50 East 79th Street
50 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075
Lenox Hill, Upper East Side
BBL 1013930052 · BIN 1041883
- Year built
- 1958
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 97
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2005–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $1.9M
- Recent range
- $1.5M – $4.7M
- Listing discount
- 5.1%
- Recorded transfers
- 80
50 East 79th Street is a post-war cooperative that punches above the typical white-brick-era building on two counts: a prime Madison Avenue corner and a genuinely distinctive top. Completed in 1958 to the design of Brown & Guenther and converted to a cooperative in 1963, the 20-story red-brick tower is anchored by a two-story polished gray-granite base and crowned by a series of angled terraces on its top five floors — a sculptural massing that distinguishes it from its flat-topped post-war neighbors and gives its upper apartments private outdoor space with a real architectural identity.
The location is the structural advantage. The southeast corner of Madison Avenue and East 79th Street sits in the heart of the Upper East Side's museum-and-gallery district — within easy reach of the Metropolitan Museum, the gallery row of Madison Avenue, and the luxury retail and dining that define the corridor. The block sits at the productive seam between Lenox Hill to the south and Carnegie Hill to the north, with the 77th Street subway and the full weight of the Fifth and Madison Avenue cultural inventory close at hand.
For buyers who want a full-service Upper East Side cooperative in a premier location — with the practical advantages of post-war construction, an on-site garage, and the bonus of distinctive upper-floor terraces — 50 East 79th Street occupies a clear niche: well-positioned, comfortable, and architecturally a cut above the generic post-war tower.
Architecture and unit composition
The building rewards attention from the street: the granite base grounds the composition, the red-brick body rises cleanly, and the angled terraces at the top transform the upper five floors into the building's signature. Those terraced apartments carry private outdoor space and the best light and views in the building.
The roughly 97 apartments span post-war configurations across the 20 stories, with a unit mix weighted toward the comfortable one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts characteristic of 1958 Upper East Side construction. Post-war signatures recur throughout: efficient, practical floor plans, good light, and solid mid-century construction. Apartment-level variation is significant — floor altitude, exposure, the presence of terrace space on the upper floors, and renovation history all matter to value, and lines price on their individual merits.
Building operations
50 East 79th Street operates as a full-service post-war cooperative with a 24-hour doorman, a live-in resident manager, a fully equipped fitness center, a bike room, storage, laundry, and a discounted on-site parking garage available to shareholders subject to availability.
The board posture is well-defined. The cooperative carries a 2% flip tax, payable by the buyer, and permits financing of up to 65% of the purchase price. The building is pet-friendly, allowing one dog per residence, and pied-à-terre ownership is welcome — a flexible combination for a Madison Avenue co-op that broadens the buyer pool to part-time residents and out-of-town purchasers. Buyers should review the current proprietary lease and house rules in the course of a purchase.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $69,136/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $59
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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% of the sales price (payable by Purchaser or Seller)
- Notable fees
- Max financing 65%; 1 dog, no aggressive breeds
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 | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | 7B | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,520,000 | -1.3% | |
| Mar 12, 2026 | 5B | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,485,000 | -5.7% | |
| Jan 30, 2026 | PH21A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,964 sf | $3,750,000 | $1,909/sf | +0.0% |
| Nov 13, 2025 | 2C | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,600 sf | $1,850,000 | $1,156/sf | -2.6% |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 12AF | 5 BR · 4 BA · 2,935 sf | $3,800,000 | $1,295/sf | -8.4% |
| Jun 24, 2025 | 12B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,635,000 | $1,363/sf | -3.8% |
| Jun 23, 2025 | 11BC | 4 BR · 3 BA | $4,700,000 | -5.9% | |
| Feb 24, 2025 | 12C | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,950,000 | -2.3% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,909/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 5.6% 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 1-01393-0052) 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
The Madison Avenue corner is the asset. A premier museum-and-gallery-district location with the Met, gallery row, and luxury retail close at hand.
The upper-floor terraces are the building's signature. The angled top-five-floor terraces offer private outdoor space found nowhere else in the building — and command a premium accordingly.
The policy posture is accommodating. A defined 2% buyer-paid flip tax, 65% financing, one dog per residence, and pied-à-terre ownership permitted make the board's expectations clear up front.
The on-site garage is a practical edge. Discounted shareholder parking is a real day-to-day advantage on this stretch of Madison.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the corner location, the terraces, and the garage. The Madison Avenue museum-district position, the distinctive upper-floor terraces, and the on-site parking are the strongest selling points.
Pricing requires apartment-level comparable analysis. Floor, exposure, terrace space, and renovation drive value more than building averages.
The buyer pool skews toward established Upper East Side buyers and pied-à-terre purchasers. The location, full-service profile, and flexible policies draw a motivated, well-capitalized demographic.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Roughly 4–8 weeks from contract to closing, subject to board-package and interview scheduling. Note the 2% buyer-paid flip tax in pricing conversations.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 50 East 79th Street, also evaluate:
- 30 East 76th Street — nearby Upper East Side cooperative
- 14 East 75th Street — nearby Lenox Hill cooperative
- 130 East 75th Street — nearby Upper East Side building
- 175 East 77th Street — nearby Upper East Side cooperative
- 33 East 74th Street — nearby Lenox Hill cooperative
- 45 East 82nd Street — nearby Upper East Side building
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 50 East 79th 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 50 East 79th 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.