279 Central Park West
279 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
- Year built
- 1988
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 38
- Floors
- 23
- Capital contribution
- 2.5% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer at closing (condominium capital contribution).
- Financing
- No building-imposed financing cap (condominium); financing is subject to lender underwriting.
- Subletting
- Leasing permitted (condominium).
Compiled by The Roebling Research Desk from building documents and current market data. Board policies can change by amendment — confirm at the offer stage. As of 2026.
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $2,489
- Listing discount
- 5.9%
- Recorded sales
- 47
- On record
- 2003–2025
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 building's signature is its curved-glass corner windows: per public records, 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. Kondylis grounded that late-century gesture in tradition, raising the tower from a three-story rusticated limestone base that nods to the prewar masonry vocabulary of CPW, with distinctive setbacks above the traditional 15-story building-wall height. The whole composition resolves at the top in the 6,713-square-foot duplex penthouse, its 360-degree views and wrap-around terraces making it the building's 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. ## 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 public records, 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
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $37,982/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $88
Facade safety — Local Law 11
Safe to live in today — but the last inspection flagged repairs that are due on a deadline, so facade work and its cost are coming. Whether that’s a real concern depends on the scope, the timing, and how the building plans to pay for it — reserves or an assessment — which is exactly what we’d dig into for you.
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent). Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library.
See the full facade history →Management & transfer contacts
- Notable fees
- buyer move-in fee $2,500; seller move-out fee $2,500; buyer capital reserve contribution 2.5%
Recent sales
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2025 | 5B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,215 sf | $3,720,000 | $1,679/sf | -25.5% |
| Jul 24, 2025 | 6B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,215 sf | $6,950,000 | $3,138/sf | +1.5% |
| Jan 13, 2025 | 14B | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,175 sf | $6,250,000 | $2,874/sf | -3.8% |
| Dec 17, 2024 | 14C | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,804 sf | $2,925,000 | $1,621/sf | -2.5% |
| Jul 10, 2023 | 8A | 5 BR · 4 BA | $8,000,000 | -5.9% | |
| Oct 10, 2022 | PH21 | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,567 sf | $10,000,000 | $3,896/sf | -16.7% |
| Oct 24, 2022 | PH5A | 2,676 sf | $9,300,000 | $3,475/sf | off-mkt |
| Jun 16, 2021 | PHAB | 7 BR · 6 BA · 6,713 sf | $19,500,000 | $2,905/sf | -15.2% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $2,489/sf across 3 sales. Median listing discount 5.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2007 | PH18B | $17,999,000 |
| Jun 18, 2004 | PH5A | $4,250,000 |
| Sep 11, 2003 | PH6A | $2,800,000 |
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 1-01202-7501) 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 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 public records 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: The Roebling Research Library (offering plans, house rules, financial statements, board minutes, internal transaction records); NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers; publicly recorded NYC building data.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Central Park West — read The Roebling Team Guide to Central Park West.
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