525 East 86th Street

The tower rises 21 stories in beige brick behind an angled stainless-steel marquee and a red-granite entrance surround — a crisp early-1960s full-service formula that architectural records credit to Robert L. Bien. The roughly 136 apartments run from studios through three-bedroom and combined lines, in post-war proportions: defined foyers, real dining areas, generous closets. Upper east- and north-facing units pick up river glimpses and open sky over the low Henderson Place and East End rooflines; the conversion-era documents record maids' rooms in the original program, a period detail of the building's 1961 ambitions. The garage base and central air distinguish it from walk-to-the-park peers of the same vintage.

Full-service: 24-hour doorman, live-in resident manager, fitness room, bike room, basement storage, central laundry, and the on-site garage. In-unit washer/dryers appear in recent listing records, suggesting a permissive alteration posture — confirm current policy. Utilities and staffing run on institutional management, and the building's conversion documents are on file in The Roebling Research Library; current financial statements should be obtained through the managing agent during diligence, particularly to confirm the no-underlying-mortgage posture that listing records describe.

Recent sales

Recent transfers 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.

Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,015/sf (floor-adjusted) across 1 sale. 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 2.4% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01583-0012). 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.

The financial posture is the headline — verify it. Listing records describe no underlying mortgage and no flip tax. If the financial statements confirm it, you are buying into one of the cleaner balance sheets in the corridor; your attorney should also confirm how the building funds capital work absent mortgage proceeds (assessments versus reserves).

60 percent financing is stricter than it looks. A 40 percent minimum down payment is the gating requirement; board package strength matters accordingly. Run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator before offering.

The pied-à-terre and pet postures are corridor-liberal. Both are permitted per listing records — a meaningful widening of the buyer pool relative to East End Avenue's stricter pre-war boards. Confirm specifics, including sublet rules, with the managing agent.

Position and quiet are the product. Half a block to Carl Schurz Park, next to Henderson Place, on the residential end of 86th Street — but with the Q at Second Avenue close enough for a real commute. Walk the block at both ends of the day; the east-of-York calm is the value.

The garage is a daily-life asset. On-site parking in this corridor is scarce; confirm current availability, rates, and any shareholder preference with the managing agent.

Sell the balance sheet with the apartment. No flip tax and no underlying mortgage (per listing records) are arguments that survive attorney diligence and move deliberate co-op buyers. We document the financial posture from primary sources for serious buyers' counsel.

Anchor against the park-and-corridor peers. Your buyer is cross-shopping East End Avenue post-wars and the York/First Avenue full-service stock. The pitch is location parity at mid-tier pricing with cleaner exit math.

Condition spread is wide; price to it. Renovated lines with open exposures command real premiums here; estate units clear when the ask respects the renovation budget. Run the Renovation Cost Calculator against your strategy before listing.

If you're considering 525 East 86th Street, also evaluate:

• 200 East End Avenue — the corridor's full-blockfront post-war co-op opposite Carl Schurz Park; the prestige step-up three blocks north
• 515 East 79th Street (Asten House) — the 1982 purpose-built co-op seven blocks south; the balconied alternative
• 180 East 88th Street — Yorkville's boutique new-development condo benchmark
• 40 East End Avenue — boutique new-development condo on the avenue; the new-construction alternative
• 50 East 89th Street — large post-war full-service co-op alternative toward Park Avenue pricing
• 75 East End Avenue — fellow Robert L. Bien-attributed full-service co-op on the avenue
• 180 East End Avenue and 45 East End Avenue — the avenue's post-war co-op peers
• 170 East End Avenue — park-facing post-war condo; the condo alternative