The Carlton House (21 East 61st Street / 680 Madison Avenue)
21 East 61st Street; 680 Madison Avenue
BBL 1013760015 · BIN 1040849
- Type
- Condop
- Units
- 68
- Floors
- 16
- Land
- Ground lease; the building sits on leased land
- The Roebling Research Desk's building record, 2014
- 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
- Pied-à-terre
- Permitted
- Pets
- Pets permitted; species and limits not stated
- Flip tax
- None
- Doorman
- Doorman (hours not stated)
- Financing
- No building-level cap on the percentage financeable is stated
- Subletting
- PERMITTED with restrictions, subject to Board right of first refusal
- Pied-à-terre
- Not explicitly addressed
- Washer / dryer
- Not stated for in-unit washer/dryer
- Land
- GROUND LEASE - structure is NOT owned in fee
- Tax status
- No J-51, 421-a, or co-op tax abatement disclosed
- Right of first refusal
- YES - Apartment Corporation holds a right of first refusal
Compiled by The Roebling Research Desk from the building’s offering plan, amendments, and related building documents (primary source dated 2014). Reported and subject to confirmation. Board policies can change by amendment — confirm at the offer stage.
Every recorded sale at this building, 2014–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf, 2026 to date
- $2,645
- floor-adjusted, 1 sale
- Listing discount
- 2.6%
- Recorded sales
- 93
- On record
- 2014–2026
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The Carlton House at 21 East 61st Street / 680 Madison Avenue is the trophy historic hotel conversion at the heart of the Madison Avenue luxury retail corridor and one of Extell Development Company's most architecturally consequential Upper East Side commissions. The original 1940-designed building was completed in 1950 (construction halted during World War II) and operated as the Helmsley Carlton House Hotel — approximately 161 hotel suites — through the second half of the 20th century. Extell Development acquired the building from the Helmsley Estate in March 2010 for $170 million and led a three-year conversion to luxury condominium residences (2010-2013) at a reported cost of $350 million.
The Carlton House sits in a particular and architecturally consequential position within Manhattan trophy residential. The Madison Avenue between 61st and 62nd Streets is the architectural and commercial heart of the Upper East Side's Madison Avenue luxury retail corridor: Hermès is at 62nd Street; Barneys historically anchored the block at 61st Street; the surrounding blocks host the broader Madison Avenue flagship retail concentration (Chanel, Givenchy, Bottega Veneta, the broader luxury retail base). The Madison Avenue corridor is, in turn, the spine of the Upper East Side's commercial luxury identity and one of the most consequential retail addresses in the United States.
Beyer Blinder Belle's conversion architecture preserved the building's original 1940-1950 brown-brick exterior with three-story limestone base and classical pilasters, while adding three new structural elements: a 2-story rooftop addition (bringing the total tower to 18 stories counting the new top floors), a new 5-story limestone-clad townhouse on East 61st Street (9,700 square feet, filling a 35-foot gap in the streetscape and providing the new residential lobby on the ground floor with the upper four floors comprising a single private townhouse residence), and a new 7-story addition on the East 62nd Street side in what was previously the through-block driveway. The conversion involved comprehensive gut renovation, restoration of the brown-brick and limestone facades, window replacement throughout, and masonry repair. The new East 61st Street townhouse is clad in limestone to relate to the original building's three-story limestone podium.
The conversion was, by Gary Barnett's own characterization to The New York Times, "actually more expensive than if we tore the damn building down and built it again." The preservation choice — driven by Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements and by the commercial premium that the historic Madison Avenue address commands — cost a reported $350 million on top of the original $170 million acquisition.
Katherine Newman Design — a Top 100 Architectural Digest firm — developed the interior architectural vocabulary. The interiors carry through the building in a consistent register, calibrated to the contemporary luxury condominium tier and to the building's specific Madison Avenue trophy positioning.
The duplex penthouse, an 8,988-square-foot interior plus 5,261 square feet of outdoor space configured as a 6-bedroom with wrap-around terraces, sold in February 2015.
Past historical context at the Carlton House is unusually rich. Maxim's of Paris — the famous Parisian restaurant — operated a major three-level Janko Rasic-designed Art Nouveau dining room in the building during the hotel era, plus a bistro on the East 61st Street side. The spaces were later occupied by Judith Leiber handbags. Carlotta O'Neill — widow of playwright Eugene O'Neill — moved into the original Carlton House around 1961 from the Lowell Hotel.
For buyers, The Carlton House represents a particular position in the Upper East Side trophy condop market: Extell development pedigree, Beyer Blinder Belle conversion architecture, Katherine Newman interior design, the historic 1940-1950 hotel architectural fabric, the Madison Avenue luxury corridor positioning at the absolute heart of the Upper East Side commercial spine, and the condop ownership form that combines cooperative-style governance with condominium-like operational flexibility.
Architecture and unit composition
The 68 condominium apartments plus 1 townhouse distribute across the building's 16-story original tower (with the 2-story rooftop addition), the new 5-story East 61st Street townhouse, and the new 7-story East 62nd Street addition. Apartment configurations include the duplex penthouse (8,988 sf interior + 5,261 sf outdoor, 6-bedroom), standard floor configurations across the building, and the single private 5-story townhouse on East 61st Street.
The brown-brick exterior with three-story limestone base, classical pilasters, canopied entrance, several terraces, and many bay windows defines the building's exterior identity. The double-height lobby and the broader interior architectural vocabulary reflect Katherine Newman Design's contemporary luxury treatment.
