315 West 86th Street

LPC describes light polychrome brick laid in Flemish bond above the granite base. The entrance is round-arched with a carved surround and fanlight. Upper portions include decorative window surrounds, terra-cotta details and stone balconies. The original composition culminates in a penthouse level above the main building.

These details explain the building's contribution to the Riverside-West End historic streetscape. The façade is organized through material and ornament at several levels, with the entrance and selected upper stories receiving greater emphasis. Exterior work takes place within that protected architectural context.

Inside, apartments retain characteristic prewar features such as beamed ceilings, hardwood flooring and moldings. Layouts can include separate entry areas and windowed kitchens or bathrooms. Renovations have changed finishes in individual homes, while the original structure continues to shape room proportions and circulation.

The one-bedroom inventory includes homes with separate kitchens and distinct living rooms. Larger apartments and combinations can add dining space, additional bedrooms and bathrooms. A combined residence has its own plan and renovation history, so it should be compared with other large homes on the basis of its completed arrangement.

Upper-floor apartments can have longer outlooks over the neighboring streetscape. Lower apartments engage more directly with West 86th Street and the surrounding buildings. The north or south orientation and the position of neighboring walls determine the daylight conditions within a particular room.

Two elevators serve the cooperative. A part-time doorman provides lobby coverage, and a resident superintendent supports day-to-day maintenance. Shared laundry, bicycle storage and storage units are present, with storage availability dependent on the building's allocations.

The historic-district designation affects exterior work, including visible windows and façade alterations. An apartment renovation involving exterior components may require review beyond the cooperative's internal alteration process. Work confined to ordinary interior finishes has a different review scope from a proposal that changes a protected elevation.

The property is residential Tax Class 2 and shows no building-wide exemption on the DOF assessment roll beyond personal exemptions; abatements apply at the bill level, so check the cooperative's tax bill. Real-estate taxes are paid by the cooperative and incorporated into maintenance. Class 2 does not carry the assessment-growth cap applied to certain smaller residential properties.

The presence of combined apartments means that interior area and share allocation should be distinguished. Two homes with a similar room count may have different maintenance obligations because of their underlying shares and configuration. A combined apartment's operating costs belong to the actual combined interest being transferred.

Financing up to 80% and pet ownership are described as permitted — confirm with the managing agent. Washer/dryer installation is governed by cooperative policy — confirm current terms with the managing agent. The ability to install laundry equipment is separate from whether a particular apartment already has an approved installation.

The shared laundry room supplies a building-level option. For a buyer planning an installation, the proposed equipment location and plumbing route need to fit the cooperative's alteration requirements. Permission to install in one residence doesn't guarantee the same setup will work in every line; check plumbing location and the alteration agreement for the specific apartment.

Recent sales

Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.

Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,063/sf (floor-adjusted) across 1 sale. Floor-adjusted means each sale is restated to a constant mix of floors, so the figure can differ from the plain median of the sales listed above. Median listing discount 1.1% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01248-0022). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.

• The Florence: A nearby prewar cooperative with a closely comparable overall residential scale.
• 565 West End Avenue: A taller prewar cooperative from a later design period.
• 323 West 86th Street: A cooperative on the same block with a smaller apartment inventory.
• 525 West End Avenue: An earlier prewar cooperative with a larger ownership base.
• The Clarendon: A Riverside Drive cooperative for buyers prioritizing the avenue setting and park-oriented exposures.