The Clearfield (305 Riverside Drive)
305 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10025
BBL 1018900036 · BIN 1057187
- Year built
- 1909
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 63
- Landmark
- Designated
The Clearfield at 305 Riverside Drive is a 1909 Beaux-Arts cooperative on the southeast corner of West 103rd Street, set directly across from Riverside Park with the Hudson beyond. Designed by Lawlor & Haase at the height of the Riverside Drive apartment boom, it is one of the handsome masonry buildings that gave the Drive its identity as the Upper West Side's grand park-front avenue — a quieter, leafier counterpart to Central Park West a half-mile east.
The architecture is genuine turn-of-the-century work: a limestone base and crown framing a brick body, a delicate street-level fence with finials, and bandcourses running above the third and fourth floors. At 12 stories and 63 apartments, the building sits at a human scale, and its park frontage is the permanent asset — Riverside Park's promenade, playgrounds, and Hudson River greenway are directly across the Drive, an outlook no future construction can interrupt.
For buyers, the case is straightforward: a landmarked, full-service pre-war co-op with direct park exposure, an amenity package upgraded for modern living, and a board posture friendlier than the white-glove avenues to the east. It rewards buyers who want pre-war character and parkside calm without surrendering everyday convenience.
Architecture and unit composition
Lawlor & Haase designed The Clearfield in the Beaux-Arts vocabulary the Drive favored: a rusticated limestone base, a refined cornice and crown, decorative ironwork, and the layered masonry detail of 1909 construction. The building's protected status within the Riverside–West End Historic District preserves that envelope.
Inside, the 63 apartments carry the proportions of the period — high ceilings, generous room sizes, fireplaces in many homes, and the deep light that a park-front exposure delivers. Apartments have been individually renovated over the building's long cooperative life, and in-unit washer/dryers are part of the current fabric; the specific home's floor, exposure, and condition drive value. West-facing residences capture Riverside Park and Hudson River outlooks; corner lines at the Drive and 103rd gain dual exposures.
Building operations
The Clearfield runs as a full-service pre-war cooperative. A 24-hour doorman staffs the lobby, supported by a live-in superintendent, and residents have the use of a roof deck, a bicycle room, private storage units, and a central laundry room — a well-rounded amenity set for a building of this era and scale.
On board policy, the building is welcoming. Pets are permitted with board approval, and in-unit washer/dryers are an established feature of the apartments. Financing and residency expectations follow Upper West Side cooperative norms; a clean financial profile and primary-residence intent carry a purchase package. The roof deck and parkside setting make this a building that lives larger than its footprint.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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 →What to know if you’re buying
You're buying a park-front pre-war address. Direct Riverside Park exposure across the Drive, a 1909 Beaux-Arts envelope, and historic-district protection are the building's defining assets.
The amenity set is full. A 24-hour doorman, roof deck, bike room, and private storage put this building's services ahead of many of its pre-war peers.
The board is accommodating. Pets are welcome with approval and in-unit washer/dryers are present — a friendlier posture than the strictest UWS co-ops.
Underwrite the specific apartment. Exposure — particularly west toward the park — floor, and renovation level drive value across a varied unit mix.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the park and the roof deck. Direct Riverside Park frontage, Hudson outlooks from the west lines, and shared roof access are the marketing core.
The rules widen the buyer pool. Pet-friendliness and in-unit laundry broaden appeal beyond what stricter buildings reach.
Price to the line. Park-facing west exposures and higher floors command premiums; comparable analysis should be exposure-specific.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Plan for roughly 6–10 weeks from contract to closing, subject to board scheduling.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 305 Riverside Drive, also evaluate:
- 300 Riverside Drive — pre-war Riverside Drive cooperative across the street
- 320 Riverside Drive — nearby park-front pre-war building
- 285 Riverside Drive — comparable Riverside Drive co-op to the south
- 310 Riverside Drive — the Master Building, a Riverside Drive landmark nearby
- 258 Riverside Drive — pre-war Riverside Drive peer
- 222 Riverside Drive — comparable park-front cooperative
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Riverside Drive — read The Roebling Team Guide to Riverside Drive.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
Considering a move at The Clearfield?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Clearfield 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.