381 Union Street, #TH (Compass) | https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/carroll-gardens/381-union-street/72151/NA/oXmxemAbB | Lily Allen (Raph_PH - LilyTufnell210318-11, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71185515)
January is typically a slow month for Manhattan residential contract signings, and the first two weeks of this month indicate that 2026 is likely to follow suit. However, citywide contract data quoted in the New York Post found that the residential market was unusually busy in December 2025 in spite of the holiday season, a possible harbinger of a busy spring to come.
In the meantime, the number of Manhattan residential contracts signed from January 12-18, 2026 held relatively steady week-over-week, though three deals asking over $20 million were instrumental in driving the aggregate dollar amount up 24% during this time. The four highest-priced contracts were located in prewar buildings, and newly converted condos logged several contracts as well.
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318 Union Street (Compass)
On Tuesday, the Carroll Gardens townhouse of former celebrity couple Lily Allen and David Harbour entered contract with an asking price of $7.3 million. They listed 381 Union Street for just under $8 million in October 2025, months after announcing their breakup and shortly after she released West End Girl, which has been called a "revenge album" for its lyrics alluding to the details of their split.
"You've found us a brownstone, said, 'You want it? It's yours'" - "West End Girl," Lily Allen
Public records show that the couple bought the 22-foot-wide house for $3.35 million in January 2021, months after their wedding. They then embarked on a full renovation by architect Ben Bischoff of MADE and AD100 designer Billy Cotton, the latter of whom was name-dropped in West End Girl's titular track. The "weird and wonderful" design, as Architectural Digest put it, combines original details like crown molding and fireplaces with bright wallpaper; there is also a sauna and cold plunge in the backyard.
318 Union Street, #TH (Compass)
4 East 66th Street, #3, top contract of the week (Brown Harris Stevens) | https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/park-fifth-ave-79th-st/4-east-66th-street/2467/3/hamLLdCaWT
Over the second full week of January 2026, listings in prestigious cooperatives accounted for the two highest-priced contracts in New York City. Leading the charge was floor-through Residence #3 at 4 East 66th Street, which was asking $30 million. The apartment boasts grand prewar proportions and a full interior renovation by architect Peter Marino.
The Real Deal identified the seller as socialite Shafi Roepers, noting that she bought her ex-husband out of the property for $15.75 million in 2013. It is not known how much the couple paid for the apartment, but it has been on and off the market since 2015, when Ms. Roepers listed it for $65 million. During this time, philanthropist Julia Koch's $101 million purchase of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's penthouse and separate lower-floor unit elsewhere in the J.E.R. Carpenter set a new record for the most expensive cooperative sale in Manhattan in July 2022.
The Dakota
In stark contrast to Residence #3's years on the market, the week's next-highest contract was signed about three months after it was listed. Residence #33 at The Dakota entered contract with a $24 million ask. The listing notes that it was on the market for the first time in over 40 years, and the three-bedroom home combines prewar design touches with modern conveniences like state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, a laundry room, and a discreet central air conditioning system.
The seller of Residence #33 has not been identified. But given The Dakota's esteemed roster of past residents, which includes John Lennon, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, Roberta Flack, and Lauren Bacall to name but a few, a public figure would not be unexpected.
The seller of Residence #33 has not been identified. But given The Dakota's esteemed roster of past residents, which includes John Lennon, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, Roberta Flack, and Lauren Bacall to name but a few, a public figure would not be unexpected.
Neither co-op's buyer has been identified. However, it must be noted that their ability to pay the high sticker prices (without financing in the case of 4 East 66th Street, which does not allow it) is no guarantee that a sale will take place. They must first get the approval of the co-op boards.
The Katharine, #PH (Compass) | https://cityrealty.com/n/I2890804
The week's top condo contract was also the top Downtown contract and the highest-priced contract signed in a new development building. The Penthouse at The Katharine, the Greenwich Village Ladies Christian Union residence turned New School dormitory turned luxury boutique condominium, was asking $22.5 million in the week's third-highest price overall. With this contract, all eight units in The Katharine are spoken for about nine months after sales launched in April 2025.
