NY Home Guides

Iris Jiao · Brokered byeXp Realty

Manhattan, NYC

Discover
Upper East Side

Manhattan, NYC — prewar co-ops, Museum Mile, and Central Park frontage

Explore the guide

The Numbers That Matter

The Upper East Side pairs prewar co-op grandeur, Museum Mile, and Central Park frontage with a $1.4M median sale price and one of Manhattan's most walkable, best-schooled addresses.

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Median sale price
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Walk Score
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to Midtown
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Price / sq ft ($)

District 2 Is a Genuine Draw

Upper East Side is served by NYC Geographic District 2. School zones in New York City are address-specific, so buyers should verify the zoned school for any individual building before bidding.

Beyond strong zoned public elementaries, the Upper East Side is home to famous independent schools — Spence, Chapin, Dalton, Brearley, and Nightingale-Bamford. Verify each building's zoned school before bidding.

District 2 zoned publics + elite privates
Selected nearby public schools
P.S. 158 Bayard Taylor
9/10
P.S. 290 Manhattan New School
P.S. 6 Lillie D. Blake
9/10

Find Your Corner of Upper East Side

Each pocket has a different buyer profile. Use this as a starting map, then verify building-specific taxes, reserves, assessments, and school zoning.

Lenox Hill

~$1.35M+ co-op median
The dense, transit-rich heart of the UES.

Roughly 60th–77th between the park and the river, anchored by hospitals, embassies, and Bloomingdale's. A mix of prewar co-ops and newer condos with the best 4/5/6 and Q access on the East Side.

~$1.35M+ co-op medianco-op maint. / condo CC

Carnegie Hill

~$1.5M+ co-op median
The quiet, genteel top of Museum Mile.

Roughly 86th–98th near Fifth and Madison, full of grand prewar buildings, tree-lined side streets, and elite private schools. The most residential, family-oriented pocket, steps from the Guggenheim.

~$1.5M+ co-op medianprewar co-op maint.

Yorkville

~$725K+ co-op median
The UES value play and its fastest-changing corner.

East of Third Avenue from the 70s to the 90s, historically German and Hungarian and still the most affordable entry point. The Second Avenue Subway transformed access here, driving new condo development around 86th Street.

~$725K+ co-op medianvalue co-op / new condo

Museum Mile / Fifth Ave

~$3M–$20M+ median
Manhattan's cultural spine and its priciest addresses.

Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th fronts Central Park and the Met, Guggenheim, and Neue Galerie. Trophy co-ops and mansions with park views command the highest prices in the neighborhood.

~$3M–$20M+ mediantrophy co-op / mansion

Find Your Best-Fit Pocket

Answer five quick questions to see which part of the neighborhood fits your buying style.

Step 1 of 5

What matters most in your day-to-day setting?

Which home type feels right?

Where do you commute most often?

What does a good weekend look like?

Which trade-off is easiest to accept?

What Your Money Gets You

Drag the slider to explore what homes look like at every price point.

$7,700,000
$400K$15M
$3.5M – $15M+
Luxury / Park-View

Fifth/Park Ave co-op or new-dev condo

Trophy Fifth Avenue co-ops and Museum Mile new-development condos with Central Park views.

Typical size2,000–5,000+ sq ft
Bedrooms3 – 5+ BR
NeighborhoodsMuseum Mile, Park Ave
Property tax est.Maint. $5K–$15K+/mo

Upper East Side Commute Reality

Subway and LIRR times vary by exact station, time of day, and transfer wait. These are practical planning ranges for buyer comparisons.

Going to

86th St (4/5/6) / Second Ave Q

Lexington Ave 4/5/6 plus the Second Avenue Q at 72nd, 86th, and 96th

~10 min

Grand Central

Midtown • 6 to Grand Central or Q to 42 St

Primary Lines

4/5/6 · Q
The Lexington Ave lines plus the Second Avenue Q.

Weekly Fare Cap

~$35/wk
OMNY caps subway and bus spend after $35 in seven days.

Parking

$400–$700+/mo
Street parking is scarce; most residents are car-free.

How Other Towns Reach Midtown

LocationTo MidtownTransitMonthly Pass
Upper East Side~10 min4/5/6 · Q~$35/wk
Midtown East~5 min4/5/6 · E/M~$35/wk
Upper West Side~12 min1/2/3 · B/C~$35/wk
Yorkville~14 minQ · 4/5/6~$35/wk
Chelsea~7 min1 · C/E~$35/wk

Upper East Side vs. the Alternatives

Pick a nearby alternative to see the practical trade-offs in price, transit, housing stock, and daily life.

Compare with
The Upper West Side is greener and more stroller-friendly with Riverside and Central Park on two sides; the UES trades that for Museum Mile, deeper prewar co-op stock, and Madison Avenue retail.
CategoryThis AreaUpper West Side
Median Sale Price$1.4M$1.4M
HousingPrewar co-opsPrewar co-ops
SignatureMuseum MileLincoln Center
ParksCentral ParkCentral + Riverside
To Midtown~10 min~12 min
Gold dot indicates the better value

Transparent Numbers

An honest look at what it costs to live in Upper East Side — because smart buyers start with real data.

Monthly Breakdown
Median Sale Price$1.4M
Price per Sq Ft~$1,340
Co-op Maintenance~$1,000–$2,800/mo
Weekly Transit Cap~$35
Monthly Garage Parking$400–$700+
99
Walk Score — among NYC's most walkable
$169K
median household income, roughly 2× the citywide figure

Things Worth Knowing

No town is perfect. Here are the trade-offs — and why most buyers decide they're worth it.

Second Avenue Subway Stops at 96th

Phase 2 to Harlem isn't slated for service until roughly 2032.
North of 96th and east of Second Avenue still leans on buses; verify the walk to the Q or 4/5/6 before committing.

Weak Crosstown Transit

No subway crosses Central Park.
Getting to the West Side means a slow crosstown bus or a downtown-and-back transfer.

Older Co-op Stock

Much of the inventory is prewar with strict boards.
Expect dated systems, pied-à-terre and sublet restrictions, higher maintenance, and crowded Lexington Ave platforms at rush hour.

Beyond the Numbers

The character, culture, and daily rhythm that make Upper East Side more than a commuter suburb.

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Central Park

Fifth Avenue frontage puts the reservoir running track, the Great Lawn, and the Conservatory Garden at the doorstep.

River

Carl Schurz Park

Riverside green space and Gracie Mansion anchor the East River Esplanade in Yorkville.

Shop

Madison Avenue

Luxury retail, classic French and Italian institutions, and a booming casual scene along Second and Third Avenues.

D2

Schools & Medicine

Top hospitals along the 'Medical Mile,' the 92nd Street Y, and elite public and private schools.

Ready to Explore Upper East Side?

Tell us your budget, commute target, school needs, and home type. We will help you narrow the search to the buildings and blocks that fit.

Office
Manhattan, NY 10021