Top Boutique Condos (< 50 Units)

The Centurion, located at 33 West 56th Street just off Fifth Avenue, stands as I.M. Pei's only ground-up residential condominium project in New York City. Completed in 2009, this 17-story building was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect and his son Sandi Pei, representing a collaboration between the legendary designer behind the Louvre Pyramid and the Bank of China Tower. The building is clad in Chamesson limestone from France – the same material used at the Four Seasons Hotel – and features distinctive cascading terraces and five dramatic "lanterns," which are double-height windows with 17-foot ceilings that extend above the building's tapered setbacks.

The building's 48 condominium units showcase remarkable variety, with ceiling heights ranging from 10 to 17 feet and layouts spanning one to four bedrooms. Three penthouses crown the building, while 13 apartments feature private terraces. Common design elements throughout include teak flooring, oversized sound-insulated windows, and custom natural walnut cabinetry with unique 1.5-inch thick glass countertops. Kitchens are equipped with premium appliances including Sub-Zero refrigerators, Wolf ranges, Viking microwaves, and Bosch dishwashers. Master bathrooms feature marble floors, deep soaking tubs, separate showers, and dual vanities, with some units offering spa-like amenities such as steam showers.

The building's amenities reflect its white-glove service approach, including 24-hour concierge and doorman services, a recently renovated private fitness center with Technogym equipment, a 65-car attended garage, and a distinctive lobby water garden with waterfall and reflecting pool designed by I.M. Pei himself. The lobby features soft cream-colored Magny du Louvre limestone and blood Anigre wood finishes, creating a serene atmosphere that complements the building's sophisticated aesthetic.

Situated in Manhattan's prestigious Plaza District, the Centurion occupies a site with notable history – it replaced several buildings including one that housed Club Napoleon, a famous speakeasy frequented by Mae West and George Raft. The location provides residents with immediate access to Central Park, Fifth Avenue luxury shopping including Tiffany and Bergdorf Goodman, the Museum of Modern Art, and world-class dining and theater options, making it one of the city's most coveted addresses.

The Apple Bank Building at 2112 Broadway stands as one of the Upper West Side's most distinguished landmarks, occupying an entire city block between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue from 73rd to 74th Streets. Built in 1928 by the renowned architectural firm York & Sawyer in the Italian Renaissance palazzo style, this limestone-clad building originally housed the Central Savings Bank (formerly the German Savings Bank, founded in 1859). The building's four-story banking hall with cast-iron bats designed by Samuel Yellin remains intact at its base, while the top four floors were converted into an exclusive residential condominium in 2006 by Stahl Real Estate.

The building contains 28 unique condominium apartments, each designed by SLCE Architects with completely different layouts and spacious entry galleries. Residences range from 1,200 to over 4,000 square feet, featuring dramatic ceiling heights between 9 and 18 feet. Six apartments are duplexes with private roof terraces ranging from 284 to 461 square feet, while all units boast premium finishes including marble bathrooms with radiant heated floors, high-end appliances, and abundant closet space. The apartments showcase impressive proportions, with living rooms spanning up to 30 feet and some featuring multiple walk-in closets and house-sized laundry rooms.

Building amenities reflect its luxury status, including 24-hour concierge service, a fitness center located within the original bank vault, a pet grooming station, and secure bicycle storage. Notable residents have included NBA player Emeka Okafor and legendary entertainer Harry Belafonte. The building's prime location offers residents easy access to Central Park, Lincoln Center, and excellent public transportation via the nearby 1/2/3 subway lines at the 72nd Street station, though the building does not include a parking garage.

This full-service condominium represents a rare opportunity to live within a designated landmark that commands one of Manhattan's most prominent corner locations, overlooking the attractive Verdi Square Park and its express subway pavilion. The building's conversion preserved its historic grandeur while creating some of the most spacious and uniquely configured apartments on the Upper West Side.

535 West End Avenue is a distinguished 29-unit condominium that opened in 2011, developed by Extell Development and designed by Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange, formerly of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The 20-story building stands at the southwest corner of West End Avenue and 86th Street, featuring a distinctive curved red-brick façade with limestone accents that was specifically designed to complement the architecturally significant Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew directly across the street. This church, designed by R.J. Robertson in 1897, provides a dramatic focal point that every apartment in the building overlooks.

