The Empire at 188 East 78th Street: Apartments for Sale & Rent

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Last updated on Feb 11, 2026

The Empire,
188 East 78th Street

The Empire is a traditionally styled brick tower in Manhattan's Upper East Side that opened in 2001. It features 77 spacious apartments with high-end finishes and amenities like a fitness center, pool, and roof deck.

Recent Sales (23) $1,712 Avg. price/ft²
All Units in Building (77)

Apt. 9C

2 beds

2.5 baths

1,681 ft²

$3,275,000

$1,948

$3,500,000

Jan 28, 2026

Apt. 5D

2 beds

2.5 baths

1,500 ft²

$2,390,500 -4.2%

$1,594

$2,495,000

Jan 27, 2026

Apt. 4D

2 beds

2.5 baths

2,011 ft²

$2,295,000 -4.2%

$1,141

$2,395,000

Sep 15, 2025

Apt. 12A

3 beds

3 baths

2,068 ft²

$3,200,000

$1,547

Sep 4, 2025

Apt. 12B

3 beds

3.5 baths

2,000 ft²

$3,500,000

$1,750

Mar 20, 2025

Apt. 16A

3 beds

3.5 baths

2,068 ft²

$3,850,000 -6.7%

$1,862

$4,125,000

Dec 23, 2024

Apt. 19A

4 beds

5.5 baths

2,530 ft²

$4,400,000 -7.4%

$1,739

$4,750,000

Aug 14, 2024

Apt. 19B

5 beds

4.5 baths

2,874 ft²

$5,350,000 -7.8%

$1,862

$5,800,000

Apr 2, 2024

Apt. 23B

4 beds

5.5 baths

2,874 ft²

$6,363,000 -5%

$2,214

$6,695,000

Nov 17, 2023

Apt. 24B

4 beds

5.5 baths

2,874 ft²

$5,900,000 -4.8%

$2,053

$6,200,000

Nov 15, 2023

Apt. 9C

2 beds

2.5 baths

1,681 ft²

$2,250,000 -9.8%

$1,338

$2,495,000

Nov 7, 2023

Apt. PHB

3 beds

3.5 baths

2,601 ft²

$4,120,000

$1,584

$4,399,900

Jul 14, 2023

Apt. 22A

4 beds

4.5 baths

2,500 ft²

$4,500,000 -2.2%

$1,800

$4,600,000

Jun 30, 2023

Apt. 23A

4 beds

5.5 baths

2,530 ft²

$3,850,000

$1,522

$4,495,000

May 2, 2023

Apt. 4C

2 beds

2.5 baths

1,513 ft²

$1,815,000 -9%

$1,200

$1,995,000

Dec 6, 2022

Apt. 6B

3 beds

3.5 baths

2,299 ft²

$3,850,000 -2.5%

$1,675

$3,950,000

Nov 28, 2022

Apt. 15A

3 beds

3.5 baths

$3,300,000 -5.6%

$3,495,000

Oct 3, 2022

Apt. 28B

4 beds

5.5 baths

2,845 ft²

$6,000,000 -7.6%

$2,109

$6,495,000

Jul 6, 2022

Apt. 22B

5 beds

5.5 baths

2,874 ft²

$5,000,000

$1,740

Jun 1, 2022

Apt. 30A

2 beds

2.5 baths

2,156 ft²

$4,525,000 -5.7%

$2,099

$4,800,000

May 24, 2022

Apt. 5E

2 beds

2.5 baths

1,782 ft²

$2,700,000

$1,515

May 9, 2022

Apt. PHA

2 beds

2.5 baths

2,156 ft²

$3,590,000 -10.1%

$1,665

$3,995,000

Mar 30, 2022

Apt. 15A

3 beds

3.5 baths

$3,375,000

Mar 23, 2022

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Overview of The Empire at 188 East 78th Street

The Empire opened in 2001 and is located at 188 East 78^th Street in the Upper East Side.

It is a traditionally styled, brick-clad tower that sits atop a block-long, four-story retail base stretching from 77th to 78th Streets. The Empire’s façades are adorned by columns of bay windows and bowed terraces.

Layouts in the 77 apartments are generally expansive; all are between 1,200 and 3,400 square feet and many have 11-foot ceilings. Most of the residences have two or more bedrooms, foyers, spacious formal dining rooms, crown moldings, herringbone floors, washers and dryers, marble baths and oversized closet spaces. Many enjoy terraces and several have fireplaces. Large eat-in kitchens are equipped with custom cabinets and premium appliances.

Residents have access to such amenities as concierge service, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a children’s play room. Bonus services include a pool, a roof deck and a private garden. Downstairs there are 36 storage rooms and 36 wine cellars available for purchase. The Empire also has a 25-car garage and is near to Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Doorman

Full Time

Type

Condo

Year Built

1999

Apartments

77 (view all units)

Floors

Pets: Allowed

Neighborhood

Lenox Hill (Manhattan)

Min Down

10%

Maps &
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Amenities

Concierge
FT Doorman
High-Rise
Post War
Resident Storage
Central AC
Garden
Health Club
Pool
Rooftop Terrace
Washer/Dryer in building
Elevator
Children's Playroom
Fitness Center
On-Site Parking
Outdoor Entertainment Space
Bike Room
Live-In Superintendent
Terraces / Balconies

Area Map StreetView

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at Lexington Ave 0.08 miles

at Lexington Ave 0.44 miles

Pros & Cons

Distinctive- gabled roof
Formal dining rooms
Private garden terrace
Large apartments
Good public transportation
Concierge
Close to Subway
Foyers
Many bay windows
Garage
Storage Space
Few apartments per floor
Club with fitness center and private dining room
Wine cellars
Some fireplaces
Some balconies

Considerable traffic
No sidewalk landscaping
No nearby park

CityRealty Rating

/44

Architecture

/36

Location

/39

Features

Editor’s Points

CITYREALTY
RATING

How is the CityRealty Rating calculated?
Architecture

30+ remarkable

20-29 distinguished

11-19 average

< 11 below average
Location

27+ remarkable

18-26 distinguished

9-17 average

< 9 below average
Features

22+ remarkable

16-21 distinguished

9-15 average

< 9 below average
CityRealty’s Ratings Explained

Broker & Buyer Comments

Add Your Own Comment

This "pristine" Upper East Side luxury building offers "white glove service" with a "spectacular spiral staircase" in the lobby leading to an "elegant" outdoor sculpture garden. The "impeccably maintained" full-service residence features "comprehensive amenities" including a "state-of-the-art gym," children's playroom, and media room, while the "professional" board and "attentive" staff ensure "efficient management." Located in a "prime UES location" steps from transportation and "excellent dining options," this building represents "refined city living" at its finest.

Sales History

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Noteworthy Residents

Notable past and present residents at The Empire

Editorial Coverage

Hendrix House

at the southwest corner of East 25th Street

Gramercy Park

Manhattan homes that work. Gracefully curved condo with gorgeous amenities + home offices in every unit | 2025 occupancy

1 beds starting at $1,648,000
2 beds starting at $1,610,000

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RLS IDX Data display by CityRealty.com, LLC. This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. ©2026 The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., All rights reserved. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.

All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. All dimensions are approximate. For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer and for no listing shall the number of bedrooms listed be considered a legal conclusion.

All closed sales data has been provided by the New York City Department of Finance via the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS). No warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy of any data provided by ACRIS or any other sources.

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An equal housing opportunity

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The Empire,188 East 78th Street

Overview of The Empire at 188 East 78th Street

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Amenities

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CityRealty Rating

How is the CityRealty Rating calculated?

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Sales History

Sales Summary

Sales History by Apartment Size

Pricing Comparison of Similar Buildings

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Editorial Coverage

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The Empire,
188 East 78th Street

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3D Aerial Views