49 East 86th Street
49 East 86th Street, New York, NY 10028
Carnegie Hill, Upper East Side
BBL 1014980020 · BIN 1046850
- Year built
- 1930
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- Designated
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $1.7M
- Recent range
- $935K – $2.8M
- Listing discount
- 10.2%
- Recorded transfers
- 51
49 East 86th Street is a white-glove Art Deco cooperative in the heart of Carnegie Hill, one block from Central Park and the museums of Museum Mile. Completed in 1930 and converted to cooperative ownership in 1967, it is a full-service pre-war building on the prime stretch of 86th Street between Madison and Park — a corridor of established co-ops, galleries, and some of the most sought-after private schools in the city.
Its case is location and pedigree in equal measure. Eighteen stories give the upper floors real light and, from the higher tiers, glimpses toward Central Park and the reservoir. The building runs as a proper white-glove operation — 24-hour doorman, live-in resident manager — with the room counts and ceiling heights that define the era. As Carnegie Hill co-ops go, it is also notably accessible at the entry tiers, which has long made it a favored point of entry for buyers who want the neighborhood without Fifth or Park pricing.
Architecture and unit composition
The building presents a restrained Art Deco face — brick above a limestone base, with the geometric massing and crisp detailing characteristic of around 1930. Within the Carnegie Hill Historic District, the streetscape around it is protected and consistently pre-war, which preserves the building's setting and the quiet character of the block.
Inside, the apartment mix is broad — from well-laid-out one-bedrooms to larger family layouts in the building's signature eight- and nine-room lines, several configured as four-bedroom homes. The pre-war hallmarks are intact: hardwood floors, high ceilings, real foyers, and gracious proportions. The upper floors carry the building's best light and outlook toward the park.
Building operations
49 East 86th Street is a full-service, white-glove cooperative. A 24-hour doorman and a live-in resident manager anchor the staff, with central laundry, bike storage, and private storage bins (currently waitlisted) available to residents. The cooperative permits financing up to 50% of the purchase price, and a 2% flip tax is paid at closing. Pets and pied-à-terre purchases are permitted with board approval — a meaningful flexibility for buyers seeking a Carnegie Hill foothold rather than a primary residence. As with all pre-war co-ops here, purchases are reviewed by a board.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $18,752/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $33
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
- Flip tax
- 2.0% of purchase price, paid by Seller
- Sublet policy
- Permissible in case of hardship, 2 years max
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed, case by case
- Notable fees
- Max financing 50%; short-term rentals & AirBnB not allowed
Recent sales
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 | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 2026 | 3A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,875,000 | +5.6% |
| Jun 20, 2025 | 17B | 1 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,425,000 | +0.0% |
| Apr 16, 2025 | 16B | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $935,000 | -37.7% |
| Mar 28, 2025 | 17C | 1 BR · 1 BA | $1,238,000 | -11.3% |
| Jan 6, 2025 | 18B | 2 BR · 3 BA | $2,150,000 | -18.9% |
| Dec 13, 2024 | 2B | 2 BR · 2 BA | $990,000 | -10.0% |
| Jan 12, 2024 | 14B | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,950,000 | off-mkt |
| Sep 28, 2023 | 16C | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,300,000 | -10.3% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2023): a median $978/sf across 2 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 4.0% 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 1-01498-0020) 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.
What to know if you’re buying
This is among the more attainable ways into a full-service Carnegie Hill co-op, which keeps demand steady at the entry and mid tiers. Underwrite it as a classic pre-war purchase: a board package and interview, financing capped at 50%, and a 2% flip tax at closing. The pied-à-terre and pet flexibility is a genuine differentiator — confirm the current terms during package review, but the building's posture is more accommodating than many neighbors.
Value the apartment on its specifics. The eight- and nine-room lines are the building's prize and trade well above the smaller layouts; among the smaller homes, light and floor level matter most. We help buyers weigh the line, read the building's financials, and benchmark the ask against recent Carnegie Hill pre-war sales.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with location and flexibility: a white-glove Art Deco co-op one block from Central Park and Museum Mile, with a board that considers pied-à-terres and pets. For the larger lines, the room count and light are the selling argument; for the smaller homes, it is the rare combination of a full-service Carnegie Hill address at an accessible price.
Pricing should be set to the specific apartment, since the building spans a wide range from compact one-bedrooms to grand pre-war layouts. We market to the buyer pool each line attracts — first-time Carnegie Hill buyers for the smaller homes, established families for the large ones — present board realities transparently, and steer the cooperative's review toward a clean, on-time closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 49 East 86th Street, also evaluate nearby Carnegie Hill and East 80s/90s pre-war cooperatives:
- 11 East 86th Street — pre-war co-op steps away on the same block
- 64 East 86th Street — full-service East 86th Street cooperative
- 115 East 86th Street — pre-war co-op on the 86th Street corridor
- 58 East 96th Street — Carnegie Hill pre-war cooperative to the north
- 8 East 96th Street — Candela co-op in upper Carnegie Hill
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 49 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.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 49 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.