956 Fifth Avenue
956 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10075
Lenox Hill, Upper East Side
BBL 1013910071 · BIN 1041813
- Year built
- 1925
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- Designated
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 3BR median
- $7.3M
- Recent range
- $4.5M – $10M
- Listing discount
- 2.4%
- Recorded transfers
- 19
956 Fifth Avenue is a limestone-clad pre-war cooperative on one of the most coveted blocks in Manhattan — Fifth Avenue between 76th and 77th, directly opposite Central Park and a short walk from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Designed by Nathan Korn, the architect also responsible for nearby 944 Fifth Avenue, it carries a particular distinction: the building originally held a single apartment per floor, the most aristocratic of pre-war planning conventions, before several of those floors were subdivided in the 1950s into the 25 apartments it holds today.
The building's history is a small piece of Fifth Avenue lore. It was begun in 1925 as a shorter structure to conform to a 1920 zoning limit; when the courts overturned that limit and restored the avenue's earlier height allowance, the building was enlarged to its present 15-story scale. The result is a tall, slender Italianate limestone house with the proportions and detailing of the avenue's best 1920s stock.
For buyers, 956 Fifth offers the rarest pre-war combination: a full limestone facade, Central Park frontage, a one-per-floor pedigree, an exceptionally small shareholder body, and a board posture that is — by the conservative standards of upper Fifth — comparatively accommodating.
Architecture and unit composition
Korn's facade is all limestone, a more expensive and more enduring choice than the brick-over-base construction of most apartment houses of the period, and the reason the building reads as a peer to the avenue's grandest cooperatives. The composition is vertical and disciplined, with the quiet classical detailing that defines Fifth Avenue's 1920s register.
The original one-apartment-per-floor plan produced enormous homes — full-floor layouts with private elevator-landing entry, expansive entertaining rooms, and the layered service wings of grand pre-war planning. The 1950s subdivisions added a layer of half-floor and smaller residences, so the building today ranges from intimate apartments to the surviving large floor-throughs. The west-facing residences carry direct Central Park views; the address's defining luxury is the park itself, immediately across the avenue.
Building operations
956 Fifth runs as a full-service white-glove cooperative. A full-time doorman, elevator attendants, and a live-in resident manager anchor a staff scaled to a small, demanding shareholder body, with central laundry among the building's services. For 25 apartments, the staffing is generous — the operational hallmark of a boutique Fifth Avenue house.
On policy, the building is notably flexible for the corridor. Pets are permitted, pieds-à-terre are allowed, and washer/dryers are permitted — an accommodating combination for upper Fifth. A 3% flip tax is paid by the purchaser, and the cooperative permits financing of up to 25% of the purchase price, the conservative cap that signals a financially substantial, owner-occupied building. Prospective purchasers should expect a full board package and interview.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $12,729/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $48
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent). Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library.
See the full facade history →Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 3% of gross purchase price paid by buyer
- Notable fees
- Max financing 25%
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.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2025 | 3A | 3 BR · 2.5 BA | $4,510,000 | +7.5% | |
| Nov 19, 2025 | 11 | 5 BR · 4 BA | $9,000,000 | +0.1% | |
| Sep 27, 2023 | 8 | 3 BR · 4.5 BA · 3,600 sf | $9,995,000 | $2,776/sf | -4.8% |
| Apr 17, 2023 | 14A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $4,500,000 | -6.3% | |
| Mar 1, 2018 | 4B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,050 sf | $1,950,000 | $1,857/sf | -2.3% |
| Aug 4, 2016 | 10 | 3 BR · 3,400 sf | $15,500,000 | $4,559/sf | -8.3% |
| Aug 7, 2013 | 12A | 3 BR | $9,375,000 | -9.9% | |
| Jul 12, 2013 | 12AB | 4 BR | $12,500,000 | -2.3% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2023): a median $2,776/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 6.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 2005 | 14B | $1,395,000 |
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 1-01391-0071) 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.
What to know if you’re buying
A purchase here is a pre-war cooperative purchase, but one with friendlier rules than most of its neighbors. Financing is capped at 25% — buyers need a strong cash position. The board conducts a full admissions review, including a financial package and interview, and weighs liquidity beyond the purchase price. The upside is flexibility: pieds-à-terre and pets are welcome, which opens the building to second-home buyers and to those whom stricter Fifth Avenue boards would turn away. The 3% flip tax falls to the buyer, so factor it into your acquisition budget. Buyers should also evaluate floor and exposure carefully — the gap between a full-floor park-front home and a smaller post-subdivision unit is significant.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the pedigree and the flexibility. A full limestone Korn facade, Central Park frontage, a one-per-floor history, and — unusually for the avenue — pied-à-terre and pet allowances are a marketing package most Fifth Avenue co-ops cannot offer. Position to the right comparable tier: large floor-throughs benchmark against the avenue's grand cooperatives, while smaller residences are best framed as a rare affordable foothold on Fifth. Disclose the flip tax and financing terms up front so qualified buyers price the deal correctly. A board-ready purchaser is the key to a clean closing — present financial strength early.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 956 Fifth Avenue, also evaluate these nearby Fifth Avenue cooperatives:
- 944 Fifth Avenue — Nathan Korn's 1925 Fifth Avenue cooperative
- 950 Fifth Avenue — pre-war Fifth Avenue cooperative adjacent
- 955 Fifth Avenue — pre-war park-front cooperative across the avenue
- 960 Fifth Avenue — the Candela / Warren & Wetmore landmark to the north
- 965 Fifth Avenue — Fifth Avenue cooperative peer
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, 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.
Considering a move at 956 Fifth Avenue?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 956 Fifth Avenue 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.