The building exclusively offers enormous half-floor and full-floor residences ranging from 3,740 to 8,450 square feet, making it one of the most spacious residential buildings on the Upper West Side. Full-floor apartments typically feature 7+ bedrooms and span approximately 8,400 square feet, while half-floor units offer 5 bedrooms around 3,700-4,400 square feet. Notable features include custom Smallbone of Devizes kitchens equipped with La Cornue ranges, Sub-Zero refrigerators, and Miele appliances, along with herringbone hardwood floors and luxurious marble bathrooms. The 16th floor is unique as the only apartment with a private wraparound terrace (1,814 square feet), while the penthouse boasts 6,500 interior square feet plus a 1,900-square-foot landscaped rooftop terrace with outdoor kitchen and fireplace.

Amenities rival those of the city's most exclusive buildings, including a 24-hour doorman and concierge, heated indoor swimming pool with steam rooms and saunas, state-of-the-art fitness center, billiards and ping pong room, children's playroom, library with kitchenette, and an elegant entertaining space with catering kitchen and outdoor courtyard. The building also offers valet garage parking and is pet-friendly.

The location is particularly coveted, situated just one block from Riverside Park and steps from the cultural attractions, gourmet shops like Zabar's and Fairway, and renowned restaurants that define the Upper West Side. With convenient access to the 1, B, and C subway lines and excellent crosstown bus service on 86th Street, residents enjoy both the tranquility of tree-lined West End Avenue and easy connectivity to the rest of Manhattan.

Chelsea Atelier is a boutique condominium measuring 12 stories and 33 residences, and dating back to 1911. Staff and amenities include a full-time doorman, on-site superintendent, elevator, bike room, and resident storage. Pets are permitted.

Chelsea Atelier is located at 245 Seventh Avenue, between West 24th and 25th Streets. Whole Foods is across the street, and the building is close to the High Line, Madison Square Park, popular restaurants, and public transportation.

The Urban Glass House at 330 Spring Street stands as Philip Johnson's final major residential development, completed in 2006 just after the legendary architect's death at age 98. Designed in collaboration with Alan Ritchie and taking direct inspiration from Johnson's iconic 1949 Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, this 12-story modernist building contains 40 units positioned at the coveted intersection of SoHo, TriBeCa, and the West Village. The building's clean International Style lines and cube-like form with strategic setbacks create a striking presence, while its name proves literal—floor-to-ceiling windows dominate every residence, with the penthouse alone featuring over 70 floor-to-ceiling windows providing 360-degree city and Hudson River views.

Interiors by renowned designer Annabelle Selldorf showcase a sophisticated palette of black, gray, and silver with custom details throughout. Most apartments feature 9'9" ceilings (the penthouse boasts 12' ceilings), distinctive white oak herringbone floors that echo the brick patterns of Johnson's original Glass House, and remote-controlled motorized window shades. The custom Bulthaup kitchens with stainless steel appliances and compressed black linoleum countertops reference modernist design principles, while bathrooms feature luxurious touches like radiant heated floors and deep soaking tubs. Many units offer expansive loft-like entertaining spaces, with some living areas stretching over 40 feet in length, and several apartments include private terraces with Hudson River views.

The crown jewel penthouse spans the entire top floor with 4,266 square feet of interior space plus nearly 1,600 square feet of wraparound terraces on three sides. This five-bedroom residence features a double-sided fireplace, multiple terrace access points, and unobstructed views spanning from the Empire State Building to the Statue of Liberty. The building has attracted notable residents including performance artist Marina Abramović and gained pop culture recognition when apartment 6A was featured as Mafee's residence on the hit series "Billions." Full-service amenities include 24-hour doorman and concierge, a private fitness center, bicycle storage, and cold storage for deliveries, cementing its status as one of Hudson Square's premier luxury condominiums.

Vesta 17, located at 201 West 17th Street, is a 12-story condominium in Chelsea featuring 37 units. Converted from a loft building in 2001, this red-brick building with a rusticated limestone base and a double-height lobby with a glass canopy entrance, is named after the goddess of the hearth.

Residents enjoy a dedicated 24-hour doorman, a beloved full-time resident superintendent, and a porter. Each floor houses no more than four apartments, all equipped with their own washer and dryer, large windows, high-speed Internet access, and bathrooms with limestone floors and rainhead shower spouts.

The building offers attractive retail spaces, though it lacks sidewalk landscaping, a garage, and balconies. It is in close proximity to the Xavier School and benefits from an excellent Chelsea location with great local shopping, numerous restaurants, and good public transportation at 14th Street.

