5 West 53rd Street / Museum Tower, Midtown East
Museum Tower, 15 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
Central Midtown
BBL 1012697501
- Year built
- 1985
- Type
- Condominium
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2000–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,522
- Listing discount
- 6.7%
- Recorded sales
- 270
- On record
- 2000–2026
Museum Tower is one of the most distinctive condominiums in Midtown: a 52-story residential shaft of multi-colored glass that rises directly above the Museum of Modern Art. Designed by César Pelli and completed in 1985, it was conceived as the residential component of MoMA's major 1980s expansion — the air rights over the museum were monetized to fund the new galleries, and the tower above them became one of the first marquee mixed-use cultural-residential buildings in the city.
The result is an address with no real peer. Residents live above one of the world's great museums, enter through a discreet and elegant lobby set apart from the museum crowds, and — from the upper floors — look north over the low-rise blocks of Midtown to Central Park. It is a building that trades on architecture and adjacency rather than the pre-war pedigree of Fifth Avenue's older cooperatives, and for a particular kind of buyer that is precisely the appeal.
For purchasers, the case is specific: a true condominium — with the financing flexibility, ownership latitude, and resale liquidity that a condominium offers — in a part of Midtown otherwise dominated by office towers and a handful of co-ops. The 248 residences range from studios and one-bedrooms to four-bedroom homes exceeding 3,400 square feet, giving the building a wide internal market across price points.
Architecture and unit composition
Pelli's tower is a study in late-modern restraint: a flush glass curtain wall in graded tones that reads as a single, quiet vertical gesture against the masonry of West 53rd Street. The building's six lower floors belong to the museum; the residential entrance and lobby — home to permanent artworks of museum caliber — sit apart, giving the tower a private, gallery-like arrival.
Above, the 248 residences run from compact studios to expansive four-bedroom apartments. Floor plans are efficient and light-filled, with floor-to-ceiling glass and, on the higher floors, open city and Central Park views that few Midtown buildings can match. New construction by the standards of its era, the tower delivers contemporary ceiling heights, central systems, and the kind of full-service infrastructure — concierge, valet, attended elevators — associated with the city's better full-service condominiums.
Building operations
Museum Tower runs as a high-service condominium. Staffing is deep for a building of its size: 24-hour door staff, concierge, valets, and elevator attendants, plus optional housekeeping and valet services arranged through the building. The amenity program is comprehensive — a bi-level fitness center with sauna, steam room, and meditation space; a landscaped roof terrace that looks down over MoMA's Sculpture Garden; wine storage and tasting facilities; and media and conference rooms — supported by a full-service garage, bike room, and private storage.
As a condominium, the building permits pied-à-terre ownership and welcomes pets. Purchases clear through a condominium right-of-first-refusal rather than a co-op board interview, and the building requires a 2% capital contribution from buyers at closing. Financing is at the condominium standard — without the strict caps common at neighboring cooperatives.
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 17, 2026 | 46AF | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,452 sf | $4,700,000 | $1,362/sf | -5.9% |
| May 14, 2026 | 12C | 1,229 sf | $2,400,000 | $1,953/sf | off-mkt |
| Mar 24, 2026 | 30A | 3 BR · 5 BA · 2,248 sf | $7,200,000 | $3,203/sf | off-mkt |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 43F | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,204 sf | $1,500,000 | $1,246/sf | -9.1% |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 14G | 1 BR · 2 BA · 1,427 sf | $2,150,000 | $1,507/sf | -2.1% |
| Jan 30, 2026 | 50D | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,917 sf | $3,200,000 | $1,669/sf | +0.0% |
| Dec 10, 2025 | 10G | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,427 sf | $2,195,200 | $1,538/sf | -10.4% |
| Dec 9, 2025 | 37AF | 4 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,452 sf | $3,175,000 | $920/sf | -20.5% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,522/sf across 6 sales. Median listing discount 6.7% 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.
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 1-01269-7501) 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
The building's draw is structural and locational at once. It is a condominium — financing is flexible, pied-à-terre and investment purchases are customary, and resale is materially freer than at a co-op. Buyers should budget for the 2% capital contribution payable at closing, which funds building reserves. Pets are welcome. The trade-off versus a pre-war co-op is character: this is a 1980s glass tower, and buyers should weigh that against the unmatched MoMA adjacency, the Central Park views from above, and the full-service operation. We help buyers read the offering plan, gauge common charges against comparable Midtown condominiums, and identify which lines and exposures hold value best.
What to know if you’re selling
The story sells itself, but it must be told well. Living above MoMA, a César Pelli design, and high-floor Central Park views are durable, specific differentiators — a well-prepared listing leans into them rather than treating the apartment as generic Midtown inventory. Benchmark to full-service Midtown condominiums, not the pre-war Fifth Avenue co-ops a block east; the buyer here wants flexibility and amenity, not a board package. Condominium closing mechanics are an asset — a faster, more predictable path through right-of-first-refusal appeals to the financing- and pied-à-terre-minded buyer the building attracts. With 248 units, there is usually competing inventory, so pricing discipline and presentation decide outcomes.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering Museum Tower, also evaluate other full-service Midtown condominiums and towers:
- 53 West 53rd Street — Jean Nouvel's MoMA-affiliated condominium across the street
- 17 West 54th Street — Midtown residential peer a block north
- 100 East 53rd Street — Foster + Partners condominium in Midtown East
- 301 Park Avenue — Park Avenue residential conversion nearby
- 641 Fifth Avenue — Fifth Avenue condominium a few blocks south
Considering a move at Museum 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 Museum 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.