- Year built
- 1949
- Financing
- 50% maximum
- Flip tax
- 3%, seller-paid
870 Fifth Avenue is one of the most flexible and operationally distinguished postwar Fifth Avenue cooperatives. The 1949 William I. Hohauser building — a transition-era postwar apartment house with distinctive curved bays at the avenue corners and an all-front-facing-room layout that gives every unit either Fifth Avenue/Central Park exposure or 68th Street southern light — replaced the M.C. Inman and Robert L. Stuart mansions on the northeast corner of 68th Street and Park.
The structural identity rests on three features. First, the flexible policy framework — pets are welcomed under 40 pounds, pied-à-terre is welcomed (uncommon for Fifth Avenue cooperatives), and the 3% flip tax is seller-paid (a structurally different burden allocation from the buyer-paid Carnegie Hill norm). Second, the all-front-facing-room layout — Hohauser's planning decision that no apartments face the rear, ensuring every unit captures either Central Park exposure or southern 68th Street light. Third, the white-glove operating profile — attended elevators, full-time doorman, concierge, fitness center, roof deck with Central Park views, bicycle storage, central laundry, managed by Douglas Elliman Property Management.
Architecture and unit composition
The site previously held the mansions of M.C. Inman and Robert L. Stuart — the Stuart mansion was extensively altered by McKim, Mead & White for financier William C. Whitney. The two mansions were demolished to make way for the Simon Brothers' postwar redevelopment.
The 1949 design by William I. Hohauser is a transition-era postwar apartment house — built at the moment Fifth Avenue mansion-row was being replaced by white-brick and brick-clad cooperatives — using curved bays at the avenue corners to soften the elevation and create distinctive views. The discreet side-street entrance is on East 68th Street.
The all-front-facing-room layout is a deliberate Hohauser planning decision: every unit gets either Fifth Avenue / Central Park exposure or 68th Street southern light. There are no rear-facing apartments. The configuration is structurally specific to 870 Fifth among postwar Fifth Avenue cooperatives.
Friends of the Upper East Side maintains a building dossier confirming the LPC district status. Originally 106 apartments, the unit count today is approximately 94 after combinations.
Building operations
870 Fifth operates as a full-service Lenox Hill cooperative:
- 24-hour doorman, attended elevators, concierge
- Fitness center
- Roof deck with Central Park views
- Bicycle storage
- Central laundry
- Managed by Douglas Elliman Property Management
The amenity layer is comprehensive for a postwar Fifth Avenue cooperative, with the roof deck and fitness center anchoring the modern operational baseline.
Recent sales
Median deal size at 870 Fifth is in the low-to-mid single-digit millions. CityRealty unit-level pages show consistent 2024-2025 activity. PropertyShark and RealtyHop carry the building dossier with apartment-level closing histories.
Apartment-level closing detail should be sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers for full transactional context.
What to know if you’re buying
The flexible policy framework is structurally distinguishing. Pets under 40 lbs, welcomed pied-à-terre, and 50% financing combine to produce one of the more accommodating prestige Fifth Avenue cooperative buyer profiles.
The seller-paid 3% flip tax is materially advantageous to buyers. Factor into all carrying-cost and net-proceeds calculations — buyers at 870 Fifth carry no flip tax burden.
The 2x post-closing liquidity threshold and the 28% debt-to-income ceiling are explicit board-policy markers. Plan financial package accordingly.
The all-front-facing-room layout is the building's structural identity feature. Every apartment gets either Fifth Avenue / Central Park exposure or 68th Street southern light.
The roof deck with Central Park views and the fitness center anchor the amenity layer. Both are real operational features.
The William I. Hohauser architectural pedigree is real institutional context. Hohauser's broader postwar Manhattan body of work places 870 Fifth in a meaningful transitional-postwar cohort.
Closing timelines are cooperative-standard. Plan for 6 to 10 weeks from contract through board approval to closing.
What to know if you’re selling
The 3% seller-paid flip tax is the largest single net-proceeds variable. Factor explicitly into all listing-price and net-proceeds calculations.
Marketing should emphasize the flexible policy framework — pets, pied-à-terre, washer/dryer permission. All three are structurally advantageous versus peer Fifth Avenue cooperative inventory.
The all-front-facing-room layout is the building's structural identity feature. Position accordingly in upper-floor and prime-line inventory marketing.
The Hohauser postwar architectural credential and the LPC-protected exterior identity support premium positioning. Reference where appropriate.
Pricing should reference recent CityRealty / PropertyShark / RealtyHop unit-level data. Apartment-line-specific comparables should anchor positioning.
Closing timelines are cooperative-standard.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 870 Fifth Avenue, also evaluate:
- 875 Fifth Avenue — Emery Roth 1940; immediate Fifth Avenue peer
- 845 Fifth Avenue — Fifth Avenue peer
- 907 Fifth Avenue — Carpenter 1916; nearby Fifth Avenue peer
- 834 Fifth Avenue — Rosario Candela 1931; trophy Fifth Avenue peer
- 888 Park Avenue — Schwartz & Gross 1925-26; Lenox Hill prewar coop peer
The Roebling Team at 870 Fifth Avenue
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in Central Park West, the Upper East Side, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this building profile because Fifth Avenue cooperative buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architectural attribution, board posture, transactional mechanics, and pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 870 Fifth, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
Corey Cohen · The Roebling Team at Compass 646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com
Sources: CityRealty (Carter Horsley review); Douglas Elliman Property Management building page; Friends of the Upper East Side building dossier; Corcoran building index; NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers.