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.

With seventeen residences across eleven stories, the apartments are pre-war homes with the hallmarks buyers prize: high ceilings, hardwood floors, gracious proportions, and the natural light that early-century construction at this height afforded. The small unit count means a low-density living experience — few neighbors per floor and a building that operates with the calm of a much more private address. These are apartments built to last and maintained as a long-term home rather than turned over quickly, which is part of why availability here is so limited.

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 without the overhead of a large amenity program.

The co-op's policies are well defined. Financing is permitted up to 50% of the purchase price, the conservative leverage cap common at small, financially prudent pre-war buildings. A flip tax of 3% applies, a standard transfer cost that supports the building's reserves. Subletting is restricted, as is typical of a primary-residence cooperative of this size, and prospective purchasers should expect a thorough board package and interview. The combination signals a building run for stability and owner-occupancy — attractive to buyers who value a well-capitalized, conservatively managed cooperative.

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.

Market read. Most recent trades (2023) cleared a median $870/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 7.3% 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) 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.

Buying here means buying into a genuinely small, well-run 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 at resale, and expect the conservative board review that comes with a building of this size. This favors buyers with meaningful liquidity who intend to live in the apartment rather than treat it as an investment — subletting is limited, in keeping with the building's primary-residence character.

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 a seventeen-unit building offers a quiet, low-density home that larger buildings cannot. For the right owner-occupant, it is a durable, central place to live.

A sale here markets on scarcity 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 small unit count is the seller's advantage — comparable inventory in the building is essentially nonexistent at any given moment, and the broader pool of small, full-service pre-war co-ops in this exact location is shallow.

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. The right buyer is an owner-occupant who values a small, conservatively run building in a central location — a consistent and motivated segment of the East Side market.

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

The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper East Side, Lenox Hill, and the small pre-war cooperative market in particular. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers at an intimate, full-service co-op like 901 Lexington deserve real building-specific intelligence — the architecture, the board terms, the amenities, and where pricing sits against the surrounding pre-war stock.

If you're considering a purchase or sale at 901 Lexington Avenue, a consultation is the right first step.