681 Madison Avenue
681 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10065
Lenox Hill, Upper East Side
BBL 1013760051 · BIN 1040861
- Year built
- 1955
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 100
- Landmark
- Designated
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 1BR median
- $1.4M
- Recent range
- $1.3M – $4M
- Listing discount
- 2.9%
- Recorded transfers
- 71
681 Madison Avenue sits at the foot of one of Manhattan's most prestigious retail and gallery corridors. The Madison Avenue of the low 60s is the heart of the luxury-shopping and art-dealing district — flagship boutiques, established galleries, and the cross streets that connect to Central Park three blocks west and to Midtown a few blocks south. A residence here trades the quiet of a pure side street for an address at the center of the East Side's most cosmopolitan corridor, with the building's own ground floor occupied by the flagship retail and gallery tenants that define the avenue.
Completed in 1955, the building belongs to the post-war wave that filled out the East Side avenues in the decade after the war — efficient, full-service apartment houses with attended lobbies, livable floor plans, and low-maintenance presentation. Though it is a mid-century building, it falls within the Upper East Side Historic District, which governs exterior work and anchors the building in one of the city's most protected streetscapes.
At 16 stories and 100 apartments, 681 Madison is a mid-size post-war cooperative — large enough to support full staffing and a liquid resale market, with a unit mix spanning the post-war range. For a buyer who wants a full-service building at the dead center of the Madison Avenue district, the location is the whole argument: the cross-town bus on 60th, the N/R/W and 4/5/6 trains a short walk south at 59th–60th, the F/Q at Lexington and 63rd, and Central Park, Midtown, and the East Side's full amenity all within an easy walk.
Architecture and unit composition
The building's 100 apartments span the configurations typical of a 1955 East Side cooperative — from studios and one-bedrooms through two- and three-bedroom layouts, with some larger combined configurations. Post-war signatures recur: efficient, livable floor plans; functional kitchens and baths; and, on the upper floors, open exposures and good light over the surrounding low-rise corridor.
Interior condition varies widely across 100 units by individual renovation history; buyers should evaluate each apartment's layout, light, and condition on its own merits. The Madison Avenue frontage means lower-floor front apartments sit above the corridor's retail-and-gallery activity, while upper-floor and rear apartments offer more quiet and longer exposures. Historic-district status governs exterior alterations.
Building operations
681 Madison operates as a full-service post-war cooperative with full-time door staff, elevator service, central laundry, and a live-in superintendent. The 100-unit scale supports full staffing efficiently while keeping the building at a manageable residential density, and the ground-floor commercial rent — from premium Madison Avenue retail and gallery tenancy — is a meaningful contributor to the cooperative's operating economics, a structural advantage of a retail-base building on a corridor this valuable.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $12,673/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $11
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 2026 | 2H | 1 BR · 1 BA · 900 sf | $1,315,000 | $1,461/sf | -2.6% |
| Feb 25, 2026 | 3A | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,400 sf | $3,100,000 | $2,214/sf | -3.1% |
| Jan 29, 2026 | 11A | 3 BR · 2 BA | $3,575,000 | -2.1% | |
| Oct 27, 2025 | 8A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,480 sf | $3,125,000 | $2,111/sf | -3.8% |
| Jun 23, 2025 | 11G | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,000 sf | $1,800,000 | $1,800/sf | +2.9% |
| Nov 6, 2024 | 7C | 3 BR · 3 BA | $4,000,000 | -4.8% | |
| Jun 10, 2024 | 14A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $3,900,000 | -8.8% | |
| Sep 28, 2023 | 14C | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,200 sf | $3,095,000 | $2,579/sf | -12.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,772/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 4.5% 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 1-01376-0051) 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 district is the draw. Flagship retail, galleries, Central Park, and Midtown are all within an easy walk, with multiple subway lines a few blocks south.
The retail base supports the building's economics. Premium ground-floor commercial rent helps underpin the cooperative's operating budget.
Front-facing lower floors sit above corridor activity. For quiet, look to upper floors or rear-facing apartments.
Inspect condition apartment by apartment. Renovation history varies widely across 100 units, and historic-district status governs exterior work.
What to know if you’re selling
Market the address. The Madison Avenue retail-and-gallery corridor and the full-service, doorman-staffed building are the strongest selling points.
Price at the apartment level. With 100 mixed units, floor, exposure, and renovation quality drive value more than any building average.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Plan for roughly 6–10 weeks from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 681 Madison Avenue, also evaluate:
- 955 Madison Avenue — a 1958 Paul Resnick co-op
- 976 Lexington Avenue — post-war East Side building nearby
- 118 East 60th Street — post-war Lenox Hill cooperative
- 773 Lexington Avenue — full-service Lenox Hill post-war co-op
- 1250 Third Avenue — East Side post-war building
- 1091 Lexington Avenue — post-war East Side cooperative
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 681 Madison Avenue?
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 681 Madison Avenue 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.