70 Riverside Drive
70 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10024
Upper West Side
BBL 1012440001 · BIN 1033717
- Year built
- 1951
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2023
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- Recent range
- $1.2M – $1.2M
- Listing discount
- 0.5%
- Recorded transfers
- 30
70 Riverside Drive is a sturdy, well-located post-war cooperative on the corner of 79th Street, where Riverside Drive meets one of the Upper West Side's busiest and most useful crosstown blocks. Built in 1951 as a rental and converted to a cooperative in 1980, it offers something the surrounding pre-war Drive stock often cannot: a full-service garage on the premises, washer/dryers permitted in the apartments, and an efficient, practical layout set right on the park.
The pitch here is livability rather than architectural pedigree. At six stories and 56 apartments, it is a human-scaled building with a manageable maintenance structure, an attended lobby, and a corner position that puts Riverside Park across the street and the neighborhood's full range of shopping, dining, and transit within a two- or three-block walk. For buyers who prioritize a turnkey, well-run building in a prime location over pre-war ornament, 70 Riverside Drive is a strong, sensible value.
Architecture and unit composition
The building is a clean, all-brick post-war structure — solidly built and unpretentious, in the practical idiom of early-1950s New York apartment construction. Its real architectural advantage is the site: a corner of Riverside Drive and 79th Street, with western exposures facing the park and the river beyond, and the open light that the low six-story massing of the immediate block allows.
The 56 residences are predominantly one- and two-bedroom homes, with several combination apartments creating larger layouts. Ceilings and proportions are post-war rather than pre-war — efficient, livable rooms with good closet space and straightforward floor plans. The building permits washer/dryers in the apartments, a convenience many older Drive co-ops still prohibit.
Building operations
70 Riverside Drive runs as a full-service post-war cooperative. The lobby is attended, with a doorman on duty in the evening hours and security coverage at all other times, backed by a live-in superintendent. The standout practical amenity is the full-service garage on the premises — a genuine rarity and convenience on the Drive — along with central laundry, basement storage, and in-unit washer/dryers. The cooperative operates on the standard model of board review for purchasers; financing and sublet terms are set by the board and confirmed during package review.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $26,322/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $39
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2023 | 1J | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,195,000 | +0.0% | |
| Jun 29, 2020 | 4H | 1 BR · 1 BA · 800 sf | $767,000 | $959/sf | -1.5% |
| Mar 27, 2019 | 6E | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,250,000 | +0.0% | |
| Jul 12, 2018 | 4BC | 2 BR · 1,800 sf | $2,200,000 | $1,222/sf | +0.0% |
| May 16, 2018 | 2G | 2 BR | $1,399,000 | +0.0% | |
| Sep 25, 2017 | 5H | 1 BR · 1 BA | $825,000 | -8.2% | |
| Dec 22, 2016 | 1C | 1 BR · 815 sf | $733,000 | $899/sf | -1.6% |
| Feb 20, 2013 | 5F | 2 BR | $1,100,000 | -2.2% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2020): a median $959/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2023. Median listing discount 0.5% 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.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2006 | 1E | $525,000 |
| Apr 13, 2006 | 2D | $685,000 |
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 1-01244-0001) 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
This is a practical buy, and the practicalities are the appeal. The on-site garage, in-unit washer/dryers, and corner-park location are real, durable conveniences, and the post-war pricing puts a Riverside Drive address within reach of buyers priced out of the pre-war buildings. Underwrite it as a standard co-op purchase — a board package and interview, with financing and sublet terms confirmed during review.
Prioritize light and exposure. The western, park-facing lines are the building's best, and floor level matters for outlook over the park and river. The garage and laundry-in-unit are differentiators worth paying for if convenience is a priority. We help buyers weigh the specific line, read the building's financials, and benchmark the ask against recent post-war and pre-war sales on the Drive.
What to know if you’re selling
Sell the lifestyle, not the vintage. The headline features here are concrete and in demand: a full-service garage on the premises, washer/dryers in the homes, an attended lobby, and a corner-park position steps from Riverside Park, the 1 train at 79th Street, and the shops and restaurants of Broadway and Amsterdam. That package speaks directly to buyers who want convenience and location over pre-war detail.
Price to the apartment's exposure and condition, and emphasize the building's practical advantages and accessible entry point relative to the pre-war Drive. We market post-war Drive co-ops to the value- and convenience-minded buyer, position the garage and in-unit laundry as the differentiators they are, and steer the cooperative's review toward a clean, on-time closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 70 Riverside Drive, also evaluate nearby Riverside Drive and West End Avenue cooperatives:
- 5 Riverside Drive — Riverside Drive cooperative to the south
- 11 Riverside Drive — the Schwab House, a large full-service Drive co-op
- 33 Riverside Drive — pre-war Drive cooperative nearby
- 90 Riverside Drive — pre-war co-op a few blocks north
- 100 Riverside Drive — Boak & Paris's 1938 Upper West Side cooperative
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Riverside Drive — read The Roebling Team Guide to Riverside Drive.
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 70 Riverside Drive?
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 70 Riverside Drive 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.