446 East 86th Street

The building rises 14 floors on its corner site, with consistent fenestration, discreet air-conditioning sleeves, and a canopied entrance off 86th Street above the retail base. The roughly 90 apartments run from studios through two-bedroom lines — post-war layouts with defined foyers, generous closets, and the efficient room counts of the era. Corner exposures pick up open light along both 86th Street and York Avenue, and upper-floor east-facing lines benefit from Yorkville's lower-rise blocks toward Carl Schurz Park. Renovation quality varies line to line, and pricing tracks condition and light in the standard post-war manner.

Full-service at the essentials: 24-hour doorman, live-in superintendent, central laundry, private storage, and a bike room — no amenity floor, no gym, no garage. City records show alteration filings in 1986 and 2013; completion of that work and current condition need confirming. The retail base operates under the commercial-lease framework documented in the offering plan on file. Maintenance and the current assessment posture should be reviewed against recent financial statements during diligence; we request them from the managing agent for clients in contract.

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.

Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $535/sf (floor-adjusted) across 3 sales. Floor-adjusted means each sale is restated to a constant mix of floors, so the figure can differ from the plain median of the sales listed above. Median listing discount 2.3% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01565-0028). 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.

This is the doorman entry point. For buyers who want 24-hour staff, an elevator building, and a Carl Schurz Park location at the lowest workable price, this building and its immediate peers are the short list. The trade is amenity depth — there is none beyond the essentials — and the white-brick aesthetic, which the market prices in.

Pin down the pied-à-terre answer before you offer. Listing records conflict — some describe case-by-case consideration, others a prohibition. If your use case is anything other than a primary residence, get the policy in writing from the managing agent first; do not rely on listing copy.

The sublet framework is a real constraint. Two years of ownership before subletting, then three out of five consecutive years, per listing records. Investors and buyers with uncertain timelines should underwrite accordingly.

80 percent financing is the documented ceiling. A higher ceiling widens the eligible buyer pool; confirm the current limit and run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator before offering.

Commercial income is part of the financial story. The retail base's lease income supports the cooperative's budget — your attorney should review how it flows through the financials, and what the lease terms and durations look like, during diligence.

Transit reality favors this corner. The Q at 86th and Second is the structural upgrade; the 4/5/6 at Lexington is a long walk. The M86 crosstown and the East River ferry at 90th Street fill the gaps.

Sell the carry, not the lobby. Buyers at this tier are monthly-payment shoppers. Lead with the maintenance figure, the commercial income that supports it, and the 80 percent financing ceiling — these move offers more than adjectives about the apartment.

Renovated units clear at real premiums. The spread between estate condition and renovated in this building's lines is wide relative to absolute price. If your unit is original, price to the renovation math honestly — run the Renovation Cost Calculator against your asking strategy.

Position against the right competition. Your buyer is cross-shopping Yorkville's other post-war doorman co-ops, not the avenues. Same-tier comparables — and the park, one block east — are the frame.

If you're considering 446 East 86th Street, also evaluate:

• 425 East 86th Street — the larger post-war full-service co-op across the street
• 320 East 86th Street — the alternative two blocks west on the 86th Street spine
• 444 East 87th Street — boutique pre-war co-op one block north; the non-doorman value alternative
• 400 East 85th Street — the neighboring alternative one block south
• 360 East 89th Street — Yorkville co-op alternative near the 90th Street ferry
• 340 East 93rd Street — the northern Yorkville value alternative
• 200 East End Avenue — the park-facing post-war co-op step-up on East End Avenue
• 180 East 88th Street — the new-development condo alternative at a much higher price point