800 Riverside Drive (The Grinnell)
800 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
BBL 1021340195 · BIN 1063275
- Year built
- 1910
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 82
- Floors
- 8
- Landmark status
- Requires confirmation
- City records and our profile differ. Confirm with building management.
- Subletting by shareholders
- Permitted with conditions
- Pets
- Pets permitted with conditions; species not stated
- Washer/dryer
- Permitted
- Maximum financing
- 80% of the purchase price
- Flip tax
- Tiered or formula; see fees
- Doorman
- Part-time doorman
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 3BR median, 2023–2026
- $1.5M
- 5 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $600K – $1.6M
- Listing discount
- 7.9%
- Recorded transfers
- 53
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Grinnell 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.
The Grinnell is the building Audubon Park is organized around. Schwartz & Gross designed it in 1910-1911 for the Centre Realty Corporation on a triangular block that gives it three full street frontages and a courtyard large enough to function as a private garden — a plan type that was already becoming uneconomic in Manhattan when it was built and that essentially stopped being built afterward. Every apartment gets an outlook, either to the street or into the court, and the eight-story height means the building reads as a single continuous mass rather than a tower.
Its second history is a city history. The building passed through a series of owners in the 1960s and 1970s, and in 1978 the City of New York took title through in rem tax foreclosure. Four years later the City, acting through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Division of Alternative Management Programs, sponsored a plan to convert the building to cooperative ownership. The plan was presented on May 21, 1982; the City conveyed the property to Grinnell Housing Development Fund Corporation on November 4, 1982. The total initial offering was $250,000 — a quarter of a million dollars for a full Manhattan block of apartments, which is the arithmetic of the city's tenant-ownership programs of that era rather than a market transaction.
What that history produced is a building that is genuinely resident-owned and genuinely unusual in its legal form. The corporation is a Housing Development Fund Corporation, not a conventional cooperative housing corporation, and the property carries a full exemption in the city's exemption file as a result. The record shows four decades of capital work under shareholder control — a full façade restoration in the early 2000s, boiler and boiler-room reconstruction across 2011 through 2017, a dual-fuel burner conversion, a rooftop solar installation in 2018 — and a 2022 refinancing of the underlying debt; completion and current condition should be confirmed from sign-offs and recent board materials.
The third thing to understand is that apartments here trade on the open market, apartment by apartment, to separately named record buyers. The recorded history on this tax lot shows dozens of separate share transfers to separately named record purchasers, running continuously from the years after conversion through 2026, and covering individual apartment lines rather than blocks of units. These recorded transfers do not establish beneficial ownership, actual occupancy or the absence of bulk holdings; confirm those separately. What it is not is a conventional co-op: the HDFC structure attaches conditions, and any buyer needs to understand them before making an offer.
Architecture and unit composition
The triangular site is the design. Schwartz & Gross wrapped an eight-story Renaissance Revival building around a central court, giving the plan three street elevations — Riverside Drive to the west, West 157th Street to the south, Edward M. Morgan Place to the east — and a protected interior. Apartments are divided between an east and a west wing, a distinction the building's own emergency procedures still use.
Unit composition runs large by the standards of the neighborhood's later buildings: prewar room counts, entry foyers, defined dining rooms, and original detail where it survives. The building's house rules record three duplex apartments and one professional office unit among the shareholder-owned lots. Ceiling heights, room proportions and the courtyard outlook are the building's product; condition varies widely apartment to apartment, as it does in any 1911 building where renovation has been shareholder-financed for four decades.
Building operations
The Grinnell is run by its shareholders through a nine-member elected board with standing committees covering management, finance, building systems, quality of life, sales and sublets, and the garden, supported by a professional managing agent and a resident superintendent. A staffed security booth controls the entrance.
The capital record is documented and substantial for a building of this age. Department of Buildings filings show a full façade program in 2002 covering brick replacement and repointing, limestone patching, lintel replacement, parapet reconstruction, window sill replacement and terra cotta restoration; boiler breeching replacement and entrance and ramp repairs in 2011; boiler-room and courtyard structural work in 2013 and again in 2017; a combination gas-and-oil burner conversion in 2013; laundry room work in 2016; and a rooftop solar photovoltaic installation in 2018. The cooperative refinanced its underlying debt in February 2022.
For carrying-cost analysis, the two numbers that matter most are the underlying mortgage service on the 2022 debt and the property-tax exemption. Both should be confirmed against the current audited financial statements during diligence.
The ownership structure — read this before you offer
Three documented facts define the framework here, and none of them appears in a listing.
