920 Fifth Avenue
920 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10021
BBL 1013870069 · BIN 1041486
- Year built
- 1922
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 26
- Floors
- 14
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; in the Upper East Side Historic District
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission records, updated February 2026
- Subletting by shareholders
- Permitted with conditions
- Maximum financing
- 50% of the purchase price
- Flip tax
- 2% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
- Financing
- Up to 50% financeable (50% minimum down).
Compiled by The Roebling Research Desk from the building’s offering plan, amendments, and related building documents (primary source dated 2026). Board policies can change by amendment — confirm at the offer stage.
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 3BR median
- $8.9M
- Recent range
- $6.5M – $21M
- Listing discount
- 5.8%
- Recorded transfers
- 27
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920 Fifth Avenue is the architecturally most distinguished J.E.R. Carpenter cooperative on Fifth Avenue prior to his AIA Gold Medal-tier work and is the only Fifth Avenue building Carpenter himself chose as his personal residence — a fact unique among the Fifth Avenue cooperatives. Carpenter lived at 920 Fifth from approximately 1924 until his death in 1932.
At the center of the building's identity is its Carpenter-as-resident architectural pedigree — no other Fifth Avenue cooperative carries the personal-residence imprimatur of the architect at peak form. The scale he built for is itself rare: a boutique 26-apartment configuration across fourteen stories, yielding full-floor and large-half-floor plates with private elevator vestibules, multiple wood-burning and gas fireplaces, and the configuration profile of trophy pre-war inventory. That inventory has held a resident roster to match, its most documented names including Gloria Swanson during the filming of Sunset Boulevard (1949-1950) and Sister Parish, the legendary American interior designer who founded Parish-Hadley with Albert Hadley.
Architecture and unit composition
Built in 1922 to J.E.R. Carpenter's design and converted to cooperative ownership in 1948, 920 Fifth Avenue is fourteen stories, limestone-clad, in the Italian Renaissance palazzo idiom that defines Carpenter at peak. The composition is more reserved than Carpenter's later 1115 and 1120 Fifth work.
The canopied entrance is on the East 73rd Street side, set behind sidewalk landscaping.
The twenty-six apartments distribute across the building's fourteen stories with typical six-to-nine-room configurations, three to four bedrooms, private elevator vestibules, multiple wood-burning and gas fireplaces, and oversized windows characteristic of Carpenter's intended grand proportions. The apartment-level interior infrastructure persists through the building's century-long ownership cycle.
Carpenter's choice of 920 Fifth as his personal residence is the most-cited resident fact in the building's institutional history. The architect lived in the building he designed from approximately 1924 until his death in 1932 — a feature unique among the Fifth Avenue cooperatives.
Building operations
920 Fifth operates as a full white-glove cooperative with the following operational baseline:
- 24-hour doormen
- Resident manager
- Comprehensive security infrastructure
- White-glove staffing consistent with the trophy pre-war Fifth Avenue tradition
The boutique 26-unit scale and the Carpenter design legacy produce an operational identity defined by white-glove service rather than amenity-maximalism.
Policy framework
Treat 920 Fifth as a top-tier pre-war cooperative with conservative board posture. Specific policy detail is closely held; the operational reality is established by transaction history and broker reporting:
- Type: Cooperative — board interview required
- Pets: Verify with managing agent
- Pied-à-terre: Not a standard practice; subject to board discretion
- Subletting: Restrictive; board approval required
- Financing maximum: Conservative; substantial restrictions characteristic of top-tier pre-war Fifth Avenue cooperatives
- Flip tax: Closely held; verify with managing agent
- Trust ownership: Subject to board approval
- LLC ownership: Not a standard practice
- Foreign buyer: Substantial board diligence customary
- Post-closing liquidity: Substantial reserves expected
- Board interview: Required; full financial and personal-reference disclosure
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 2% of purchase price
- Rate
- 2% of the purchase price
- Paid by
- Buyer
Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Purchase
5 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fees | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Managing Agent Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When At closing | Amount $900 (Shareholder is an Individual) or $1000 (Shareholder is an Estate) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| New York State Stamp TaxPer share | Paid by Shareholder | When At closing | Amount $0.05 per share. | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Fidelifacts Credit ReportConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $871.00 per Applicant/Occupant, $1,633.13 if there are two (2) Applicants/Occupants | Refundable Non-refundable |
Ownership transfer
4 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Report FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-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
- 50% 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 conditionsRestrictedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Short-term rentals
- Not permittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- 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.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Maintenance, per room
- $1,512 per room a monthMedian of 5 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
Maintenance as recorded with each sale. A co-op's maintenance already covers the building's real estate taxes and the building's own mortgage, if it has one; add your own loan payment for the monthly outlay. A summary of recorded sales, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $18,012/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $58
- Modeled exposure split equally across 26 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City record last verified September 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair, with repairs due by the deadline stated in the filing. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign 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 record last verified September 2026.
Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2% of purchase price, paid by Buyer at closing
- Notable fees
- Max financing 50%; Managing Agent Fee $900 ($1000 estate); Fidelifacts credit report $871/applicant
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 2026 | 10B | 4 BR · 4 BA | $6,500,000 | -6.5% | |
| Jan 16, 2025 | 8A | 5 BR · 4 BA | $15,000,000 | -11.8% | |
| Aug 21, 2024 | 5A | 4 BR · 4.5 BA | $17,077,500 | -5.1% | |
| May 20, 2024 | 14 | 5 BR · 5.5 BA · 4,500 sf | $21,000,000 | $4,667/sf | -10.6% |
| Jan 4, 2024 | 11B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA | $6,787,500 | -3.0% | |
| Aug 15, 2023 | 2A | 3 BR · 5 BA | $11,000,000 | -4.3% | |
| May 25, 2022 | 3A | 4 BR · 4.5 BA | $12,500,000 | -7.4% | |
| Aug 15, 2018 | 6B | 3 BR | $9,452,500 | off-mkt |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2024): a median $4,667/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 6.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2003 | 4B | $8,775,000 |
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 1-01387-0069). 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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Notable residents
The cultural resident roster at 920 Fifth includes:
- J.E.R. Carpenter — the architect of the building. Lived at 920 Fifth from approximately 1924 until his death in 1932.
- Gloria Swanson — lived at 920 Fifth during the filming of Sunset Boulevard (1949-1950).
- Sister Parish — the legendary American interior designer who founded Parish-Hadley with Albert Hadley.
The building has historically housed senior financial and old-money families across the broader 20th-century resident cycle.
What to know if you’re buying
The Carpenter-as-resident pedigree is structurally unique among Fifth Avenue cooperatives. No other Fifth Avenue cooperative carries the personal-residence imprimatur of the architect at peak form.
The boutique 26-apartment scale and full-floor configurations support trophy positioning. Private elevator vestibules, multiple wood-burning and gas fireplaces, and the configuration profile of trophy pre-war inventory are structural identity features.
The board posture is conservative pre-war Fifth Avenue. Plan for substantial financial-disclosure infrastructure, multi-year reference history, and material post-closing liquidity reserves.
Sales at 920 Fifth typically attract sophisticated buyers with established Fifth Avenue cooperative experience. First-time pre-war Fifth Avenue buyers should plan substantial pre-application diligence and broker advisory infrastructure.
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
Marketing should emphasize the Carpenter-as-resident architectural pedigree. No other Fifth Avenue cooperative carries the same positioning; this is the building's single most-cited differentiator.
The Gloria Swanson / Sister Parish cultural resident overlay supports premium positioning. Reference in positioning materials.
The full-floor configuration with private elevator vestibule and multiple wood-burning and gas fireplaces is a real structural advantage versus the postwar Fifth Avenue cooperative inventory and many peer pre-war buildings.
Pricing should reference recent comparable closings. Apartment-line-specific comparables should anchor positioning.
Closing timelines are cooperative-standard.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 920 Fifth Avenue, also evaluate:
- 810 Fifth Avenue — J.E.R. Carpenter 1926; same-architect Fifth Avenue peer
- 907 Fifth Avenue — J.E.R. Carpenter 1916; same-architect AIA Gold Medal-tier Fifth Avenue peer
- 825 Fifth Avenue — Sloan & Robertson 1926; immediate Fifth Avenue peer
- 834 Fifth Avenue — Rosario Candela 1931; trophy Fifth Avenue peer
- 875 Fifth Avenue — Emery Roth 1940; nearby Fifth Avenue peer
Sources: The Roebling Research Library (offering plans, house rules, financial statements, board minutes, internal transaction records); NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers; publicly recorded NYC building data.
More Fifth Avenue buildings
- 907 Fifth Avenue — 1916 co-op by J.E.R. Carpenter
- 910 Fifth Avenue — 1919 co-op by Sylvan Bien
- 912 Fifth Avenue — 1925 co-op by Schwartz & Gross
- 923 Fifth Avenue — 1951 condop by Sylvan Bien
- 927 Fifth Avenue — 1917 co-op by Warren & Wetmore
- 930 Fifth Avenue — 1940 co-op by Emery Roth
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Fifth Avenue — read The Roebling Team Guide to Fifth Avenue.
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 920 Fifth Avenue?
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