Building operations
The Carlton House operates as a full-service condop with 24-hour white-glove doorman, concierge, live-in superintendent, full-service garage, and the institutional service infrastructure consistent with the trophy condop tier. The amenity package — Luxury Attaché lifestyle management service, 65-foot heated indoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, steam rooms, game room, children's playroom, spa therapy room, screening room, landscaped garden courtyard — is consistent with the broader trophy Upper East Side condominium tier.
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
- None
Source: The Roebling Team's building profile
Purchase
6 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 |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $125 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $45 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-In Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Working Capital Contribution | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount Equal to two (2) months common charge | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-Out Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Sublet
4 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $125 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-In Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-Out Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $600 | 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.
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 conditionsPERMITTED with restrictions, subject to Board right of first refusalSource: The Roebling Research Desk's building record, 2014
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- PermittedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Pets
- Pets permitted; species and limits not statedSource: 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
- $1,488 per room a monthMedian of 3 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Maintenance, per square foot
- $3.77 per square foot a monthMedian of 3 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
- Doorman (hours not stated)Source: The Roebling Team's building profile
- 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, spa, media room, playroom, garden, garage, bike storage, cold storageSource: 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.
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.
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.
Recent sales
Recent closings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2026 | 6A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,125 sf | $2,900,000 | $2,578/sf | -3.3% |
| Nov 24, 2025 | 7E | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,360 sf | $7,900,000 | $3,347/sf | -3.6% |
| Nov 3, 2025 | 5A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,125 sf | $2,850,000 | $2,533/sf | -10.9% |
| Jul 16, 2024 | 7F | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,380 sf | $6,900,000 | $2,899/sf | -1.4% |
| Aug 28, 2023 | 9E | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,507 sf | $6,750,000 | $2,692/sf | -7.5% |
| Jun 22, 2023 | 11B | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 2,200 sf | $7,550,000 | $3,432/sf | -2.6% |
| Jun 16, 2023 | 11A | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,325 sf | $7,450,000 | $3,204/sf | -14.9% |
| Jun 22, 2022 | 12D | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,336 sf | $4,500,000 | $3,368/sf | -8.2% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $2,645/sf (floor-adjusted) across 1 sale. 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 2.6% 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.
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 1-01376-0015). 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
Closed rents at The Carlton House, last 36 months
| Size | Leases | Median / month |
|---|---|---|
| 2 bedroom | 10 | $16,747 |
| 3 bedroom | 5 | $30,000 |
15 closed leases, October 2023 to September 2026. Most recent lease September 2026. Sizes with fewer than 2 leases are not shown. Compiled by The Roebling Team at Compass from closed leases.
What would your apartment rent for?
The figures above are the building's closed leases. Enter your apartment and I'll send you what yours would rent for, from comparable leases at The Carlton House and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $2.9M (3 transfers since 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $50,800 to close, or 1.8% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $36,250
- 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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Cultural and historical context
The building's pre-conversion historical layers are unusually rich:
- Maxim's of Paris operated a major three-level Janko Rasic-designed Art Nouveau dining room (and a separate East 61st Street bistro) during the hotel era; spaces were later occupied by Judith Leiber handbags
- Carlotta O'Neill — widow of playwright Eugene O'Neill — moved in around 1961 from the Lowell Hotel
- The site's earlier history (pre-Carlton House) includes the residence of Velvalee Dickinson — "the Doll Woman" — a WWII espionage figure convicted of passing information to Japan via doll-related correspondence
What to know if you’re buying
The Madison Avenue luxury corridor positioning is structural. Immediate retail-and-commercial adjacency to the most consequential Upper East Side commercial spine.
The Extell + Beyer Blinder Belle + Katherine Newman pedigree is real. The development, exterior architecture, and interior architecture each contribute meaningfully to the building's identity.
The condop ownership form is structurally distinct from pure condominium. Verify the financing, sublet, and board-governance implications with cooperative-attorney guidance before contract.
The 1940-1950 architectural fabric is real preserved history. The brown-brick exterior, the three-story limestone base, and the classical pilasters are protected by the preservation choice that drove the conversion economics.
Policy framework is permissive. Pets, pied-à-terres, subletting, guarantors, parental purchasing, co-purchasing, and gifting all permitted; no flip tax.
Closing timelines should anticipate the condop structure. Plan timing in consultation with a cooperative attorney familiar with the condop form.
What to know if you’re selling
Marketing should emphasize the Madison Avenue position and the Extell pedigree. These are the structural identity-anchors of the building.
Pricing requires apartment-level comparable analysis. The relevant comparable is the same configuration and exposure, not a building-wide average.
Closing timelines reflect the condop structure.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Carlton House, also evaluate:
- The Kent (200 East 95th) — Extell new construction 2018; UES Extell peer
- The Lucida (151 East 85th) — Extell 2008; UES Extell peer
- The Bellemont (1165 Madison) — Naftali / RAMSA mid-2020s; Madison Avenue luxury peer
- The Benson (1045 Madison) — Naftali / RAMSA 2022; Madison Avenue luxury peer
- 200 East 83rd Street — Naftali / RAMSA 2024; UES luxury peer
- 1010 Park Avenue — Naftali / Beyer Blinder Belle 2018-2019; Park Avenue Beyer Blinder Belle peer
More Upper East Side buildings
- 21 East 66th Street — 1921 condominium
- 21 East 79th Street — 1930 co-op
- 21 East 87th Street / 22 East 88th Street — 1927 co-op by Emery Roth
- 23 East 81st Street — 1906 condominium
- The Volney (23 East 74th Street) — 1924 condop by Schwartz & Gross
- 24 East 82nd Street — 1902 co-op
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
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 The Carlton House?
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646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com