The corporation is an HDFC. The owner of record on the assessment roll is Grinnell Housing Development Fund Corporation, and the parcel carries a full property-tax exemption in the Department of Finance exemption file, current through the most recent published roll. That exemption reduces the property-tax component but does not establish lower total maintenance than conventionally taxed cooperatives, and it is not a permanent, unconditional feature of the property — it is tied to the corporation's status and its agreements with the City.
The purchase package contains a Statement of Maximum Income. The cooperative purchase application on file requires the buyer to complete one, alongside an occupancy statement and a statement of compliance regarding use of the premises. That is the signature of an HDFC purchaser-eligibility framework. The current income parameters are set by the corporation and the City, not published, and change over time. Ask for them in writing at the outset — before a buyer falls in love with an apartment.
The original plan carried resale restrictions. The 1982 offering plan on file includes Board of Estimate resale restrictions and Section 576 of Article XI of the Private Housing Finance Law among its exhibits. Whether and how those restrictions apply to a given transfer today is a question for the corporation's counsel and the buyer's attorney, and it is the single most important item of legal diligence in any Grinnell transaction.
None of this makes the building difficult to buy in. It makes it a building where the offer should follow the eligibility conversation rather than precede it.
Policy framework
Subletting is the tightest rule in the building. Board approval is required; a shareholder must have lived in the apartment for three years before applying; a sublet may run no more than five years in total, after which no further subletting is permitted; applications are due at least 45 days before the intended occupancy date; the Board may interview subtenants; and the shareholder stays responsible for maintenance during the sublet. Anyone underwriting this apartment as a rental asset should stop here.
Roommates and room rentals require Board approval under the building's rules, even when the shareholder is in residence and no rent changes hands. Real Property Law §235-f separately protects one additional occupant, and that occupant's dependent children, where the shareholder or spouse lives in the apartment as a primary residence, subject to notice and lawful occupancy limits; confirm with counsel how it applies to a specific household.
Pets are permitted subject to leash-and-carrier rules in the common areas and a nuisance standard; they are not allowed on the roof deck.
Alterations run through a written renovation policy with an alteration agreement on file, and shareholders assume prior alteration agreements at closing.
A flip tax exists. The seller completes a flip tax worksheet as part of the purchase package. Get the rate and the basis — per share, percentage of price, or profit-based — from the managing agent before you set an asking price.
Financing, trusts, LLCs and guarantors are not addressed in the published material. In an HDFC with an income-qualification requirement, assume the Board's posture on non-individual ownership is restrictive and confirm it in writing.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of September 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
- Terms
- Equal to 15% of Net Profit
- Paid by
- Seller
Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Purchase
6 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $750 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Authorization FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100.00 per person | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-In Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $175 Per-Day | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-Out Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $175 Per-Day | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-In Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move-Out Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Sublet
7 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-Out Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $175 Per-Day | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Sublet FeeRecurring | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount Equal to 25% of Annual Maintenance Fee | Refundable Not stated |
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $550 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Authorization FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $100.00 per person | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-In Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $175 Per-Day | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-Out Deposit | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move-In Deposit | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Maximum financing
- 80% of the purchase priceSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Sublet and pied-à-terre policy
A condominium owner leasing a unit and a co-op shareholder subletting are different rules, and a building-wide rule is different from a restriction on one apartment. This is the building's rule; confirm it for the specific apartment.
- Subletting by shareholders
- Permitted with conditionsShareholder must reside in apartment for a minimum of three (3) years before requesting Board approval to sublet and are permitted to sublet for a maximum of five (5) years in their lifetime as shareholders, subject to any fees customarily imposed. Shareholder must be in good standing and paid up…Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Wait before a sublet
- 3 yearsSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- Not verified
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Pets
- Pets permitted with conditions; species not statedAnimals may be kept in apartment unless they are expressly disapproved in writing by the Board of Directors.Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- In-unit washer/dryer
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Part-time doormanSource: recent listing records
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- Roof deck, garden, laundry roomSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. A filed Safe grade is not a guarantee of current condition: owners still maintain the facade and, where required, observe parapets each year. Future inspection timing (Local Law 49 of 2025 changed the cycle framework from October 1, 2026), repair and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2020–25. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed September 2026.
