- Year built
- 1928
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $746
- Listing discount
- 6.7%
- Recorded sales
- 25
- On record
- 2003–2026
Sutton House at 333 East 57th Street is a small, gracious pre-war cooperative with a cultural pedigree few buildings can match. Completed in 1928 to a design by Cox & Holden, its interiors were the work of Dorothy Draper — the most influential American decorator of her era, whose bold, theatrical style helped define mid-century glamour. That design heritage gave the building an identity from the start, and it has carried it ever since.
It is also a literary address. The building was the longtime home of the American novelist E.L. Doctorow, and in recognition it has been designated a New York State Literary Landmark by the American Library Association — an unusual distinction that adds to the building's character. At just 35 residences over 15 stories, Sutton House is intimate by design, the kind of quiet, well-staffed cooperative that trades on service, provenance, and the calm of its near-Sutton location.
For buyers, the appeal is a pre-war home with real history, white-glove staffing, a landscaped garden and roof deck, and a board that welcomes pets — all on a residential block steps from Sutton Place and the East River.
Architecture and unit composition
Sutton House presents as a dignified 1928 elevator cooperative, its proportions and detailing rooted in the pre-war tradition, with Dorothy Draper's hand in the building's original common spaces. The building's enduring appeal lies as much in atmosphere as in ornament — a small, well-kept house with a strong sense of identity.
The 35 residences are predominantly gracious one- and two-bedroom homes with the pre-war hallmarks buyers seek: entry foyers, good ceiling heights, large windows, and generous closets, many enhanced by decades of careful renovation. With only a handful of apartments per floor, the building feels private and quiet, and the cohesive scale keeps the cooperative's culture tight-knit. Light and outlook improve with floor, and the upper homes enjoy the building's best exposures.
Building operations
Sutton House runs as a white-glove cooperative with a 24-hour doorman and a live-in superintendent. Its signature amenity is the meticulously landscaped Roman garden — a rare private outdoor retreat — complemented by a roof deck with city views, large basement storage, and bicycle storage. The building is pet-friendly.
As a cooperative, purchases are subject to board approval, and buyers should plan for a board package and interview; subletting, pied-à-terre, and financing policies follow the building's house rules and proprietary lease. The maintenance reflects the full-service staffing and the building's carefully tended common spaces. The location — a residential block between First and Second Avenues, steps from Sutton Place, the East River, and the 57th Street retail corridor — is a durable part of the appeal.
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 →Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 3% of the Purchase Price
- Sublet policy
- Sublease Fee 2 months of annual maintenance for every year of sublease; sublet renewal Sublease Fee 20% of sublease rent billed monthly
- Notable fees
- Application Processing Fee $725 (buyer); Closing Fee $775; Move In/Out Fee $1,000 each
Recent sales
Recent transfers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2026 | 4F | 1 BR · 2 BA | $889,000 | -0.7% | |
| Jul 11, 2025 | 6A | 5 BR · 4 BA · 3,000 sf | $2,450,000 | $817/sf | -2.0% |
| Apr 11, 2025 | 12A | 5 BR · 4 BA · 3,000 sf | $2,310,000 | $770/sf | -3.1% |
| Nov 20, 2023 | 2A | 3 BR · 4 BA | $2,328,000 | -6.7% | |
| Dec 22, 2021 | 15B | 3 BR · 4 BA · 3,175 sf | $2,500,000 | $787/sf | -9.1% |
| Oct 13, 2021 | 11B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,000 sf | $2,600,000 | $867/sf | +23.8% |
| Jul 1, 2021 | 4 | 3 BR · 3 BA | $1,665,000 | -7.4% | |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 1F | 1.5 BA · 900 sf | $399,000 | $443/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2025): a median $746/sf across 2 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 6.7% 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.
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 1-01350-0014) 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a small pre-war cooperative, so plan for a board package and interview, and confirm the building's current rules on financing, subletting, and pieds-à-terre as part of your offer. The building is pet-friendly, which matters to many buyers. Focus diligence on floor and light, layout flow and ceiling height, the quality and age of any renovation, and the building's financials and reserve position — in a 35-unit cooperative, per-unit operating costs and capital planning deserve close attention. Weigh the maintenance against the white-glove service and the tended common spaces, particularly the Roman garden, which is a genuine differentiator. The near-Sutton location and the building's quiet, literary identity are assets that hold value.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the building's distinct identity: a 1928 cooperative with Dorothy Draper design heritage, a Roman garden, white-glove service, and a literary-landmark history, all on a coveted near-Sutton block. These are differentiators that set a sale here apart from larger, more anonymous buildings. Benchmark to comparable Sutton and Beekman pre-war cooperatives, and stage to the home's pre-war character and light. A clean, well-prepared board package and a clear renovation history will smooth the cooperative approval process and support the price.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering Sutton House, also evaluate these Sutton Place and East 57th Street pre-war and full-service peers:
- 430 East 57th Street — McKim, Mead & White pre-war cooperative nearby
- 444 East 57th Street — pre-war cooperative on the far East 57th stretch
- 411 East 57th Street — full-service building near Sutton Place
- 322 East 57th Street — pre-war cooperative nearby
- 303 East 57th Street — established East 57th Street co-op
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 Sutton House?
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 Sutton House 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.