The Amherst (401 East 74th Street)
401 East 74th Street, New York, NY 10021
Lenox Hill, Upper East Side
BBL 1014697501 · BIN 1045891
- Year built
- 1962
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 251
- Floors
- 20
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Permitted with board approval
- Financing
- Cooperative — minimum 20% down (maximum \~80% financing)
- Flip tax
- A transfer fee applies (reported at approximately 3% of sale price); confirm the exact rate and basis with the managing agent
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $928K
- Recent range
- $445K – $2M
- Listing discount
- 2.1%
- Recorded transfers
- 237
The Amherst is the large full-service cooperative of far-east Lenox Hill — a 20-story, 1962 postwar building set across a two-building lot on East 74th between First and York, known for a broad amenity plant, a low-maintenance reputation, and, above all, for large, combinable family apartments that reach sizes co-ops of its vintage rarely offer. It is a value-oriented address on the Upper East Side: co-op ownership and a quiet river-adjacent block deliver square footage and full service at a materially lower per-foot cost than the neighboring condominiums.
Its position in the market is defined by that value equation and by the cooperative structure. As a co-op, purchases run through a board — application, financials, and interview — with a minimum 20% down payment and a transfer fee, and washer/dryers are not permitted in unit. In exchange, buyers get a well-run, staffed building with an amenity package broader than most 1962 co-ops — a roof deck, a fitness room, a party room, cold storage — and the ability to assemble two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes, with combined layouts reaching roughly 4,800 square feet. The building permits pieds-à-terre, guarantors, co-purchasing, and parents buying for children, which makes its board more accommodating than many on the corridor.
The location is far-east 74th Street between First and York — quiet, residential, near the river and the FDR, a short walk to the Second Avenue subway at 72nd Street and the neighborhood's schools. It trades the retail density of the Lexington and Third Avenue spines for calm, space, and value.
Building operations
The Amherst operates as a full-service cooperative: a 24-hour doorman, a live-in resident manager, an on-site parking garage, a common roof deck, a fitness room, a children's playroom, a party room with a kitchen, a bike room, cold storage, central laundry, and a landscaped courtyard. Its reputation is for sound, low-maintenance operation. Approximately 55% of maintenance is tax-deductible, and the building is eligible for the NYC co-op/condo tax abatement for qualifying primary residents, both of which affect the effective carry. Buyers should confirm the specific unit's maintenance, review the building's financial statements, reserve position, and any active assessment during diligence, and — for a 1962 building — review the engineering reports and any façade or mechanical capital work.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $43,838/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $15
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 →Recent sales
The Amherst trades as a value-oriented, space-driven full-service Lenox Hill cooperative. Value is set by room count, layout, light, and renovation condition rather than by view altitude — the large combined family apartments trade on their own comparable set, and the co-op structure narrows the buyer pool to primary and pied-à-terre purchasers who clear the board's requirements. Recorded sales auto-populate from public records; unit-level history and current comparables are maintained in The Roebling Research Library and shared with clients during diligence. In a building where layout and size drive value, per-room and per-layout comparables — not building-wide per-foot averages — are the correct basis.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2026 | 10E | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 940 sf | $895,000 | $952/sf | -0.6% |
| Jan 15, 2026 | 2S | 1 BA | $455,000 | -5.2% | |
| Nov 14, 2025 | 16E | 2 BR · 1 BA | $933,500 | -1.6% | |
| Oct 14, 2025 | 2P | 1 BA | $445,000 | -11.0% | |
| Aug 11, 2025 | 3R | 2 BR · 1 BA · 975 sf | $935,000 | $959/sf | +1.1% |
| Jun 26, 2025 | 2A | 2 BR · 1 BA | $895,000 | -0.4% | |
| Jun 5, 2025 | 2GH | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,800 sf | $1,995,000 | $1,108/sf | -3.9% |
| May 23, 2025 | 10M | 2 BR · 1 BA · 950 sf | $835,000 | $879/sf | -1.2% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $944/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 1.6% 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 1-01469-7501) 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
Understand the co-op requirements. Expect board approval — application, financials, and an interview — a minimum 20% down payment, and a transfer fee reported at roughly 3% of sale price (confirm the exact rate and basis). Washer/dryers are not permitted in unit. Guarantors, co-purchasing, and parents buying for children are allowed, which makes the board more flexible than many on the corridor.
Buy the layout, not the view. The value here is space — the large, combinable family apartments. Price the specific configuration, its light, and its condition, not a building average.
Model the tax picture. About 55% of maintenance is tax-deductible, and the building is eligible for the co-op/condo abatement for qualifying primary residents. Factor both into the carry. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator.
Diligence the building. For a 1962 co-op, review the financial statements, reserve study, board minutes, any assessment, and the engineering and façade capital picture.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with space and value. The large, combinable family layouts at a co-op price point are the marketing headline — square footage and full service the neighboring condos can't match on a per-foot basis.
Price by layout and condition. Room count, light, exposure, and renovation state drive value here. Comparable analysis is layout-specific, not per-foot.
Set expectations on the board. Buyers should be prepared for the co-op process and the financial requirements; a well-prepared board package is essential.
Sell the quiet location. A residential, river-adjacent block with full service and an unusually deep amenity plant for its vintage.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Amherst, also evaluate:
- 200 East 74th Street — full-service white-brick co-op corner tower nearby; the closest ownership-structure like-for-like
- The Oxford (422 East 72nd) — the amenity-heavy condominium two blocks south; the condo alternative
- 515 East 72nd Street — East River amenity condominium; the lifestyle-building alternative
- Trump Palace (200 East 69th) — tall view-driven Lenox Hill condominium; the height-and-view alternative
- Manhattan House (200 East 66th) — the landmarked postwar-to-condominium benchmark; the architectural alternative
- 160 East 65th Street (The Phoenix) — postwar Lenox Hill co-op; a value-oriented cooperative peer
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
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 Amherst?
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 Amherst 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.