St. James Tower
415 East 54th Street, New York, NY 10022
Sutton Place
BBL 1013667501 · BIN 1040356
- Year built
- 1983
- Type
- Condominium
- 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
- $983
- Listing discount
- 4.2%
- Recorded sales
- 141
- On record
- 2003–2026
St. James Tower is one of the better post-war condominiums in Sutton Place — a 31-story building completed in 1983 by Emery Roth & Sons, the firm whose name runs through a century of New York apartment design, here under Richard Roth Jr. What distinguishes it from the run of 1980s towers is its setting: the building is fronted by one of the finest landscaped plazas in the city, a genuine green forecourt that gives the address an arrival sequence and a sense of openness rare for the neighborhood.
The building's premise is full-service condominium living in a quiet, established corner of the East Side. As a condominium — uncommon among the co-ops that dominate Sutton and Beekman — it offers the financing flexibility and ownership latitude that ownership structure provides, paired with a complete staffing and amenity program and the kind of light-filled floor plans that an 1980s tower was built to deliver.
For a buyer, the appeal is specific: a full-service condominium, with a landscaped plaza and a roof deck, on a tranquil Sutton Place block within easy reach of Midtown's commercial core and the East River esplanade — the flexibility of condominium ownership in a neighborhood otherwise defined by co-op boards.
Architecture and unit composition
Emery Roth & Sons designed St. James Tower as a clean contemporary shaft, its mass set behind the landscaped plaza that is the building's signature gesture. The 1980s vintage means generous glazing and efficient, light-oriented layouts, with the upper floors capturing long outlook over the low-rise Sutton blocks and toward the river and Midtown skyline.
The 106 residences range from one-bedrooms to penthouses, the smallest starting around 1,000 square feet, and carry the features that define the building's quality tier: floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, large foyers, pantries, ample closets, high ceilings, and bathrooms finished in white Italian marble with soaking tubs, separate showers, double vanities, and saunas in the larger homes. The penthouse-tier residences, with the building's best light and outlook, are its trophy inventory.
Building operations
St. James Tower runs as a full-service condominium. A 24-hour doorman and concierge staff the lobby, with a live-in superintendent, a fitness center, a residents' lounge, a conference room, a laundry room, storage, and a landscaped roof deck with panoramic views among the building's facilities — and the landscaped plaza functioning as an amenity in its own right. As a condominium, purchases clear through a right-of-first-refusal rather than a co-op board admissions process, and financing, pied-à-terre, trust, and investment ownership are accommodated in the customary condominium manner. The location places residents within a short walk of the 6, E, and M trains, Midtown's commercial core, and the East River.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $167,193/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $303,164/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $131 – $238
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
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
- Notable fees
- Condo sale app processing $700, credit $150/applicant, move-in/out $500 each, Transfer Agent Closing Fee $500. Condo lease security deposit equal to 3 months common charges. Board minutes via
Recent sales
Recent closings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 2026 | 19G | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,956 sf | $2,100,000 | $1,074/sf | +0.0% |
| Jun 3, 2026 | 6D | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,377 sf | $1,310,000 | $951/sf | -6.1% |
| Jun 2, 2026 | 25C | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,750,000 | $1,458/sf | +0.0% |
| May 15, 2026 | 2A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,000 sf | $1,750,000 | $875/sf | -2.8% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 25GG | 4 BR · 4 BA · 3,900 sf | $4,550,000 | $1,167/sf | -8.1% |
| Feb 26, 2026 | 10E | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 991 sf | $920,000 | $928/sf | -7.9% |
| Dec 11, 2025 | 14E | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 991 sf | $1,155,000 | $1,165/sf | -3.8% |
| Oct 9, 2025 | 11E | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 991 sf | $985,000 | $994/sf | -1.4% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $983/sf across 6 sales. Median listing discount 4.2% 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 1-01366-7501) 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
St. James Tower offers full-service condominium living with a landscaped plaza in a co-op-dominated neighborhood — its central appeal. Financing is flexible with no co-op cap, there is no board admissions process — purchases clear a right-of-first-refusal — and pied-à-terre, LLC, trust, and investment ownership are accommodated, with freer resale and subletting than the area's prevailing co-op stock.
Buyers should focus on floor and exposure — the upper floors carry the light and outlook that define value here — and on renovation condition, which varies across a building of this vintage. The marble baths, generous foyers, and pantried layouts are part of the building's quality story. For a buyer who wants a full-service home on a quiet Sutton block with condominium flexibility, St. James Tower is among the strongest options on the corridor.
What to know if you’re selling
Condominium flexibility, the landscaped plaza, and the full-service profile are the marketing core. A St. James Tower resale leads with the Emery Roth & Sons pedigree, the plaza and roof deck, and the building's complete amenity and staffing program — features that distinguish it from the co-op stock nearby. Benchmark to Sutton Place's full-service condominium and high-end co-op inventory, and foreground renovation, light, and outlook where the home has them.
Closing mechanics are condominium-standard — a right-of-first-refusal rather than a co-op board, with predictable timelines that appeal to the flexibility-minded buyer this building attracts. With 106 units and steady Sutton Place demand, well-renovated higher-floor inventory benefits from limited comparable condominium supply in the immediate area.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering St. James Tower, the relevant set is Sutton Place and Beekman's full-service inventory:
- 400 East 51st Street (The Grand Beekman) — Beekman full-service building
- 425 East 51st Street — Beekman full-service co-op
- 411 East 57th Street — Sutton Place pre-war cooperative
- 345 East 56th Street — Sutton-area residential building
- 430 East 58th Street — Sutton-area full-service building
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Sutton Place — read The Roebling Team Guide to Sutton Place.
Considering a move at St. James Tower?
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 St. James Tower 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.