400 East 51st Street (The Grand Beekman)
400 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
- Year built
- 2003
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 89
- Floors
- 32
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- **Pet-friendly** — dogs and cats both permitted (specific weight or breed restrictions not publicly documented; confirm with management)
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
The Grand Beekman at 400 East 51st Street is the most architecturally consequential contemporary residential building developed in the Beekman corridor in approximately 25 years. Completed in 2003 by Alexico Group (Izak Senbahar and Simon Elias) in joint venture with Gama Holdings, the 32-story condominium was designed by Costas Kondylis — Manhattan's most prolific late-20th-and-early-21st-century residential architect, whose body of work spans approximately 86 Manhattan towers including Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza two blocks south. Douglas Elliman Property Management has managed the building through the contemporary era.
Kondylis's architectural argument at The Grand Beekman is structurally distinct from the broader Manhattan contemporary luxury residential tradition. Where Kondylis's earlier 845 UN Plaza commission produced a pure-modernist dark bronze glass slab, The Grand Beekman is executed in limestone and cast stone — a material specification rare among contemporary Manhattan condominium construction and closer to the pre-war Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue cooperative tradition than to the contemporary supertall condominium tier. The architectural argument is explicit: Alexico's own marketing describes the design as "an architectural homage to the 1930s poise of the celebrated River House" — the 1931 William Lawrence Bottomley landmarked trophy cooperative at 435 East 52nd Street that defines the broader Beekman / Sutton Place corridor's pre-war residential identity. CityRealty's architecture critic Carter Horsley describes the resulting building as "the most elegant, post-modern building along First Avenue."
The exterior carries the architectural detail consistent with the homage. A rusticated six-story masonry base; corner bay windows on the avenue elevation; articulated upper-story pilasters running five stories at the building's apparent crown; three pilasters extending the full height of the enclosed rooftop water-tank structure. The result is a building that reads from First Avenue as architecturally serious — calibrated to the broader pre-war architectural register of the surrounding Beekman corridor rather than to the glass-curtain-wall vocabulary of the contemporary new-construction trophy tier.
Apartment interiors carry the pre-war architectural argument inward. Substantial ceiling heights running approximately 9.5 to 13 feet across the building's inventory; herringbone mahogany flooring (a pre-war architectural signature unusual in contemporary new construction); French doors opening onto Juliet balconies; corner bay windows producing East River and Manhattan skyline views from the upper-floor inventory; Viking, Miele, and Sub-Zero kitchen specifications; limestone bathroom finishes. Apartment configurations follow pre-war-influenced layout discipline — formal entry galleries, separation between entertaining and sleeping wings, library-living combinations on the larger units.
A distinctive interior architectural feature: the landscaped private garden conservatory designed by Arnold Scaasi. Scaasi (1930–2015) was the couturier whose body of work included First Lady wardrobes for Mamie Eisenhower, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush; the conservatory commission at The Grand Beekman is unusual within the Manhattan luxury residential amenity tier and represents a structurally distinguishing architectural feature for the building.
The building's cooperative-style architectural register is paired with a condominium ownership form and a structurally permissive policy framework that distinguishes The Grand Beekman sharply from the trophy pre-war cooperative inventory of the surrounding Beekman Place and Sutton Place corridor. The policy framework — 10 percent minimum down payment, no traditional flip tax, pied-à-terre permitted, subletting permitted, in-unit washer/dryer permitted, LLC and trust ownership permitted, foreign buyers permitted — supports transaction structures that are structurally precluded at the surrounding trophy cooperatives. For the right buyer profile (foreign buyers, pied-à-terre buyers, investment-use buyers, buyers prioritizing transaction flexibility over the trophy cooperative architectural credential), the structural advantage is meaningful.
For sellers, The Grand Beekman represents a particular position in the contemporary Manhattan luxury condominium market: Kondylis architectural pedigree at the building's most architecturally serious commission; Alexico developer credential; pre-war-influenced limestone-and-cast-stone exterior; Scaasi conservatory amenity; substantial 10-foot-plus ceiling heights and pre-war-influenced apartment layouts; Beekman corridor positioning at the seam between trophy pre-war cooperatives and broader Turtle Bay / Midtown East; and condominium ownership form that supports the broader Manhattan luxury condominium buyer pool including foreign and investment-use buyers.
Architecture and unit composition
The 89 condominium residences distribute across the building's 32 stories in configurations ranging from one-bedroom apartments through the 3,688-square-foot Penthouse 32 (originally configured as a 5-bedroom with wood-burning fireplace, 11-foot ceilings, bamboo flooring, and terrace from the master suite). Typical apartment sizes run from approximately 1,000 square feet through 3,300-plus square feet. The A and B lines on each floor are the larger corner residences with East River exposure; the broader inventory carries varied exposures (East River, Manhattan skyline, First Avenue, interior courtyard).
Interior architectural specifications include:
- Ceiling heights running approximately 9.5 to 13 feet across the inventory (substantial by contemporary new-construction standards)
- Herringbone mahogany flooring (a pre-war architectural signature)
- French doors opening onto Juliet balconies on many apartments
- Corner bay windows producing East River and Manhattan skyline views from the upper-floor inventory
- Viking, Miele, and Sub-Zero kitchen specifications
- Limestone bathroom finishes
- Wood-burning fireplaces on select penthouse-tier units (including PH32)
- Substantial private terraces on select upper-floor units (some over 1,500 square feet per CityRealty)
Building operations
The Grand Beekman operates as a full-service condominium under Douglas Elliman Property Management. The 24-hour doorman, concierge, and live-in superintendent produce a service infrastructure consistent with the contemporary luxury condominium tier. Alexico's own marketing describes the lobby as deliberately understated: "The intimate scale of the entrance and lobby echoes the confident restraint of the finest homes on Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue."
The amenity package is calibrated to the building's pre-war-influenced architectural identity: the duplex two-story fitness center with sauna, the Scaasi-designed conservatory and private landscaped garden, the children's playroom, the residents' lounge, the bike room, and the central laundry room together produce a full-service amenity baseline. In-unit washer/dryer is permitted (Carter Horsley's review confirms this), which materially distinguishes the building from the surrounding cooperative tier (most Beekman / Sutton Place trophy cooperatives prohibit in-unit washer/dryer).
Two amenity items require management confirmation before listing materials are finalized:
Garage: Carter Horsley's CityRealty review explicitly states the building has "no garage"; the CityRealty database lists "Full Service Garage" as an amenity. The source conflict likely reflects either a database error or confusion with the adjacent iPark and Champion Parking commercial garages at neighboring properties. Confirm directly with Douglas Elliman Property Management.
Roof deck: Carter Horsley's review lists "no roof deck" as a con; the CityRealty database and Compass list "common roof deck." The conflict may reflect a small terrace area with limited or no programmed resident access (the rooftop may primarily house mechanical systems and the water tank with three pilasters running the full height per the architectural description). Confirm with management.
Recent sales
Active and recently-in-contract inventory (mid-2026):
| Unit | Configuration | Status | Price | $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25A | 3BR/3.5BA, 2,303 sf | In contract | $3,925,000 | $1,704 |
| 4B | 2BR/2BA, 1,355 sf | Active | $1,850,000 | $1,365 |
| 11A | 2-3BR/3BA, 1,812 sf | Listed | $2,500,000 | $1,380 |
| 7E | 3BR | Listed | $2,595,000 | — |
| 3E | 3BR | Listed | $3,100,000 | — |
| 15C | 2BR/2BA, 1,300 sf | Listed (18% reduction) | $1,850,000 | $1,425 |
Recent closed sales:
| Unit | Configuration | Closing Date | Price | $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20A | 3BR (A-line corner) | June 12, 2023 | $2,525,000 | ~$1,098 |
| 21C | — | March 1, 2022 | $2,300,000 | $1,786 |
| 12A | — | December 13, 2016 | $2,360,000 | — |
| COMM | Commercial component | December 31, 2023 | $2,882,230 | — |
Penthouse PH32 history:
- Acquired by developer-principal Simon Elias in 2005 at $4,850,000 (5-bedroom, 3,688 square feet, included storage unit)
- Listed June 2013 at $10,000,000 ($2,711 per square foot) through Corcoran (Leighton Candler / Gilda Shani)
- Final closing data not surfaced in public sources; ACRIS verification recommended
Building averages:
- Current active inventory: approximately $1,400-$1,700 per square foot for mid-floor configurations; $1,700-$2,000 per square foot for upper-floor A-line corner units; $2,000-$2,700 per square foot for combined and penthouse-tier units
- CityRealty active aggregate: approximately $2,525,000 average asking price, approximately $1,465 per square foot
- Median active asking: approximately $1,895,000
Trend context: Mid-floor closings have been roughly flat-to-soft from 2022-2024 (Unit 21C's $1,786 per square foot in March 2022 was a recent peak; subsequent comparables have not eclipsed that level). The building has functioned as a steady mid-tier luxury condominium rather than a per-square-foot record-setter — appropriate positioning for a 2003 contemporary on First Avenue rather than a true Beekman Place or Sutton Place trophy cooperative. Recent price reductions (Unit 15C at 18 percent off, Unit 21AB withdrawn) are consistent with broader 2024-2025 Midtown East softness in non-trophy contemporary luxury inventory.
