- Year built
- 1988
- Financing
- Up to 90% (subject to lender underwriting)
279 Central Park West is one of the most architecturally distinctive late-20th-century buildings on the corridor — and a critical precursor to Costas Kondylis's later work at 1 Central Park West (Trump International) and 50 Riverside Boulevard.
The structural identity rests on three features. First, the curved-glass corner windows — per CityRealty, 279 CPW "stands out as one of the few buildings in New York City to feature curved glass corner windows," exploiting the spectacular Central Park views with a sculpted asymmetrical silhouette shaped by the city's contextual zoning requirements of the 1980s. Second, the three-story rusticated limestone base — a deliberate Kondylis gesture to the prewar masonry vocabulary of CPW, with distinctive setbacks above the traditional 15-story building-wall height. Third, the 6,713-square-foot duplex penthouse with 360-degree views and wrap-around terraces — the building's signature trophy configuration.
The site previously held the Progress Club, a 1904 Jewish men's club whose membership was central to the late-Gilded Age Upper West Side social architecture.
CityRealty's institutional rating of 87 — notably high for a postmodern building — anchors the editorial benchmark.
Architecture and unit composition
Kondylis's 279 CPW is a critical precursor to his later trophy commissions at 1 Central Park West (Trump International) and 50 Riverside Boulevard. Per CityRealty, the building "stands out as one of the few buildings in New York City to feature curved glass corner windows," exploiting the spectacular Central Park views with a sculpted asymmetrical silhouette shaped by the city's contextual zoning requirements of the 1980s.
The building rises from a three-story rusticated limestone base — a deliberate gesture to the prewar masonry vocabulary of CPW — with distinctive setbacks above the traditional 15-story building-wall height. Many apartments are configured as duplexes; the building includes several penthouses. The crown unit is a 6,713-square-foot duplex penthouse with 360-degree views and wrap-around terraces.
The 38 apartments distribute across the building's 23 stories. The Progress Club site provenance — the 1904 Jewish men's club razed for the Kondylis tower — anchors the property's late-19th-century social-history context.
Building operations
279 CPW operates as a full-service Upper West Side condominium:
- 24-hour doorman and concierge
- Full-service garage on-site (separate)
- Fitness center on the fifth floor
- Indoor and outdoor children's playrooms
- Bike storage
- Private storage
- Live-in superintendent
- In-unit washer/dryers
- Central air conditioning standard
- Revolving entrance doors
- Attractive dark-wood-paneled lobby
Recent sales
Per Brown Harris Stevens and CityRealty 2024-2026 data:
| Unit | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 5B | $3.99M | Active (BHS) |
| 14B | $6.5M | Active (BHS) |
| 11C | (historical) | CityRealty unit page active |
CityRealty shows 6 recent sales and 1 currently active. Average approximately $2,574 per square foot on recent closings; active asking approximately $3,788 per square foot. Apartment-level closing detail should be sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers.
What to know if you’re buying
The condominium structure is the largest single competitive advantage on CPW. Pied-à-terre, subletting, LLC ownership, trust ownership, and foreign-buyer eligibility are all permitted — a profile uncommon along most of Central Park West cooperative inventory.
The 2.5% buyer-paid capital reserve contribution is the largest single closing-cost variable. On a $5 million purchase, $125,000 of additional buyer cost on top of mansion tax and standard closing costs.
The curved-glass corner windows are structurally unique on CPW. Verify exposure and view configuration during walkthrough.
The financing flexibility (up to 90% subject to lender underwriting) materially expands the buyer pool. Plan accordingly.
The Kondylis architectural pedigree connects to 1 Central Park West (Trump International) and 50 Riverside Boulevard. Real institutional context.
The fifth-floor fitness center and indoor/outdoor children's playrooms anchor the amenity layer.
The Miles Davis resident overlay supports cultural-history positioning.
Closing timelines are condominium-standard. Plan for 30 to 45 days from contract through ROFR waiver to closing.
What to know if you’re selling
Marketing should emphasize the condominium policy flexibility — pied-à-terre, subletting, LLC, trust, foreign buyer — and the curved-glass corner architectural distinction. Both are real structural advantages over peer Central Park West cooperative inventory.
The Kondylis architectural pedigree is real institutional context. Position accordingly.
The CityRealty 87 rating is marketable. Cite in positioning materials.
The Miles Davis resident overlay is real cultural-history context. Use selectively.
Pricing should reference the $2,574-per-square-foot recent-closings average and the $3,788-per-square-foot active asking benchmark. Apartment-line-specific comparables should anchor positioning.
Closing timelines are condominium-standard.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 279 Central Park West, also evaluate:
- 1 Central Park West (Trump International) — Kondylis 1995; same-architect CPW condominium peer
- 15 Central Park West — Robert A.M. Stern 2008; trophy CPW condominium peer
- 220 Central Park South — Robert A.M. Stern 2018; trophy Central Park-facing condominium peer
- 262 Central Park West (The White House) — Sugarman & Berger 1929; immediate prewar CPW peer
- 285 Central Park West (The St. Urban) — nearby CPW peer
The Roebling Team at 279 Central Park West
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in Central Park West, the Upper East Side, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this building profile because Central Park West condominium buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architectural attribution, conversion history, operational structure, and pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 279 CPW, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
Corey Cohen · The Roebling Team at Compass 646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com
Sources: CityRealty building page; Corcoran building page; Brown Harris Stevens active listings; Highline Residential portal; NY State Open Corporate Data (Board of Managers of 279 CPW Condominium); NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Central Park West Historic District Designation Report (LP-1647, 1990); NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers.