- Year built
- 1951
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2023
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- Recent range
- $850K – $1.2M
- Listing discount
- 2.0%
- Recorded transfers
- 28
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
Safe to live in today — but the last inspection flagged repairs that are due on a deadline, so facade work and its cost are coming. Whether that’s a real concern depends on the scope, the timing, and how the building plans to pay for it — reserves or an assessment — which is exactly what we’d dig into 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 2020 | 4H | 1 BR · 1 BA · 800 sf | $767,000 | $959/sf | -1.5% |
| Jul 12, 2018 | 4BC | 2 BR · 1,800 sf | $2,200,000 | $1,222/sf | off-mkt |
| 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% |
| May 20, 2011 | 4E | 4 BR · 2,300 sf | $1,850,000 | $804/sf | -5.1% |
| Apr 8, 2010 | 1J | 2 BR · 1,250 sf | $975,100 | $780/sf | -2.0% |
| May 28, 2009 | 5F | 2 BR | $915,000 | -2.6% | |
| Mar 26, 2008 | 1F | 2 BR | $835,000 | -0.5% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2020) cleared a median $959/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 2.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2023 | 1J | $1,195,000 |
| Jul 11, 2023 | 2H | $850,000 |
| Mar 27, 2019 | 6E | $1,250,000 |
| May 16, 2018 | 2G | $1,399,000 |
| Feb 27, 2018 | 2C | $850,000 |
| Feb 27, 2018 | 1H | $850,000 |
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 — full-service Riverside Drive cooperative
The Roebling Team at 70 Riverside Drive
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper West Side, Riverside Drive, West End Avenue, and the full range of the West Side co-op market — pre-war and post-war alike. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers evaluating a practical, well-located post-war cooperative deserve building-specific intelligence: the amenity set, the on-site garage, the board posture, and where pricing sits against the surrounding Drive inventory.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 70 Riverside Drive, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
Get the full picture on this building.
Current availability including off-market, the full comp set, and the board & financials read most listings don't show.