320 East 86th Street

This is not an architecture play. The building is a five-story 1925 brick structure of walk-up vintage — with an elevator — renovated at conversion, holding 24 apartments above a retail base. The apartments are compact: predominantly studios and one-bedrooms with select two-bedroom layouts, trading on efficiency, low monthlies, and the policy framework rather than on pre-war grandeur. The common roof deck is landscaped and is the building's primary shared amenity. City records carry 27 residential units against the offering plan's 24 — a count discrepancy that likely reflects the lot's secondary structures and should be reconciled in diligence rather than assumed.

The building has video-intercom entry rather than a doorman, a central laundry room, elevator, and the roof deck. Management has been continuous with Majestic Property Management Corp. — an affiliate of the sponsor — since January 1989, per the financial statements on file, and the sponsor retained the commercial unit and roughly 13 percent of the residential shares as of the most recent statements. Common charges flow through the condominium association (77 percent residential / 23 percent commercial), but that allocation does not itself establish modest maintenance; compare current actual charges and obligations. The offering plan, amendments, audited financial statements for both entities, the alteration agreement, and the current purchase application are on file in The Roebling Research Library.

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. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2022): a median $1,127/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 1.7% 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 1-01548-7501). 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.

Understand what "condop" means here. You are buying co-op shares in 320 East 86th Street Realty Corp., not a condo deed — but the building's legal structure separates the retail unit, and the board's documented posture (10 percent down, unlimited subletting after two years, pied-à-terre and parental purchases considered) delivers most of the flexibility buyers seek from condos. Your attorney should review the offering plan and by-laws on file with us to confirm the mechanics.

The investor math is the draw — model it honestly. Two years of owner seasoning, then unlimited subletting per brokerage records, with low carry and a transit-anchored rental pool. Verify the current sublet fee schedule and any recent policy amendments with the managing agent before underwriting.

The sponsor is still in the building. The commercial unit and roughly 13 percent of the shares remained sponsor-held as of the statements on file, and the managing agent is a sponsor affiliate. None of this is unusual for a small 1980s conversion, but your attorney should confirm the current sponsor position and what it means for board control and resale.

Review the dated balance sheet and current updates. The audited statements on file report air-rights proceeds, reserves above $800,000, the 2017 interest-only mortgage and an untapped $250,000 line. Confirm their reporting date and obtain current balances, terms and capital obligations before judging financial strength.

Price the 86th Street reality. This is Yorkville's busiest commercial block — retail below, the Q entrance nearby, real foot traffic. Buyers wanting a quiet side-street profile should weigh that against the convenience premium. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator on the specific unit; the monthlies here are a genuine advantage.

Market the structure, not just the apartment. A condop where pied-à-terre use is permitted and subletting is permitted with conditions is worth stating in the first line of the listing; confirm the financing limit and sublet terms with the managing agent before quoting them.

Compare total carrying costs. Use current apartment-specific maintenance, debt and assessments against The Harper’s common charges, taxes and assessments, with consistent financing assumptions; do not assume a cost advantage.

Know your flip tax. The transfer fee is $1,500 per room, seller-paid, per the financial statements on file — modest, but it belongs in your net-proceeds math from day one. The Seller Closing Cost Calculator takes a flip tax only as a percentage of sale price, so add the per-room fee separately.

If you're considering 320 East 86th Street, also evaluate:

• The Harper (310 East 86th Street) — the ODA-designed 2024 condo immediately west; the new-development alternative at several multiples of the price
• 180 East 88th Street — DDG's boutique condo tower two blocks north; the design-forward step-up
• 200 East 83rd Street — Robert A.M. Stern condo; the corridor's top-tier new alternative
• 50 East 89th Street — full-service post-war co-op; the amenity-rich alternative for the same budget band
• 131 East 93rd Street — small Carnegie Hill co-op; the quiet side-street comparison
• Citizen360 (360 East 89th Street) — Yorkville condo; the resale-condo alternative
• The Kent (200 East 95th Street) — Extell condo; the family-scale Yorkville condo comparison