Like all units in The Katharine, the penthouse features interiors by HGTV star/AD100 designer/longtime Greenwich Village resident Nate Berkus. It features a Great Room with south-facing bay window, two ultra-private bedroom wings (one of which is entirely devoted to the primary suite), and an upper-level recreation room with wet bar and access to an outdoor terrace with open views of the Lower Manhattan skyline.
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255 East 77th Street, summer 2025 (CityRealty)
Indeed, the past week was a good one for new development condos in Manhattan. Two listings at 50 West 66th Street ranked among the ten highest-priced contracts, as did a listing at 255 East 77th Street. The remaining public availabilities in the latter are five-bedroom, five and a half-bath units starting at $7.4 million.
Beyond the top ten, Upper East Side building The Strathmore saw the most contracts signed for the second week in a row with nine contracts. Multiple contracts were also signed at The Perrie in Turtle Bay and Smithsonian Place in Harlem.
Beyond the top ten, Upper East Side building The Strathmore saw the most contracts signed for the second week in a row with nine contracts. Multiple contracts were also signed at The Perrie in Turtle Bay and Smithsonian Place in Harlem.
157 East 65th Street with views of Jones Wood Garden (Compass) | https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/lenox-hill/157-east-65th-street/21364/NA/TDaoWvLWAML
Also of note, 157 East 65th Street was the only townhouse among the ten highest-priced contracts, asking $11.95 million in the week's fourth-highest deal overall. The 19th-century brownstone has undergone a top-to-bottom gut renovation, but it would be impossible to improve upon its private yard and access to Jones Wood Garden, a huge sunken garden created in 1919, invisible to passers-by, and accessible only to the owners of 12 surrounding townhouses. The New York Times describes it as "one of the last civilized spots in New York: a quiet, intimate green well surrounded by low buildings on all sides."
When 157 East 65th Street was listed in October 2025, the New York Post noted that it was once owned by educator/philosopher John Dewey, and that the elevator connecting all floors was installed for his disabled son. Mr. Dewey's family held onto the house for years after his death in 1952, and public records show that the sellers bought it for $6.45 million in April 2010.
Top NYC Contracts: January 12-18, 2026
#10. One High Line, #E22C
Last Ask: $6,815,000
Chelsea | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,980 ft2
One High Line, #E22C (Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group)
#9. 50 West 66th Street, #10C
Last Ask: $8,965,000
Central Park West | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 3,223 ft2
50 West 66th Street, #10C (Corcoran Group)
#8. The Evelyn, #5B
Last Ask: $8,995,000
Broadway Corridor | Condominium | 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 4,477 ft2
The Evelyn, #5B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
#7. 50 West 66th Street, #8C
Last Ask: $9,175,000
Central Park West | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 3,223 ft2
50 West 66th Street, #8C (Corcoran Group)
#6. 255 East 77th Street, #29A
Last Ask: $9,540,000
Lenox Hill | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 2,954 ft2
255 East 77th Street, #29A (Compass)
#5. 432 Park Avenue, #52B
Last Ask: $9,995,000 (-4.8%)
Midtown East | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,224 ft2
432 Park Avenue, #52B (Sothebys International Realty)
#4. 157 East 65th Street, #TH
Last Ask: $11,950,000
Lenox Hill | Townhouse | 5 Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 6,000 ft2
157 East 65th Street, #TH (Compass)
#3. The Katharine, #PH
Last Ask: $22,500,000
Greenwich Village | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 5 Baths | 3,981 ft2
The Katharine, #PH (Compass)
#1. 4 East 66th Street, #3
Last Ask: $30,000,000 (-14.3%)
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 5 Bedrooms, 6+ Baths
4 East 66th Street, #3 (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
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Or call us at (212) 755-5544
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