50 United Nations Plaza
50 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017
BBL 1013397502 · BIN 1089803
- Year built
- 2015
- Type
- Condominium
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
Every recorded sale at this building, 2015–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf, 2025
- $1,675
- floor-adjusted, 3 sales
- Listing discount
- 8.2%
- Recorded sales
- 96
- On record
- 2015–2025
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 50 United Nations Plaza 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.
50 United Nations Plaza is the first residential high-rise in the United States designed by Norman Foster's Foster + Partners — a distinction that, on its own, sets the building apart from almost everything in Midtown East. Developed by the Zeckendorf family in partnership with Global Holdings and completed in 2015 on a site the Zeckendorfs acquired for the project, it is a 44-story condominium of just 88 residences, conceived as a top-of-market trophy building directly across from the United Nations and the East River beyond.
The architecture is the argument. Foster wrapped the tower in a glass envelope animated by deep, faceted bay windows and unified by a delicate horizontal grid of stainless-steel tubing — a contemporary gesture that deliberately echoes the verticality and craft of New York's Art Deco towers. The result is a building that reads as both modern and rooted, engineered to deliver light, view, and a specified finish program; compare actual finishes with the surrounding prewar and postwar buildings.
For buyers, the appeal is specific: a small, architect-pedigreed condominium — with financing and ownership requirements to confirm in its governing documents — in a quiet, diplomatic pocket of Midtown with some of the most open East River and skyline views in the city.
Building operations
50 United Nations Plaza is a full-service condominium. A 24-hour doorman and concierge attend the lobby, and a resident manager oversees the building. The amenity program is among the deepest in the neighborhood: a 75-foot indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a spa with sauna and steam, a climate-controlled wine cellar, a conference room, private storage, and on-site parking.
As a condominium, purchases clear through a right-of-first-refusal in place of a board admissions process, and leasing by owners is permitted under the condominium's rules. Confirm financing and pied-à-terre, trust, LLC and investor ownership in the current declaration, bylaws and house rules.
Architecture and residences
The tower's faceted bays do double duty: they sculpt the facade and they pull panoramic light into the apartments, framing the United Nations campus, the East River, and the Midtown skyline depending on exposure. Inside, the 88 residences were built to a trophy standard, with the proportions, ceiling heights, and mechanical systems specified for this project. Layouts run from generous family apartments to full-floor and penthouse homes near the crown, where the views open in every direction.
The building contains 88 residences; confirm the actual apartments sharing each floor or landing from the approved plans rather than inferring privacy from an average. Owners have included business and public-life figures drawn to the building's discretion as much as its design.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of October 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.
Purchase
8 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing FeeConditional | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $700 (If Broker involved), $750 (If no Broker involved) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeeConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant (LLC required to submit fee for business credit check - if applicable) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Working Capital Contribution | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount Equal to two (2) months common charges | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Closing Document Preparation Fee | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| License AgreementConditional | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $400 (if applicable) | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-In Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $1,500 | Refundable Refundable |
Rental or lease
6 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing FeeConditional | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $700 (If Broker involved), $750 (If no Broker involved) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Bedbug Disclosure Form Fee | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $25 | Refundable Not stated |
| Credit Check FeeConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant (LLC required to submit fee for business credit check - if applicable) | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move in Deposit | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $1,500 | Refundable Refundable |
Lease renewal
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lease Renewal Processing Fee | Paid by Landlord | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
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.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Common charges + taxes, per room
- $1,929 per room a monthMedian of 5 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Common charges + taxes, per square foot
- $4.15 per square foot a monthMedian of 7 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Common charges alone, per square foot
- $2.14 per square foot a monthMedian of 6 listings since October 2023 that give the annual taxSource: listing records, refreshed October 2026
- Real estate taxes alone, per square foot
- $2.29 per square foot a monthMedian of 6 listings since October 2023 that give the annual taxSource: listing records, refreshed October 2026
Common charges plus real estate taxes, combined into one monthly figure the way New York condominium listings show them. Add a mortgage payment for the monthly outlay. The split into common charges and taxes comes from the listings that also give the annual tax, a different sample, so the two lines need not add up exactly to the combined median; a tax abatement can hold taxes below the full amount until it expires. A summary of recorded sales and listings, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Concierge
- YesSource: recent listing records
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of Buildings elevator records
- Amenities noted
- Fitness room, pool, spa, co-working space, garage, storageSource: 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
- $124,946/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $388,125/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $118 – $368
- Modeled exposure split equally across 88 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; condominium owners are typically charged by each unit's common-interest percentage.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 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).