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.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 6, 2026 | 4A | 3 BR · 2 BA | $1,549,500 | -16.2% | |
| Oct 14, 2024 | 6E | 4 BR · 3 BA | $1,600,000 | -10.9% | |
| Jul 17, 2024 | 5D | 2 BR · 1 BA | $600,000 | -40.0% | |
| Jul 15, 2024 | 8H | 3 BR · 2 BA | $1,515,000 | -5.0% | |
| Apr 24, 2023 | 8H | 3 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,522,250 | -4.6% | |
| Mar 13, 2023 | 2A | 3 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,800 sf | $1,300,000 | $722/sf | -3.7% |
| Oct 15, 2019 | 4D | 2 BR · 1 BA | $959,000 | +0.0% | |
| Mar 9, 2018 | 4H | 3 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,425,000 | -1.7% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2023): a median $722/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 4.4% 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 | 7H | $1,530,000 |
| Jul 13, 2020 | 5E | $2,100,000 |
| Apr 19, 2011 | 2C | $710,000 |
| Dec 10, 2009 | 5G | $550,000 |
| Dec 10, 2009 | 4D | $420,000 |
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 1-02134-0195). 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.
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What to know if you’re buying
Qualify on the HDFC terms first. Ask the managing agent, in writing, for the current income parameters referenced by the Statement of Maximum Income, for the corporation's position on the resale restrictions in the original plan, and for any transfer obligation owed to the City. Have your attorney read the 1982 plan and its amendments. This is the diligence that decides whether you can buy here at all.
Build a full cooperative board package. The purchase application on file requires a financial statement, an affidavit as to net worth and income, tax returns, bank, employer, professional and personal references, a credit authorization, a source-of-funds statement, and acknowledgment of the proprietary lease and house rules. Assume a board interview. Run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator before you offer, and ask for the financing ceiling — it is not published.
Underwrite the sublet rules as permanent. Three years of residency before any sublet, a five-year lifetime cap, and no further subletting afterward. This building suits a primary residence and does not suit an investor.
Read the financials for the exemption and the 2022 debt. The property-tax exemption affects one cost component; confirm current terms and balances from the February 2022 refinancing before modeling debt service. Both belong in your carrying-cost model rather than in an assumption.
Landmarks governs the exterior. Audubon Park Historic District designation means façade, window and courtyard work require Commission review. That is the reason the block still looks the way it does, and it is a real cost item on future capital projects.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the structure, honestly. The HDFC framework narrows the buyer pool and lengthens the qualification conversation. Presenting the income and eligibility requirements up front removes the deals that were never going to close and protects the ones that will.
Get your flip tax number before pricing. The worksheet is part of the package. Sellers who learn the number at closing rather than at listing price badly. Run the Seller Closing Cost Calculator with the real figure.
Sell the plan, the court and the light. A triangular full-block plan with three exposures and a private garden court is not reproducible in this market, and it is the building's clearest argument against newer inventory on Broadway.
Document the capital record. The façade program, the boiler and courtyard reconstruction, the solar installation and the 2022 refinancing are all verifiable and all favorable. Buyers' attorneys will ask; having the answers assembled shortens diligence.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Grinnell, also evaluate:
- 725 Riverside Drive (The Imperator) — the large prewar Riverside Drive building to the south; the closest comparison in scale and vintage
- 555 Edgecombe Avenue — the Sugar Hill prewar landmark; comparable prewar rooms with a different corridor and buyer pool
- 409 Edgecombe Avenue — Sugar Hill's other landmark cooperative; prewar scale and city-conversion history
- Castle Village — the Hudson-front cooperative campus further north; grounds and views in place of a courtyard plan
- 116 Pinehurst Avenue (Hudson View Gardens) — Tudor-revival garden cooperative in Hudson Heights; the other Washington Heights building bought for its plan rather than its address
- 330 Haven Avenue (Lafayette Gardens) — Haven Avenue cooperative with river outlooks
- 100 Bennett Avenue — prewar Washington Heights cooperative; the value-tier alternative
- 4260 Broadway (The Belford) — the converted prewar alternative on the avenue
- The Riviera (790 Riverside Drive) and the Vauxhall (780 Riverside Drive) — the adjoining Audubon Park apartment houses by Rouse & Goldstone and George & Edward Blum; same district, same street wall
More Washington Heights buildings
- 330 Haven Avenue (Lafayette Gardens) — 1951 co-op
- Cliffside Condominium, 340 Cabrini Boulevard — 2002 condominium
- 720 Fort Washington Avenue — 1939 co-op
- The Bennett (736 West 187th Street) — 2003 condominium by SLCE Architects
- The Riviera, 790 Riverside Drive — 1909 co-op by Rouse & Goldstone
- 4260 Broadway (The Belford) — 1920 condominium
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.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at The Grinnell?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com