- Year built
- 1988
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 147
- Floors
- 42
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pet-friendly under condominium rules
- Flip tax
- A transfer fee applies; the amount is not publicly documented — confirm against the offering plan at contract
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,388
- Listing discount
- 5.1%
- Recorded sales
- 186
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Belaire is one of the Upper East Side's genuine structural anomalies — a Frank Williams-designed, Zeckendorf-developed 1988 condominium built directly above the Hospital for Special Surgery on the East River. The hospital occupies the building's lower floors; the private residences rise above, with their own separate entrance on the East 72nd Street cul-de-sac. That mixed-use program is the single most important fact about the building, and it is exactly the kind of thing a buyer needs to understand up front: the residential experience is entirely separate, but the building's operations, air rights, and long-term posture are shaped by the hospital tenancy below.
Above the hospital floors, the Belaire is a serious residential building. Frank Williams — not, despite occasional confusion, another hand — designed a Postmodern red-brick tower with terraced setbacks and a stepped crown, and the residences carry the East River, bridge, and city views that the waterfront site delivers. The amenity package is anchored by a glass-enclosed health club with a heated 60-foot swimming pool, a real rarity in the corridor, plus a valet garage and a full fitness suite.
For buyers, the Belaire offers big-view waterfront living, a genuine pool, and full-service amenities with condominium flexibility, at a far-east address whose remove from the subway is the trade for the views and the pricing.
Architecture and unit composition
Williams's Postmodern tower rises in red brick with terraced setbacks and an asymmetrical stepped crown; the residential floors sit above the hospital base, which is why floor-count figures vary depending on how the hospital, mechanical, and penthouse levels are counted. The roughly 147 residences run up to four penthouses with wrap-around terraces, with many apartments carrying oversized windows framing East River, bridge, and skyline views; some records cite a higher unit total, and the offering plan controls on any specific apartment. Because the building is a condominium, apartments are valued on a per-square-foot basis.
Building operations
The Belaire runs as a full-service condominium: 24-hour doorman and concierge, a live-in resident manager and porter staff, on-site parking with 24-hour valet, and a glass-enclosed health club with a heated 60-foot pool, a renovated fitness center, sauna and steam rooms, and a yoga room, plus a children's playroom, a conference and party room, a bike room, and central air. The hospital occupies the lower floors under a separate program. The offering plan, house rules, and financial statements are held in The Roebling Research Library and available to clients during diligence.
Recent sales
The Belaire's resale market is a view-and-amenity market. Buyers reach it for the East River panoramas, the heated 60-foot pool, and the full-service program with condominium flexibility, and they weigh those against the far-east, subway-remote location and the hospital-tenancy structure. High-floor, river-facing, and terraced units command the premium; lower-floor and street-facing inventory trades closer to the neighborhood average. The pool and the views are genuine differentiators; the mixed-use program is a diligence item to explain clearly rather than a defect to hide.
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 22, 2026 | 22D | 2 BR · 2 BA · 987 sf | $1,244,888 | $1,261/sf | -2.7% |
| Jun 17, 2026 | 32C | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,700 sf | $3,850,000 | $1,426/sf | -2.5% |
| Jun 17, 2026 | 32DE | 1,610 sf | $3,850,000 | $2,391/sf | off-mkt |
| Mar 30, 2026 | 31F | 1 BR · 1 BA · 500 sf | $720,000 | $1,440/sf | -4.0% |
| Oct 29, 2025 | 24H | 1 BA · 325 sf | $540,000 | $1,662/sf | off-mkt |
| Oct 27, 2025 | 36B | 1 BR · 2 BA · 800 sf | $1,162,500 | $1,453/sf | -10.2% |
| Oct 14, 2025 | 37AB | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,036 sf | $2,400,000 | $1,179/sf | +0.5% |
| Sep 17, 2025 | 23E | 1 BR · 1.5 BA | $815,000 | -8.9% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,388/sf across 4 sales. Median listing discount 5.1% 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.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2023 | 25F | $775,000 |
| Jun 18, 2014 | 22F | $550,000 |
| Jan 3, 2005 | 31DE | $1,700,000 |
| Jun 18, 2004 | 31DE | $1,725,000 |
| Aug 26, 2003 | 42C | $975,000 |
| Apr 29, 2003 | 36D/E/F | $1,500,000 |
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 1-01483-7501) 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
Understand the mixed-use program. The Hospital for Special Surgery occupies the lower floors; the residences are entirely separate with their own entrance. Have your attorney review how the hospital tenancy affects the condominium's governance, air rights, and financials — it is the building's defining structural fact.
Value the pool and the views. A heated 60-foot residential pool is scarce in the corridor, and the East River panoramas are the reason to be this far east. Both are durable resale assets.
Underwrite the carry and confirm the flip tax. The amenity program runs through common charges, and a transfer fee applies at an amount to confirm. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator and the Buyer Closing Cost Calculator.
Price to the view and the floor. River-facing, high-floor, and terraced units are a different product from the rest. Use same-line comparables.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the views and the pool. The East River panoramas and the heated 60-foot pool are the differentiators — market them, especially to buyers comparing against inland stock.
Explain the hospital program proactively. The mixed-use structure will surface in diligence; framing it clearly — separate entrance, separate residential operations — shortens the conversation and prevents late surprises.
Anchor to the view line. River-facing and terraced lines carry premiums the building average hides. Same-line history — which we maintain — is the right anchor.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 524 East 72nd Street, also evaluate:
- 305 East 72nd Street (Charing Cross House) — full-service Lenox Hill cooperative on the same street, closer to the avenues
- 420 East 72nd Street — Lenox Hill full-service building on the same corridor
- The Seville (300 East 77th Street) — Robert A.M. Stern condominium with an indoor pool
- Hampton House (404 East 79th Street) — full-service condominium with a rooftop pool and health club
- The Impala (404 East 76th Street) — Michael Graves condominium with a landscaped courtyard
- The Cielo (450 East 83rd Street) — Perkins Eastman glass condominium in Yorkville
The Roebling Team at The Belaire
The Roebling Team at Compass works Lenox Hill and the broader Upper East Side as a core practice area. We publish this building profile because condominium buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — the mixed-use structure, the amenity reality, and line-level view pricing — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a transaction at 524 East 72nd Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
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