deck and central Midtown East location support pricing for residences that present well.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2025 | 6A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 790 sf | $845,000 | $1,070/sf | -0.4% |
| Aug 7, 2025 | 2A | 1 BA · 722 sf | $855,000 | $1,184/sf | -11.7% |
| Jan 20, 2022 | 9A/B/PH | 3 BR | $1,875,000 | -10.7% | |
| Jun 28, 2021 | 2B | 1 BR · 1 BA | $925,000 | -15.9% | |
| Jun 24, 2020 | 2A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 723 sf | $800,000 | $1,107/sf | +6.8% |
| Jun 1, 2020 | 7A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 790 sf | $757,500 | $959/sf | -2.3% |
| Oct 19, 2017 | 7B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 825 sf | $925,000 | $1,121/sf | -7.0% |
| Jul 14, 2014 | 6B | 1 BR · 772 sf | $851,000 | $1,102/sf | -2.7% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $1,124/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 3.4% 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 1-01324-7501) 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 roof deck is the signature amenity. A rooftop terrace is a real draw for a 16-unit building and gives open outlook above the Turtle Bay streetscape; confirm access and any rules for your situation.
This is a boutique, low-density building. Sixteen residences over ten floors — a calm building where the individual apartment, not a building average, drives the price.
The amenity package is proportionate. Part-time door staff, an elevator, laundry, and storage — real services scaled to a small building, which keeps common charges reasonable.
The location is practical and central. A quiet Turtle Bay block between Second and Third, within reach of the U.N. district, Grand Central, and multiple avenues.
Confirm the building's operating history. As a 1980 condominium, reserves, capital history, and any recent building work should be reviewed during due diligence.
Condo flexibility is real. Pied-à-terre, subletting, foreign buyers, and LLC/trust ownership are permitted under the declaration; closings run on condo timelines.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At this building's pricing, the $1M and $2M cliffs can be in play. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
Variable board financial policy — confirm at offer stage. Financing percentages and any sublet terms specific to your situation should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the roof deck and the scale. A boutique postwar condominium with a rooftop terrace in Turtle Bay is a specific, marketable story; foreground it.
Pricing requires apartment-level comps. With 16 residences, floor, exposure, light, and condition all move the number.
Present the outlook. Photography that reads the roof-deck views and the light of upper-floor residences supports price.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 245 East 50th Street, also evaluate these nearby Turtle Bay and Midtown East condominiums:
- 230 East 50th Street — directly nearby Turtle Bay condominium
- 249 East 50th Street — directly nearby Turtle Bay condominium
- 138 East 50th Street — nearby Midtown East condominium
- 250 East 49th Street — nearby Turtle Bay condominium
- 309 East 49th Street — nearby Turtle Bay condominium
The Roebling Team at 245 East 50th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass works the full Midtown East and Turtle Bay market, including its boutique postwar condominiums. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers of small, specific buildings deserve building-level intelligence — architecture, amenity reality, and apartment-level pricing context — rather than generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 245 East 50th 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.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Midtown East — read The Roebling Team Guide to Midtown East.
Get the full picture on this building.
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