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Recent sales
Recent closings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2025 | 28B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,004 sf | $5,600,000 | $1,864/sf | -5.9% |
| Oct 17, 2025 | PH41Sponsor Sale | 5 BR · 6.5 BA · 5,893 sf | $14,300,000 | $2,427/sf | — |
| Sep 9, 2025 | 27A | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,609 sf | $4,300,000 | $1,648/sf | -17.9% |
| Mar 25, 2025 | 31B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,004 sf | $5,600,000 | $1,864/sf | -22.8% |
| Jul 23, 2024 | 21ASponsor Sale | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,609 sf | $4,044,000 | $1,550/sf | -15.7% |
| Jul 10, 2024 | 11B | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,624 sf | $3,130,000 | $1,927/sf | -2.2% |
| Jul 1, 2024 | 32ASponsor Sale | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,609 sf | $4,391,725 | $1,683/sf | — |
| Jul 27, 2023 | 34ASponsor Sale | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,609 sf | $5,259,362 | $2,016/sf | — |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $1,675/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 8.2% 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 1-01339-7502; each condominium apartment is its own tax lot). 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
Closed rents at 50 United Nations Plaza, last 36 months
| Size | Leases | Median / month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 2 | $6,650 |
| 2 bedroom | 5 | $11,500 |
| 3 bedroom | 4 | $26,500 |
11 closed leases, October 2023 to September 2026. Most recent lease March 2026. Sizes with fewer than 2 leases are not shown. Compiled by The Roebling Team at Compass from closed leases.
What would your apartment rent for?
The figures above are the building's closed leases. Enter your apartment and I'll send you what yours would rent for, from comparable leases at 50 United Nations Plaza and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $5.6M (5 sales in the past 24 months, since October 31, 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $267,760 to close, or 4.8% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $126,000
- Mortgage recording tax: $80,850
- Title insurance: $25,200
- Attorneys, lender, building fees, reserves and filings: $35,710
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
Keep up with 50 United Nations Plaza and its market
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What to know if you’re buying
This is trophy condominium inventory, and the case for it is the condominium structure plus design. There is no board admissions process — purchases clear through a right-of-first-refusal — and leasing by owners is permitted. Confirm financing and pied-à-terre, trust, LLC, and investment ownership in the current declaration, bylaws and house rules. Compare dated sales of nearby condominiums and relevant cooperative alternatives, adjusting for ownership policies, monthly costs, floor, actual East River exposure and condition.
What to know if you’re selling
The Foster design and the scarcity are the marketing core. A Norman Foster building of just 88 homes is a genuine differentiator, and the architecture, the river views, and the deep amenity suite distinguish a resale here from anything in the surrounding stock. Benchmark to top-of-market new condominiums, not the pre-war neighbors — the building debuted at the high end of the Midtown East market and resales should be positioned accordingly. Closing mechanics are condominium-standard, clearing through a right-of-first-refusal. Open-view, high-floor homes are the prize and set the building's pricing ceiling.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 50 United Nations Plaza, also evaluate nearby Midtown East and East River luxury inventory:
- 845 United Nations Plaza — Trump World Tower condominium overlooking the UN
- 860 United Nations Plaza — established UN Plaza cooperative
- 870 United Nations Plaza — full-service UN Plaza cooperative
- 100 East 53rd Street — contemporary Midtown East condominium
- 685 First Avenue — modern East River condominium
- 301 Park Avenue — full-service Midtown address
More Midtown East buildings
- 5 East 44th Street — 2009 condominium
- 17 East 47th Street — condominium
- Prospect Tower (45 Tudor City Place) — 1927 co-op
- Park Avenue Place, 60 East 55th Street — 2003 condominium by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)
- 100 East 53rd Street — condominium by Foster + Partners
- 100 United Nations Plaza — 1986 condominium by SLCE Architects
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Midtown East — read The Roebling Team Guide to Midtown East.
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 50 United Nations Plaza?
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646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com