901 Lexington Avenue

George Mort Pollard gave 901 Lexington the substantial masonry presence typical of the best early-1900s apartment houses — a building constructed when ceiling heights were generous, walls were thick, and rooms were laid out for a more formal way of living. The eleven-story form carries the period's restrained street-level dignity, and as a contemporary of Pollard's celebrated Hotel des Artistes, it shares the architect's instinct for solid, well-proportioned residential design.

The seventeen residences occupy eleven stories. Reported apartment features include high ceilings and hardwood floors; inspect the particular home’s proportions and daylight rather than inferring them from the construction era or building height. Review the actual floor plan, shared access and sound conditions for the apartment. Availability and holding periods require dated transaction evidence, not an inference from the unit count.

The building runs as a traditional pre-war cooperative with full-time door staff — a genuine amenity in a building of only seventeen apartments, where full-time service is far from guaranteed. Shared facilities include a bike room, a central laundry room, and private storage, covering the practical needs of the building's residents with their operating costs reflected in the current budget.

The co-op's policies are well defined. Financing is permitted up to 50% of the purchase price. A flip tax of 3% applies, paid by the buyer. Subletting is permitted with conditions, and prospective purchasers should expect a thorough board package and interview. Review the current budget, audited statements, debt and any assessments.

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.

Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2023): a median $790/sf (recorded) across 2 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2024. Median listing discount 7.2% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01402-0021). 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.

Buying here means buying into a genuinely small cooperative in one of the most convenient locations on the Upper East Side. The financial terms are clear: plan for up to 50% financing and a 3% flip tax paid by the buyer. Subletting is permitted with conditions and pied-à-terre use is permitted; confirm the board's current liquidity requirements and sublet terms from its application instructions.

The reward is location and intimacy. Lenox Hill puts Central Park, Madison Avenue retail, and the neighborhood's full range of dining and services within a few blocks, and the seventeen-unit scale can be compared with larger buildings by inspecting the actual floor arrangement, sound and privacy. For the right owner-occupant, it is a durable, central place to live.

A sale here can describe the scale and service: a seventeen-unit pre-war cooperative with a full-time doorman in prime Lenox Hill, designed by a noted early-century architect. The seventeen-unit count does not establish current competition; compare active inventory and dated sales in the building and nearby full-service prewar cooperatives.

Pricing should be benchmarked to comparable Lenox Hill pre-war co-ops, with the building's full-time staffing and intimacy supporting the position. Buyers should be prepared for the 50% financing cap and 3% flip tax up front, so accurate framing of the building's terms is part of a clean sale. Describe the apartment, service program and current financial requirements without assuming management quality or the size and motivation of a buyer segment.

If you're considering 901 Lexington Avenue, also evaluate these nearby Upper East Side cooperatives:

• 1004 Lexington Avenue — pre-war Lexington Avenue cooperative
• 1019 Lexington Avenue — Upper East Side pre-war co-op
• 125 East 63rd Street — Lenox Hill pre-war cooperative nearby
• 563 Park Avenue — pre-war Park Avenue cooperative in Lenox Hill
• 875 Park Avenue — pre-war Park Avenue cooperative