For many years, Third Avenue was considered an informal line of demarcation for Upper East Side buyers, given its close proximity to both the Lexington Avenue 4/5/6 trains and the most stylish sections of the neighborhood. This stretch is home to some of the Upper East Side's tallest buildings and architecturally daring new condominiums, and the next anticipated sales launch is 171 East 86th Street, the ZD Jasper-developed, Archimaera-designed condominium that replaced local favorite Papaya King on the corner of East 86th Street and Third Avenue.
According to a recently accepted offering plan, prices are to start at $2.5 million for a pair of two-bedrooms, $4.5 million for three-bedrooms, $8.5 million for four-bedroom, full-floor penthouses with spacious private terraces, and $18 million for a duplex penthouse with both a private terrace and a private rooftop. Construction is nearly topped out, and completion is estimated for later this year.
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171 East 86th Street is set to offer several wellness and social amenities, and another perk is its central Upper East Side address on Third Avenue. Central Park and Museum Mile are a few blocks west; Carl Schurz Park and Gracie Mansion may be found to the east; and the site is located in close proximity to 92NY, popular local restaurants and retail, and the 86th Street 4/5/6 and Q trains.
While the Second Avenue Q train was instrumental in a luxury building boomlet to the east, it also gives Third Avenue residents another, equidistant transportation option. Additionally, a protected bike lane and dedicated bus lane from East 59th to 96th Streets have led to safer streets and improved quality of life on this stretch of Third Avenue.
The bus lane and bike lane opened 170 years after a horsecar line began operating by the Third Avenue Railroad Company between City Hall and East 62nd Street as a precursor to the Third Avenue Railway System, one of the most expansive streetcar systems in Manhattan that also served the Bronx and Westchester County. It was later serviced by the Third Avenue Elevated railway; but in December 1941, "real estate men" formed the Third Avenue Elevated Noise Abatement Committee, which claimed that the noise of the train
"constitutes a menace to health, comfort and peaceful home life." They only sought curtailed train service during non-rush hours, but the Third Avenue Elevated was phased out in the early 1950s before closing altogether in 1955.
After the elevated train tracks came down, residential buildings started to rise on Third Avenue. Below, we look at new projects taking shape and the most striking high-rise condominiums on Third Avenue between East 59th and 96th Streets.
New developments
Developer: Elad Group | Architect: Pelli Clarke & Partners
32 floors | 420 feet tall | 42 condo units
Completed in 2025
The 74's architecture pays homage to Art Deco icons of old, but its soaring height and interiors by AD100 designer Rafael de Cardenas were designed to appeal to modern buyers. White-glove amenities include a library lounge with garden access, a fitness center with Pilates room, a children's playroom, a lounge with catering kitchen, and a rooftop terrace. The 74 was among New York City's best-selling buildings of 2025, and the penthouse recently ranked among Manhattan's top sales.
The 74, #6A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Developer: EJS Development | Architect: Beyer Blinder Belle
18 floors | 256 feet tall | 36 condo units
Completed in 2025
The recently completed high-rise at 200 East 75th Street nods to its prewar neighbors with its limestone base and fluted terra cotta accents. There are no more than three units per floor (per the building's stacking plan), and amenities by Yellow House Architects include a lobby with custom mural by Dean Barger, a fitness center with infrared sauna, a Salon lounge with courtyard access, a music room, a children's playroom, and a multi-sports simulator. Closings began in November 2025, and residents include New York Mets shortstop Francisco Linder.
200 East 75th Street, #PH1 (Compass)
The Remi has 6 studio to three-bed availabilities from $5,000/month
One month free rent on a 14-month lease
Developer: Kahen Properties | Architect: Ismael Leyva Architects
24 floors | 307 feet tall | 108 rental units
Completed in 2025
High-end new development on Third Avenue is not limited to sales units. Rental development The Remi makes a sophisticated statement on the corner of Third Avenue and East 61st Street, putting residents in close proximity to Bloomingdale's, Central Park, upscale dining and retail, and the Lexington Avenue/59th Street transportation hub. Apartments start on top of retail space and feature oversized windows, premium finishes, keyless entry, individual climate control, and in-unit laundry. Residents arrive to an attended lobby, and amenities include a fitness center with yoga studio, an indoor basketball court, a coworking lounge, a residents' lounge with fireplace and dining area, and a furnished rooftop terrace with grilling and dining areas.
Developer: ZD Jasper | Architects: Archimaera Architecture and Skidmore Owings & Merrill
17 floors | 230 feet tall | 24 condo units
Completion estimated for 2027
171 East 86th Street has risen on the former site of Papaya King, the hot dog restaurant that the late Anthony Bourdain described as "one shining light, one temple of cuisine" on the Upper East Side. Renderings of the new building depict a grid-like facade with oversized windows.
There will be no more than two units per floor, with the uppermost levels occupied by five floor-through penthouses and a duplex penthouse on top. The vast majority of apartments will have private balconies or terraces, and amenities are set to include an attended lobby, a package room, a bike room, a fitness center with yoga room and steam room, a golf simulator, a children's playroom, a music room, a screening room, and two residents' lounges. While the city's best hot dogs are no longer an option, residents will also benefit from close proximity to popular Upper East Side restaurants as well as gourmet supermarkets Whole Foods and Citarella.
Developer: Douglas Development | Architect: CetraRuddy
39 floors | 478 feet tall | 73 condo units
Completion estimated for 2027
Construction has topped out on the residential floors of 175 East 82nd Street. The building towers over its nearest neighbors, but its red brick facade pays respectful tribute to the prewar buildings around it. There will be no more than four units per floor, with duplexes on the uppermost levels, and amenities on high floors will include a fitness center, an indoor pool, a sauna, a children's playroom, a media room, and a lounge with terrace access. Additional conveniences will include a mail room, private storage, bike storage, and on-site parking.
Developer: Kano Real Estate | Architect: BKSK Architects
15 floors | 159 feet tall | 9 condo units
Completion estimated for 2027
The 15-story 1477 Third Avenue is rising on the former site of a two-story commercial building between East 83rd and 84th Streets. This will likely be a boutique condominium based on the average apartment size of 2,677 square feet, and duplexes would not be unexpected. Renderings depict a slender building with a light-colored brick facade, oversized windows, arched windows on the top floors, and an upper-level terrace. Developer Kano bought the site for $8.5 million in July 2022 (per public records) for its first foray into the Upper East Side.
Developer: AVENU | Architect: Issac& Stern Architects
7 floors | 85 feet tall | 8 condo units
Completion estimated for 2028
Demolition is underway at 213 East 83rd Street, the future site of a new boutique condominium just east of Third Avenue. The eight apartments are to include four duplexes (two on the ground floor, two on the uppermost levels), and all units are to enjoy incredible light from massive arched windows and interiors by Paris Forino.
The building is to rise on the former site of the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, which dated back to the 1860s and relocated due to low attendance in 2015. Demolition work is now underway, with the building expected to be all the way down by spring 2026. YIMBY notes that the new project is taking shape with air rights transferred from the abutting property at 211 East 83rd Street, and that the project also includes the renovation of this building.
Developer: SMA Equities | Architect: Hill West Architects
37 floors | 510 feet tall | 86 condo units
Completion estimated for 2028
At the beginning of 2026, permits were filed for a new building to rise at 207 East 84th Street near Third Avenue. Apartments are to start on the second floor above retail space, and residential amenities are set to include a fitness center, an indoor pool, a library, private storage, and on-site parking.
The site is currently occupied by a four-story building with arched windows and terra cotta ornamentation with musical instrument motifs. Between its eye-catching design and its history as an event space for Yorkville's early German and Irish residents, local preservationists have sought to make it an individual landmark. This has not come to pass, and demolition permits were filed in February 2026.
Top 10 Upper East Side condos on Third Avenue
Architect: Frank Williams & Associates | Completed in 1952
283 Units | 55 Floors
"The form and proportions of this tower are terrific" – Carter Horsley
At 634 feet tall, Trump Palace has spent decades as the tallest residential building on Third Avenue. Its soaring height allows for spectacular Central Park and skyline views from the interiors and private balconies, and amenities include a modern health club and an outdoor common area with children's playground. Past residents have included fashion designer Steve Madden.
Trump Palace, #32C (Compass)
Architect: Philip Johnson | Completed in 2004
84 Units | 32 Floors
"This 326-foot-high tower is purely modern with horizontal banding, dark windows and rounded corners" – Carter Horsley
First-ever Pritzer Prize laureate Philip Johnson's New York City portfolio includes 550 Madison Avenue, the David H. Koch Theater, the Lipstick Building, and Upper East Side condominium The Metropolitan. Continuous window bands maximize sunlight in every room, and the penthouse features a massive open-air terrace that overlooks Central Park. Amenities in this full-service building include a fitness center and children's playroom.
The Metropolitan, #25B
$2,595,000 (-7.2%)
Carnegie Hill | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,654 ft2
The Metropolitan, #25B (Corcoran Group)
Architects: Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, Schuman Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron | Completed in 1997
125 Units | 31 Floors
"One of the best Post-Modern designs in the city" – Carter Horsley
The Siena was able to rise to its soaring height thanks to air rights from the nearby St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church, and its cast stone and granite base matches the cornice line of the church's rectory. Apartments feature large layouts, excellent privacy, and open city views. This white-glove building offers amenities like a fitness center with sauna, a children's playroom, and a common terrace.
The Siena, #29A (Compass)
Architect: Hartman-Cox Architects | Built in 2001
77 Units | 32 Floors
"With its very tall gables, the 32-story Empire condominium apartment tower would seem more at home near the peaks of The Dakota apartment building on Central Park West at 72nd Street than in the middle of a fairly bland stretch along Third Avenue" – Carter Horsley
The Empire's gently curved corners and mansard roof set it apart in the Upper East Side skyline. Ample bay windows, balconies, and terraces provide plentiful sunshine and fresh air, while an upper-level fitness center offers cardio equipment, weights, and views of 78th Street. Additional amenities include a children's playroom, a dining room, a screening room, a landscaped garden, and private and wine storage.
Architects: Ulrich Franzen & Associates, Philip Birnbaum & Associates | Built in 1987
295 Units | 50 Floors
"This well-proportioned tower rises rather majestically and defiantly without setbacks" – Carter Horsley
Bristol Plaza is notable for its beige brick facade and corner bay windows that allow for open city views in many apartments. Residents arrive to a grand double-height lobby, and amenities include a health club with sauna and steam room, a glass-enclosed swimming pool with Jacuzzi, and a landscaped sun deck.
Bristol Plaza, #30E (Sothebys International Realty)
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Built in 2009
166 Units | 20 Floors
"This is Robert A. M. Stern’s best Post-Modern apartment design after 15 Central Park West" – Carter Horsley
The Brompton's brick facade and delicate stone trim nod to prewar opulence, but the building is underpinned by LEED Silver-certified infrastructure. Residents arrive to an attended lobby with round-the-clock staff, and amenities like a fitness center, children's playroom, lounge, and rooftop terrace have recently been refreshed and upgraded.
The Brompton, #3L1 (Compass)
Architect: Beyer Blinder Belle | Built in 2017
83 Units | 30 Floors
"Attractive, red-brick, Carnegie Hill tower with a three-tier illuminated crown and many amenities" – Carter Horsley
With its soaring height, brick facade, and spiked rooftop, The Kent's design offers a perfect marriage of prewar elegance and contemporary cool. Grammy Award-winning musician Lenny Kravitz designed a sound lounge inspired by his own recording studios and outfitted with a performance space and stage, a dance floor, a state-of-the-art audiovisual system, a piano, a drum set, and an amplifier. Additional amenities include a fitness center, an indoor saltwater pool, a screening room, and an indoor/outdoor children's playroom.
The Kent, #8A (Corcoran Group)
Architect: Gordon Bunshaft | Built in 1950
581 Units | 19 Floors
"The quintessential, post-war, 'modern,' full-service apartment building" – Carter Horsley
When the full-block Manhattan House was completed as a rental in 1950, it immediately attracted attention for its massive size and almost Spartan appearance. In the decades that followed, it has been converted to condominiums and declared a New York City Landmark, a rare honor for post-war buildings. Many apartments have private balconies and/or fireplaces, and all residents have access to a state-of-the-art fitness center, a children's playroom, an indoor/outdoor Manhattan House Club lounge, and one of the largest private sculpture gardens in New York City.
Manhattan House, #C402 (Scrimale Realty LLC)
Architect: DDG | Built in 2019 48 Units | 31 Floors
"The design is highlighted by some tall, large arches on the ground floor, in the middle of the building’s shaft and at the top" – Carter Horsley
At 524 feet tall, 180 East 88th Street is the tallest building in its Upper East Side neighborhood, and immediately recognized by its pale facade and dramatic arches. A penthouse was featured in a memorable episode of Emmy Award-winning drama Succession; off-screen, residents have access to eight floors of amenities including a fitness center, a basketball half-court, a soccer pitch, a game room, a children's playroom created in collaboration with the Children's Museum of the Arts, and a temperature-controlled wine room.
180 East 88th Street, #4B (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Built in 2000
94 Units | 34 Floors
"The most elegant Post-Modern apartment tower along the redeveloped stretch of Third Avenue on the Upper East Side" – Carter Horsley
The Chatham was Robert A.M. Stern's first residential condominium project and was inspired by the neighborhood's 1920s buildings. The building offers 24-hour doorman and concierge service, and amenities include a residents-only Equinox fitness center and an on-site parking garage.
The Chatham, #5B (Compass)
Architect: CetraRuddy | Built in 2013
39 Units | 19 Floors
"Attractive, limestone-clad, 19-story apartment building" – Carter Horsley
200 East 79th Street makes a thoughtful yet modern addition to its Upper East Side block. Broad windows allow for abundant natural light in all apartments, and amenities include a fitness center with Peloton bikes and basketball hoop, a children's playroom, a library lounge, and a landscapes outdoor terrace.
200 East 79th Street, #PH (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Built in 2022
86 Units | 35 Floors
Developer Naftali Group and Robert A.M. Stern Architects' successful Upper East Side collaborations include The Bellemont, 255 East 77th Street, and 200 East 83rd Street on the northeast corner of Third Avenue. Grand arched windows allow for abundant natural light, and residents arrive to a sophisticated lobby with a doorman and concierge. Amenities include a fitness center and yoga studio, a 70-foot indoor pool with double-height vaulted ceilings and loggia access, spa with steam room and sauna, wood and leather-paneled library, a children’s playroom, a screening room, Winter Garden with a double-height loggia and terrace access, and a vaulted porte-cochere with automated parking and a private courtyard.
200 East 83rd Street, #15C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
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