- Year built
- 1962
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 135
- Floors
- 20
- Landmark
- No
The Edgewater is the rare Manhattan apartment building that genuinely sits on the water. Completed in 1962 at the eastern terminus of 72nd Street — past York Avenue, on its own landscaped cul-de-sac — the 20-story cooperative looks directly over the East River to Roosevelt Island and the Queens skyline beyond. The canopied, planted entrance and the dead-end approach give the building a private, almost suburban arrival that nothing on the avenue grid can replicate, and it has long drawn residents who want river light and quiet without leaving the Upper East Side. The Real Deal and others have noted its run of notable residents over the decades, including Frank Sinatra, who kept an apartment here.
The building is a clean post-war white-brick high-rise — large operable windows, balconies on many lines, and a floor plan organized to push living rooms toward the water. For buyers, the appeal is concrete: full river views, a deep amenity and service package, and a position at the river's edge a short walk from the East River esplanade, Carl Schurz Park, John Jay Park, and Asphalt Green.
Architecture and unit composition
The Edgewater reads as quintessential early-1960s riverfront construction: a light masonry shaft rising 20 stories, with the regular fenestration and large windows of the period and projecting balconies on many lines. The orientation is the point — the building is sited and planned to capture the open eastern exposure over the river, so the best apartments trade the avenue's street life for uninterrupted water light.
The roughly 135 residences span studios through three-bedrooms, with many lines carrying private balconies or, on select homes, terraces. Layouts are efficient in the post-war manner — generous picture windows over period ornament — and condition varies line to line, with renovated, combined, and original apartments all trading in the building. Central air conditioning and heat serve the building, an unusual convenience for a co-op of its era.
Building operations
The Edgewater runs as a full-service cooperative with a 24-hour doorman and concierge, a live-in superintendent, 24-hour security, central laundry, and private storage. An on-site valet-serviced garage is available to residents for rent — a meaningful amenity at the river's edge, where street parking is scarce and the location is car-dependent for some trips.
The building's governance is well documented. The cooperative permits dogs under 35 pounds. A flip tax of 2% of the purchase price is paid by the seller at closing, along with an $850 seller transfer fee. Financing is capped at 65% of the purchase price. Subletting is not permitted, which keeps the building owner-occupied and stable. The co-op allows parents to purchase for employed or student children and permits gifting of funds, broadening the qualified buyer pool. The building is professionally managed, and board packages are submitted through the managing agent.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $31,014/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $19
Facade safety — Local Law 11
An active hazard: the building must keep a sidewalk shed up and make repairs now — expect construction, disruption, and a likely special assessment. We’d get you the repair scope and the building’s funding plan up front, so you go in knowing exactly what’s underway and what it’s likely to cost.
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 →Recent sales
Sales context at The Edgewater:
- With roughly 135 apartments, the building produces a steady flow of resales — several to a dozen in an active year — across studios through three-bedrooms.
- Pricing is driven first by exposure: full, unobstructed river views command a clear premium over city-facing lines, with balconied and renovated homes layered on top.
- The no-sublet, owner-occupied profile and the 65% financing cap shape the buyer pool toward end-users with substantial cash positions; value varies materially by floor, line, view, and renovation.
What to know if you’re buying
You are buying the river. The view tier is the single largest value driver — confirm the exact exposure and any future obstruction before you fall for a line.
Budget to the financing cap. With financing limited to 65% of price, plan a minimum 35% down; the board underwrites to comfortable post-closing liquidity.
It is an owner-occupier building. Subletting is not allowed, so this is a home, not an income play — a plus for stability and a constraint to factor if your plans might change.
The amenity and service package is deep for the era. A 24-hour doorman and concierge, live-in super, 24-hour security, a valet garage, central HVAC, laundry, and storage make daily life easy at the river's edge.
Pets are welcome within limits. Dogs under 35 pounds are permitted.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the water and the cul-de-sac. Full river views and the private, planted dead-end entrance are the building's irreplaceable assets — market the exposure first.
Set buyer expectations on the rules early. The 2% seller-paid flip tax, the 65% financing cap, and the no-sublet policy all shape who can bid; pricing and positioning should account for them from the start.
Price by exposure and condition. River-facing, balconied, and renovated homes carry clear premiums; the building does not trade as a single number.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Expect roughly 6–10 weeks from contract through board approval to closing, with the managing agent setting package and review timing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Edgewater, also evaluate the East 70s and the river-adjacent Upper East Side:
- 200 East 74th Street — post-war full-service Upper East Side cooperative
- 220 East 73rd Street — full-service East 70s building
- 207 East 74th Street — Lenox Hill cooperative peer
- 201 East 77th Street — Upper East Side post-war cooperative
- 255 East 77th Street — full-service East 70s building nearby
The Roebling Team at The Edgewater
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper East Side, the East River corridor, Central Park West, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers at a building as distinctive as The Edgewater deserve building-specific intelligence — exposures, governance, financing posture, and pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at The Edgewater, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
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