425 East 86th Street
425 East 86th Street, New York, NY 10028
BBL 1015660010 · BIN 1050548
- Year built
- 1929
- Type
- Cooperative
- Floors
- 16
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Subletting by shareholders
- Not permitted
- Pied-à-terre
- Not permitted
- Pets
- Pets permitted with conditions; species not stated
- Washer/dryer
- Permitted
- Maximum financing
- 75% of the purchase price
- Flip tax
- 2% of the purchase price, paid by the seller
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median, 2024–2025
- $899K
- 3 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $499K – $2.3M
- Listing discount
- 3.1%
- Recorded transfers
- 80
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 425 East 86th Street 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.
425 East 86th Street is genuine pre-war Yorkville — a 1929 Sugarman & Berger building that opened as a residential hotel, rode out the century as a rental, and converted to cooperative ownership through a 1979 non-eviction plan that is on file in The Roebling Research Library. The architecture announces itself quietly but legibly: a three-story limestone base, decorative iron entrance doors, a balustrade course at the fourth floor, and limestone detailing that returns at the crown. Inside, the apartments deliver the pre-war program — beamed ceilings, moldings, hardwood floors — and the A and B lines carry wood-burning fireplaces, a feature to verify in the specific apartment alongside its condition and permitted use.
The building's most distinctive feature is operational: a 24-hour elevator operator still runs the cars. Attended elevator service has become rare outside the Gold Coast co-ops, and it shapes the building's character — every arrival is seen, every resident is known, and the lobby is staffed around the clock without a formal doorman line on the payroll. Paired with a live-in resident manager, it gives a 96-unit building the service texture of a much smaller house.
The policy framework is old-school Yorkville co-op: no sublets, no pieds-à-terre, 75 percent financing permitted, a 2 percent transfer fee, and pets with board acknowledgment. This is a building for primary residents, and its ownership base reflects that. Buyers should also walk in clear-eyed about governance history: shareholder-board litigation — including a books-and-records dispute covered by Habitat Magazine in 2017 and a later, publicly filed fight over penthouse terrace work — and a 2019 facade violation notice are part of the recent record. None of it changes the real estate; all of it belongs in attorney diligence, and we put the documents in front of counsel early.
The location case is the 86th Street corridor itself: the Q at Second Avenue and the 4/5/6 at Lexington anchor the crosstown spine, the M86 runs the block, Carl Schurz Park and the East River esplanade are a short walk east, and the East 90th Street ferry landing covers the commute options that didn't exist when the building converted.
Architecture and unit composition
Sugarman & Berger — a firm whose reputation was built on interiors and on hotel work, including the original One Fifth Avenue collaboration — organized the building as a 16-story mid-block slab with a 100-foot frontage, brick above a limestone base, with the consistent fenestration that gives pre-war streets their rhythm. The residential-hotel origins read in the layout mix: the offering plan conveyed 96 apartments plus four maids' rooms, skewing toward efficient one- and two-bedroom plans, with combinations (B/C and similar) creating the building's larger spreads over the decades since conversion. The A and B lines hold the wood-burning fireplaces; upper floors at the 15th and 16th stories carry the limestone-trimmed crown and the building's best light; and the penthouse level has terrace exposure that has figured prominently in the building's press history. Protruding through-wall and window air-conditioners remain the cooling reality, as in most unrenovated pre-war stock — central systems are unit-by-unit renovation projects.
Building operations
The staffing model is the signature: 24-hour attended elevator and lobby rather than a separate doorman line, a live-in resident manager, central laundry, bike room, and common storage. There is no garage, no gym and no roof deck — buyers comparing monthly carry against amenity-stacked neighbors should note what is and is not being paid for. The 1979 offering plan is on file in The Roebling Research Library; current financial statements, the alteration policy, and the present status of the facade program and any related assessments should be obtained from the managing agent and reviewed with counsel during diligence.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of September 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
- Terms
- 2% of Purchase Price
- Rate
- 2% of the purchase price
- Paid by
- Seller
Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Purchase
8 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $275 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Report FeeConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $125 per applicant (additional $75 for criminal check if required by the Board) | Refundable Not stated |
| Lead Based Paint Disclosure Fee | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $75 | Refundable Not stated |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $50 | Refundable Not stated |
| Financing FeeConditional | Paid by Buyer | When At closing | Amount $250 (if financing) | Refundable Not stated |
| Transfer FeePer share | Paid by Seller | When At closing | Amount $700 ($750 without a Broker) plus $0.05 per share | Refundable Not stated |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move In Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move Out Deposit | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Refinance
2 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $350 | Refundable Not stated |
| Background Report FeeConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $125 per applicant (additional $75 for criminal check if required by the Board) | Refundable Not stated |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Maximum financing
- 75% of the purchase priceSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Sublet and pied-à-terre policy
A condominium owner leasing a unit and a co-op shareholder subletting are different rules, and a building-wide rule is different from a restriction on one apartment. This is the building's rule; confirm it for the specific apartment.
- Subletting by shareholders
- Not permittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- Not permittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Pets
- Pets permitted with conditions; species not statedPermitted with conditions: the building's pet policy acknowledgment applies, per management-sourced records.Source: The Roebling Team's building profile
- In-unit washer/dryer
- PermittedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Maintenance, per room
- $627 per room a monthMedian of 7 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Maintenance, per square foot
- $2.44 per square foot a monthMedian of 3 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
Maintenance as recorded with each sale. A co-op's maintenance already covers the building's real estate taxes and the building's own mortgage, if it has one; add your own loan payment for the monthly outlay. A summary of recorded sales, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Attended lobby
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- Bike storage, laundry roomSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $29,053/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $26
- Modeled exposure split equally across 94 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed September 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. A filed Safe grade is not a guarantee of current condition: owners still maintain the facade and, where required, observe parapets each year. Future inspection timing (Local Law 49 of 2025 changed the cycle framework from October 1, 2026), repair and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2020–25. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed September 2026.
Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2% of Purchase Price (seller)
- Sublet policy
- Not Allowed
- Pied-à-terre
- Not Allowed
- Policies and fees
- Transfer Fee $700 ($750 without broker) + $0.05/share; Financing Fee $250
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.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2025 | 8A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,200 sf | $940,000 | $783/sf | -14.5% |
| Mar 6, 2025 | 11E | 3 BR · 3 BA | $2,125,000 | -5.6% | |
| Nov 19, 2024 | 16EF | 3 BR · 3.5 BA | $1,100,000 | -12.0% | |
| Oct 25, 2024 | 2F | 2 BR · 2 BA | $845,000 | -0.6% | |
| Oct 8, 2024 | 8B | 1 BR · 1 BA | $575,000 | -0.7% | |
| Jun 24, 2024 | 15BC | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,100 sf | $2,290,000 | $1,090/sf | +1.8% |
| Feb 22, 2024 | 7F | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,020 sf | $899,000 | $881/sf | -12.3% |
| Apr 11, 2023 | 3E | 1 BR · 1 BA · 700 sf | $499,000 | $713/sf | +0.0% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2025): a median $763/sf (floor-adjusted) 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.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 2009 | 10D | $950,000 |
| Nov 23, 2009 | 8C | $999,000 |
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 1-01566-0010). 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.
What would your apartment rent for?
Enter your apartment and I'll send you what it would rent for, from comparable closed leases at 425 East 86th Street and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $1.02M (4 transfers in the past 24 months, since October 25, 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $22,575 to close, or 2.2% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $10,200
- No mortgage recording tax or title insurance on a co-op purchase
- Attorneys, lender, building fees and filings: $12,375
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
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Notable residents
- Elaine Kaufman — the founder of Elaine's, the Upper East Side literary saloon, lived in a penthouse with a south-facing terrace and wood-burning fireplace for more than two decades until her death in 2010; the New York Post photographed the apartment, and the New York Observer and other press covered the estate's 2011 sale
What to know if you’re buying
This is a primary-residence building by design. No sublets and no pieds-à-terre per listing records, which limits eligible uses to buyers who will live in the apartment. Confirm the current rules in the board documents, and review the budget and staffing line separately. If you need flexibility, look at the corridor's condops and condos instead.
The financing posture is generous for a pre-war co-op. 75 percent financing permitted gives leveraged primary buyers more room than the corridor's 50–65 percent boards. Run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator and the Co-op Affordability Calculator before offering.
Do real governance diligence. The 2017 books-and-records litigation, the penthouse terrace dispute, and the 2019 facade violation are public-record facts. Your attorney should review the board minutes, current financials, the facade program status, and any open assessments — and ask the questions those filings suggest. We brief counsel from the documents on file and the public record.
Underwrite the facade cycle. A 1929 limestone-and-brick building faces recurring Local Law 11 work; the 2019 violation notice makes the current cycle's status a first-order question for the managing agent, not a footnote.
Buy the line, not the building average. Fireplace lines (A and B), upper-floor light, and combination spreads carry premiums; lower mid-block units are the value entries. Same-line history is the pricing anchor — ask us for it.
What to know if you’re selling
Sell the scarcities: pre-war bones, fireplaces, and the attended elevator. Yorkville is thick with post-war inventory and thin on 1929 limestone bases, beamed ceilings, and wood-burning fireplaces. The service model is a genuine differentiator — market it as the boutique-staffing experience it is.
Get ahead of the governance questions. Buyers' attorneys will find the litigation history and the facade record; sellers who present current financials, the facade program status, and assessment posture up front keep deals on schedule. We assemble that package before listing.
Price to condition honestly. The spread between renovated and original units in buildings of this vintage is wide, and the no-sublet policy removes the investor floor under estate-condition pricing. Run the Renovation Cost Calculator against your asking strategy and price to the realistic buyer.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 425 East 86th Street, also evaluate:
- 320 East 86th Street — 1925 pre-war condop a block west; the flexible-rules pre-war alternative
- 400 East 85th Street — 1962 post-war co-op one block south; the post-war value comparison
- 180 East 88th Street — condominium nearby; compare its construction history, purchase process and pricing separately
- 200 East End Avenue — post-war full-service co-op opposite Carl Schurz Park; the park-front step-up
- 530 East 86th Street — pre-war co-op closer to East End Avenue; the closest like-for-like in vintage and tier
- Henderson House (535 East 86th Street) — the cooperative across from Henderson Place; compare its construction period and service separately
- 120 East End Avenue — the corridor's stately pre-war on the park; the trophy-tier comparison
- The Kent (200 East 95th Street) — new-development condo; the new-construction alternative
More Upper East Side buildings
- The Royal York, 420 East 64th Street and 425 East 63rd Street — 1959 condop
- The Oxford (422 East 72nd Street) — 1990 condominium by Emery Roth & Sons
- 425 East 79th Street — 1955 co-op by H.I. Feldman
- 425 Main Street (Riverwalk Landing) — 2006 condominium by SLCE Architects
- 427 East 90th Street — 2019 condominium by Isaac & Stern Architects
- 435 East 65th Street — 1963 co-op
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, 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.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at 425 East 86th Street?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com