River House (435 East 52nd Street)
435 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022
BBL 1013640022 · BIN 1040155
- Year built
- 1931
- Type
- Cooperative
- Floors
- 26
- Financing
- Not formally published; confirm directly with on-site property management
- Flip tax
- Not formally published; confirm directly with on-site property management
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Pied-à-terre
- Permitted
- Dogs and cats
- Permitted
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 4BR+ median, 2023–2024
- $6.7M
- 3 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $1.8M – $8M
- Listing discount
- 5.7%
- Recorded transfers
- 82
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at River House 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.
River House at 435 East 52nd Street is one of Manhattan's most architecturally distinguished and most institutionally discreet pre-war cooperative buildings. Bottomley, Wagner & White designed it in 1931 on a through-block East River site as a 26-story Art Deco / Beaux-Arts hybrid — a central tower topped by a crown, with two massive 15-story wings flanking it. The composition is U-shaped in plan, with the wings producing extensive loggias, terraces, and balconies that exceed the outdoor-space provision of nearly any pre-war Manhattan building. Wood-burning fireplaces, high ceilings, and pre-war architectural detail throughout.
The building's premise was unusual at conception and remains distinctive a century later. Where contemporary 1931 luxury apartment commissions on Fifth, Park, and Central Park West optimized for prestige addresses and urban convenience, River House optimized for the riverfront — even commissioning a private pier for resident boat docking as part of the original design. The pier was eventually removed (the FDR Drive's construction in the late 1930s materially changed the building's relationship to the East River), but the aspiration remains visible in the building's positioning, the courtyard's water-facing orientation, and the integration with The River Club on the lower floors.
The independent River Club is a distinctive part of the building's setting. The private club occupies the building's lower floors with its own entrance on East 52nd Street and includes three squash courts, two tennis courts, a gym, a swimming pool, a library, dining and bar facilities overlooking the East River, a ballroom, and guest rooms. Confirm current membership eligibility, dues and access separately from apartment ownership. The presence of the club does not establish a Manhattan-wide uniqueness ranking or that membership comes with a residence.
The building is known for discretion. Resident lists are not publicly circulated, and staff are explicitly trained to protect privacy. Turnover can be limited; review the recorded sales rather than assuming how apartments come to market.
For buyers, River House represents a particular tier of pre-war Manhattan cooperative inventory: Art Deco / Beaux-Arts architectural pedigree of the first rank, the River Club integration, the East River views, and an emphasis on privacy. Confirm the building's current financing, liquidity, ownership and occupancy requirements from its governing documents and application instructions.
Architecture and unit composition
The 79–80 apartments span the central tower and the two 15-story wings, with configurations ranging from substantial 2BRs to large 4BRs, full-floor apartments, and duplexes. The U-shaped plan produces apartments with multiple exposures — combinations of East River, courtyard, and Manhattan skyline views — and the loggia / terrace / balcony provision exceeds nearly any pre-war Manhattan building of comparable era.
Bottomley, Wagner & White's pre-war signatures throughout: 11–12 foot ceilings in primary rooms, formal entry galleries, library-living combinations, wood-burning fireplaces (a distinguishing River House feature — many apartments have multiple), service wings characteristic of 1931 luxury apartment design.
East River views are the building's defining exterior orientation, with sight lines across to Long Island City and Roosevelt Island and the East River bridges (Queensboro, then Williamsburg further south). East River views vary by floor and position; courtyard-facing apartments enjoy quieter exposures with the cobblestoned courtyard and Manhattan skyline as the view.
Apartment-by-apartment heterogeneity is meaningful across the building's nearly century-long history.
Building operations
River House operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative with concierge, live-in superintendent, fitness center, pool, bike storage, laundry, basement/storage units, and covered parking. The building's on-site property management team — the managing agent with the on-site manager William Fertidos and the riverhouseny.com domain — handles day-to-day operations with the unusual continuity characteristic of the most institutionally serious Manhattan co-ops.
The privacy culture is structural. The building lists its public policy block in unusually abbreviated form — specific financing, flip tax, and subletting policies are intentionally not published publicly. Buyers should obtain these directly from on-site property management during due diligence.
The pied-à-terre allowance is notable — many tier-one pre-war buildings restrict pied-à-terre purchases; River House's posture is more accommodating in this respect).
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
- Not verified
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of August 2026
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Dogs and cats
- PermittedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- In-unit washer/dryer
- Not verified
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Maintenance, per room
- $1,443 per room a monthMedian of 8 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Maintenance, per square foot
- $3.21 per square foot a monthMedian of 7 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: recent listing records
- Concierge
- YesSource: recent listing records
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- Fitness room, pool, bike storage, storage, guest suiteSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $333,323/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $361
- Modeled exposure split equally across 77 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 data last refreshed October 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as Unsafe — conditions requiring prompt corrective action. The owner must install any public protection the inspector specifies (a sidewalk shed, construction fence or structural netting, depending on the condition) and make the repairs. Review the subsequent filings, the repair status, and the building’s board and financial materials — we pull the repair scope and funding picture for you.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2025–30. 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 data last refreshed October 2026.
Recent sales
River House is Bottomley, Wagner & White's 1931 Sutton Place cooperative, with the private River Club at its base. Compare the described roughly 4,000-square-foot, three-bedroom B-line apartments with matched Park Avenue sales, adjusting for area, condition, exposure, services and carrying costs. Verify current application and house rules; neither the board process nor architectural pedigree establishes a price discount or a smaller buyer pool.
Review the G-line’s matched purchase and resale records before assessing value retention, including renovation, carrying, financing and transaction costs. Compare asking and closing prices and dated marketing histories for other lines and tower duplexes; relistings without public closings do not establish a fixed price ceiling or guarantee that a correctly priced apartment will sell.
Establish the extent of any 2009 decline using dated, matched transactions and a defined comparison period. A small or selective buyer pool does not establish limited losses or muted peaks and troughs.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | 15A | 3 BR · 4 BA · 3,170 sf | $4,100,000 | $1,293/sf | -4.7% |
| Apr 20, 2026 | 6C | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,000 sf | $2,300,000 | $1,150/sf | -2.1% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 13B | 3 BR · 4.5 BA · 4,000 sf | $3,300,000 | $825/sf | -5.7% |
| Jul 9, 2024 | 12C | 2 BR · 2.5 BA | $1,750,000 | — | |
| Mar 26, 2024 | 6 | 3 BR · 4.5 BA · 5,000 sf | $4,995,000 | $999/sf | +0.0% |
| Mar 26, 2024 | 9G | 5 BR · 5.5 BA · 5,335 sf | $8,000,000 | $1,500/sf | -27.3% |
| Dec 12, 2023 | 8 | 4 BR · 5 BA · 4,460 sf | $6,650,000 | $1,491/sf | -11.3% |
| Dec 1, 2023 | 10G | 5 BR · 6.5 BA · 5,335 sf | $6,540,500 | $1,226/sf | -5.9% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,284/sf (floor-adjusted) across 2 sales. Floor-adjusted means each sale is restated to a constant mix of floors, so the figure can differ from the plain median of the sales listed above. Median listing discount 5.9% 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 | 11B | $8,500,000 |
| Aug 4, 2003 | 12G | $10,495,000 |
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 1-01364-0022). 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.
What would your apartment rent for?
Enter your apartment and I'll send you what it would rent for, from comparable closed leases at River House and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $3.3M (3 transfers in the past 24 months, since November 12, 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $64,050 to close, or 1.9% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $49,500
- No mortgage recording tax or title insurance on a co-op purchase
- Attorneys, lender, building fees and filings: $14,550
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
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What to know if you’re buying
The building's privacy culture is part of the screening. Buyers should be prepared to engage with on-site property management directly for building documents and policy specifics — the building's public policy block is intentionally abbreviated. Brokers familiar with River House's process will navigate this efficiently; brokers who treat the building as a typical co-op will encounter friction.
The River Club is part of the value proposition. Confirm River Club membership eligibility, dues and access independently of the apartment purchase, then assess the facilities against intended use; the club’s presence does not establish a citywide uniqueness claim.
Pied-à-terre is permitted. Unusual flexibility for a tier-one pre-war; the building has historically accommodated globally mobile buyers and residents with multiple primary homes.
Confirm financing, flip tax, and sublet specifics with on-site management. Because the building's public policy block is intentionally abbreviated, these specifics should be obtained directly from the property manager during the contract review process. Confirm whether River House limits or prohibits financing.
Confirm the board's application requirements. The screening framework includes financial review and professional and personal references; confirm the board's current financing, liquidity, occupancy and subletting requirements from its governing documents and application instructions.
East River views are the defining exterior orientation. Buyers should view apartments at multiple times of day to evaluate the view envelope (which has been stable post-FDR Drive construction) and the orientation relative to morning vs. evening sun.
Renovation is constrained by the building's pre-war character. The board reviews scope and quality with attention to preservation of original Art Deco detail.
What to know if you’re selling
Marketing should respect the building's discretion. Turnover can be limited; review the recorded sales, and discuss public and private marketing options with the listing broker.
Pricing requires apartment-level context. The building's heterogeneous inventory — wings vs. central tower, river-facing vs. courtyard-facing, original vs. renovated — produces meaningful within-building variation. Comparable analysis at the apartment-configuration level is critical.
The River Club membership is a marketing asset for buyers who value it. Brokers should understand which buyer profiles respond to the River Club integration and which prefer pure-residential buildings.
Closing schedule. Factor substantial board package work and the building's privacy considerations into the marketing-to-closing timeline.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering River House, also evaluate:
- 778 Park Avenue — Candela 1931; full-floor configuration; similar tier-one prestige with Park Avenue rather than East River positioning
- 1 Sutton Place South — Rosario Candela with Cross & Cross 1927; East River and Sutton Place trophy
- 820 Fifth Avenue — Starrett & Van Vleck 1916; smaller scale; Fifth Avenue rather than East River
- 740 Park Avenue — Candela 1929–30; the apex of Gold Coast pre-war
- The Carlyle (35 East 76th Street) — mixed-use trophy with hotel and residential
- Sutton Place inventory (1 Sutton, 25 Sutton, 60 Sutton Place South)
More Sutton Place buildings
- The George, 433 East 56th Street — 1967 co-op
- 434 East 52nd Street — 1928 co-op by Emery Roth
- 434 East 58th Street — 1930 co-op
- Beekman Mansion, 439 East 51st Street — 1925 co-op
- 440 East 57th Street — 1961 co-op
- Sutton Manor, 440 East 56th Street — 1955 co-op
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Sutton Place — read The Roebling Team Guide to Sutton Place.
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 River House?
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