What to know if you’re buying
The architectural pedigree is structurally distinguishing. Kondylis's most architecturally serious commission within the Kondylis body of work; the limestone-and-cast-stone material specification and the explicit River House homage place the building in a different architectural register from peer contemporary condominium inventory.
The pre-war-influenced interior architecture is real. Ceiling heights 9.5-13 feet, herringbone mahogany flooring, French doors and Juliet balconies, corner bay windows, limestone bathrooms, Viking/Miele/Sub-Zero kitchens — the apartment idiom references the pre-war Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue tradition rather than the contemporary new-construction norm.
The policy framework is permissive. 10 percent minimum down, no traditional flip tax, pied-à-terre permitted, subletting permitted, in-unit washer/dryer permitted, LLC and trust ownership permitted — among the more accessible policy frameworks in the contemporary Manhattan luxury condominium tier.
The 421-a abatement has expired. Property taxes are at full market assessment; True Monthly Carrying Cost analysis should reflect current tax burden on the specific unit.
Subway access requires a three-avenue walk. Closest stations are 51st Street (6 train) and Lexington Avenue / 53rd Street (E, M trains), approximately 0.30 miles west; the building is not adjacent to subway access.
Verify operational specifics during due diligence. Garage availability, roof deck status, current pet policy details (weight/breed), current capital project pipeline including Local Law 11 façade work (the 2003 vintage suggests the building is approaching its next major LL11 cycle), and the current common charges and tax bill on the specific unit should all be confirmed.
What to know if you’re selling
Marketing should emphasize the architectural pedigree. Kondylis architectural credential; Alexico developer pedigree; explicit River House architectural homage; Scaasi-designed conservatory amenity. Carter Horsley's "most elegant, post-modern building along First Avenue" framing is a real critical endorsement worth surfacing.
Marketing should emphasize the policy framework. The 10 percent minimum down payment, the permitted in-unit washer/dryer (rare in surrounding pre-war cooperatives), the permitted pied-à-terre use, the permissive subletting framework, and the absence of a traditional flip tax — together produce a structurally accessible buyer pool that surrounding cooperative inventory does not have.
Be transparent about the 421-a expiration. Sophisticated buyers will run True Monthly Carrying Cost analysis themselves; transparent disclosure produces stronger transaction outcomes than ambiguous positioning.
Pricing should reference apartment-line-specific comparables. The variation between the A-line (corner, larger, river-view) and the C-D-E-F-line interior configurations is meaningful; recent comparables on the specific apartment line should anchor positioning.
Closing timelines are condominium-fast. Right-of-first-refusal mechanism; 30-45 day pacing typical.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Grand Beekman, also evaluate:
Contemporary luxury condominium peers in the corridor:
- 50 United Nations Plaza — Foster + Partners 2014; trophy contemporary condominium peer (higher price tier, with pool and valet garage)
- 100 United Nations Plaza — Der Scutt 1986; pyramidal-top condominium peer
- 845 United Nations Plaza / Trump World Tower — Kondylis 2001; most direct Kondylis architectural peer (different architectural register; trades at meaningfully more accessible price points)
- The Beekman Regent (351 East 51st Street) — 1999 conversion of a 1928 former synagogue; immediate cross-street neighbor; smaller boutique conversion
- The Alexander (250 East 49th Street) — Midtown East boutique condominium
- Three Ten (310 East 53rd Street) — Midtown East contemporary condominium
Trophy pre-war Beekman / Sutton Place cooperative inventory (the architectural aspiration set):
- River House (435 East 52nd Street) — Bottomley 1931; landmarked Art Deco cooperative; the explicit architectural inspiration for The Grand Beekman
- 1 Beekman Place and 2 Beekman Place — trophy Beekman Place cooperatives
- 1 Sutton Place South — trophy Sutton Place cooperative
- 25 Sutton Place — trophy Sutton Place cooperative
The Roebling Team at The Grand Beekman
The Roebling Team at Compass works the Beekman / Sutton Place and broader Turtle Bay corridor as part of our broader Park-facing Manhattan practice — Central Park West, the Upper East Side, the Fifth Avenue inventory at both ends of Central Park, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, the West Village, Sutton Place, and the broader trophy and full-service residential market. We publish this building profile because Grand Beekman buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architectural attribution, board context, policy framework, market positioning, and apartment-line comparable analysis — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a transaction at The Grand Beekman, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.