Vesta 17 also provides two fully landscaped, Wi-Fi-enabled roof decks with panoramic city views, multiple lounges, a heated pergola dining section for 12, and a movie screening area. These roof decks can be reserved for private events. Additional amenities include a bike room and a pet-friendly policy. The building is conveniently located near public transportation, the new 20th Street playground, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, with easy access to the West Village, Flatiron, Meatpacking, and the High Line.

Located at 5 East 44th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues, Number 5 is a distinctive 20-story condominium tower stands as one of Midtown's narrowest "sliver" buildings, designed by Alan Ritchie of The Office of Philip Johnson. Known for its bold and modern façade, the building combines off-white metal panels with striking red and yellow accent columns, making it a lively addition to the mid-block streetscape.

Developed by Sam Suzuki of The Vintage Group and completed in 2009, the building contains 20 apartments, most of which are full-floor residences. Each apartment is thoughtfully designed, with features like high ceilings, Bulthaup kitchens, and Toto fixtures. Floor-through layouts typically include a spacious living/dining area, an open kitchen, and a private gallery leading to the bedrooms. Select units offer private terraces.

The building’s amenities include an attended lobby, central air-conditioning, and a live-in superintendent. its excellent Midtown location provides easy access to the New York Public Library, major clubs, and Grand Central Terminal just a block away.

Historically, the site was once home to Canfield’s Gambling House, one of the Gilded Age's most prestigious establishments until its closure in an anti-vice campaign in 1901. Today, it’s two doors from the Art Deco tower at 535 Fifth Avenue, adjacent to J. Press at 11 East 44th Street, and in the same block as Brooks Brothers, positioning residents close to Midtown’s best shopping, dining, and transport options.

521 Park Avenue was designed by William Boring, an American-born architect who studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts before returning to New York and joining the firm of McKim, Mead and White. The limestone building has been honored with numerous international design awards, including a gold medal for architecture from the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900.

521 Park Avenue was constructed as a cooperative in 1911, converted to a condominium in 1987, and currently has 24 units. The building has a full-time doorman, a live-in superintendent, a fitness center, and private storage that transfers with each unit. It also benefits from a location near Central Park, world-renowned restaurants, and top shopping. Pets, pied-a-terres, and flexible financing are allowed.

50 Gramercy Park North occupies the site of the historic Gramercy Park Hotel, originally built in 1925 by Bing & Bing and designed by Robert T. Lyons. The property replaced a house belonging to architect Stanford White, which itself had replaced the birthplace of novelist Edith Wharton. In 2004, developers Ian Schrager and Aby Rosen converted the hotel into a mixed use property with 23 residential units and approximately 180 hotel rooms. The residential interiors were designed by acclaimed British architect John Pawson, while artist and director Julian Schnabel designed the hotel's public spaces in an eclectic style. The building has housed notable figures including writers S.J. Perelman, Edmund Wilson, and Mary McCarthy, and was the site of Humphrey Bogart's 1926 wedding. More recent residents have included Jennifer Aniston, Karl Lagerfeld, and Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider.

The residences range from two to three bedrooms, with many featuring dramatic floor to ceiling windows and ceilings reaching 12 to 18 feet in height. Several units are full floor layouts spanning 75 feet of frontage with unobstructed views of Gramercy Park to the south. Common features include white oak floors, wood burning fireplaces, custom cherry wood cabinetry, and kitchens equipped with Miele and Sub-Zero appliances. Bathrooms are finished in travertine marble with deep soaking tubs, walk in showers, and double basins. Select apartments include private landscaped terraces and sunken great rooms. One listing notes a residence featured in Architectural Digest with interiors by Madeleine Castaing and Mica Ertegun.

Residents enjoy comprehensive hotel style services through the Gramercy Park Hotel, including 24 hour doorman and concierge, housekeeping, room service, butler and valet service, and signing privileges at the hotel's Rose Bar and restaurant Maialino. Additional amenities include valet parking and car wash, access to the David Barton fitness center and spa, pet walking, personal shopping, catering, event planning, and private storage. Each residence comes with a coveted key to Gramercy Park, Manhattan's only private park, established by Samuel Ruggles in the 1830s and accessible exclusively to surrounding residents.

Structured as a co-op with condo rules, the building welcomes pied-à-terre owners, investors, and pets. The brown brick building features a two story limestone base in Renaissance Revival style and sits at the northern tip of Gramercy Park within the Gramercy Park Historic District. The location offers proximity to Union Square and NoMad, with nearby dining institutions including Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Union Square Cafe, Cosme, and Maialino. The neighborhood is surrounded by mid 19th century townhouses and cultural landmarks including the National Arts Club and The Players Club.