Beekman Place
A two-block residential enclave above the East River in the Turtle Bay section of Midtown East — almost entirely pre-war co-ops and townhouses built up in the 1920s and 1930s, and almost never on the market.
A two-block bluff above the East River.
Beekman Place runs two blocks along the East River bluff between 49th and 51st Streets — north from Mitchell Place, overlooking the glass towers at 860 and 870 United Nations Plaza, to a dead-end at 51st. It sits inside the Turtle Bay neighborhood, two blocks east of First Avenue and one block north of the United Nations complex. The street is named for the Beekman family — James Beekman built the Mount Pleasant mansion on the bluff in 1765, and the family’s land holdings shaped the eastern Midtown blocks for the next century.
The street was laid out in the 1860s and originally flanked by four-story brownstones. The redevelopment that defines today’s Beekman Place happened in the 1920s and 1930s, when private developers responded to affluent demand by replacing the brownstones with limestone-fronted cooperative apartment buildings and a row of preserved townhouses. The model — durable materials, private amenities, cooperative ownership with resident boards vetting buyers — became the template for the rest of the East Side residential pre-wars.
Beekman Place is one of the most tightly held residential addresses in Manhattan. The street has historically attracted diplomats — the UN is one block south — trust-and-estates buyers, and long-tenured family owners. Units come to market rarely, and when they do they price aggressively. The 1986 downzoning preserved building heights and East River views, which is part of why the block reads the same today as it did in 1935.
Where Beekman Place trades in 2026.
Data caveats worth knowing. Beekman Place is a true micro-market. The street is two blocks long, the inventory is almost entirely a handful of pre-war cooperative buildings plus a small number of townhouses, and unit turnover is low. There is no monthly neighborhood median that means anything — pricing decisions have to be made off comps inside the specific building, on the specific line, with attention to recent improvements and view. Manhattan-wide and East Side aggregates are useful directional context but not pricing anchors.
What’s actually for sale.
The dominant share. 1 Beekman Place (1929), 2 Beekman Place, 14 Beekman Place, 19 Beekman Place, 23 Beekman Place, 25 Beekman Place, and 33 Beekman Place. Most are 1920s–1930s vintage, designed by the era’s leading firms.
A meaningful share. Original 1860s townhouses still stand on parts of the street; others have been modified or rebuilt within the street wall.
An Art Deco hotel-apartment building at 3 Mitchell Place (1928, designed by John Mead Howells); not part of Beekman Place proper but at the southern entrance.
Rare on Beekman Place itself; more common one block west in the broader Turtle Bay / Midtown East footprint.
What it’s like to live here.
The bluff + the East River.
Beekman Place sits on elevated ground above the FDR Drive and the East River — the topography is part of why the street was developed for affluent buyers in the 1860s and again as cooperatives in the 1920s. The retaining wall at 51st Street drops to FDR Drive level; from the upper floors of buildings facing east, the East River views are uninterrupted, and the 1986 downzoning means they’re protected.
Peter Detmold Park.
The small park at the south end of the street, with steps down to FDR Drive level, is the local pocket green. It’s named for the neighborhood civic leader who pushed the 1980s downzoning.
The United Nations.
The UN complex sits one block south at First Avenue and 42nd–48th. The diplomatic footprint shapes the residential profile of the street — the historic preference for diplomats and UN-affiliated families is part of why the buildings are vetted the way they are.
Dining & retail.
Beekman Place itself has no commercial — it’s pure residential. First Avenue and Second Avenue handle day-to-day retail. Notable East Side dining within easy walk: Daniel Boulud’s restaurants (Café Boulud, db Bistro on the broader East Side), the Sutton Place restaurants, the Midtown East steakhouse cluster, and the broader UN-area dining footprint. The street is also a short walk from the new East Midtown rezoning’s restaurant landings.
Transit.
Beekman Place has no subway under it; access is via Lexington Avenue stations one long block west, plus Grand Central a short walk south.
- 51st Street — 6 (Lexington at 51st)
- Lexington Avenue / 53rd Street — E M (53rd at Lex)
- Lexington Avenue / 59th Street — 4 5 6 N R W (59th at Lex)
- Grand Central / 42nd Street — 4 5 6 7 S plus Metro-North to Westchester, Connecticut, and the Hudson Valley
- NYC Ferry from the East 34th Street terminal or Long Island City across the river
- Buses on First Avenue (uptown) and Second Avenue (downtown)
Schools.
The zoned public elementary is PS 59 Beekman Hill International (Pre-K–5) at 233 East 56th Street, District 2 — an International Baccalaureate program, well regarded.
- PS 59 Beekman Hill International (233 East 56th Street, Pre-K–5) — zoned District 2 elementary; ~515 students; strong recent state test results; IB program
- PS 116 Mary Lindley Murray (210 East 33rd Street, K–5) — District 2, about a mile south
- Private options on the East Side: the Browning School, Spence, Chapin, Trevor Day School, Léman Manhattan Preparatory, and the Cathedral School of St. John the Divine — zoning and admissions vary, verify case-by-case
- Hunter College High School — specialized exam-entry, separate admissions process
Built up 1920s–1930s. Downzoned 1986.
The defining building type on Beekman Place is the pre-war cooperative apartment building from the late 1920s and 1930s — limestone or brick fronts, restrained classical detailing, large floor plates, double-height ground-floor entries, formal lobbies. One Beekman Place (1929, designed by Sloan & Robertson with Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray, developed by a group led by David Milton) is the most prominent of the cooperatives; it houses 136 units and includes an indoor swimming pool, rare for Manhattan cooperatives. 23 Beekman Place is a nine-story 1860s townhouse later modified into apartment use, with a four-story penthouse designed by Modernist architect Paul Rudolph — his own residence from the early 1960s until his death in 1997. A 1986 downzoning is the reason the streetwall has remained intact: local stakeholders advocated for the change to limit building heights and protect East River views.
Practical notes for buyers
- Beekman Place co-op boards are on the strict end of NYC norms. Plan for 30–50% down minimums in many buildings, post-closing liquidity of 2–3+ years of carrying costs, strong debt-to-income ratios, and a comprehensive board package with references. Some buildings restrict pieds-à-terre, financing, and subletting. Verify rules building by building.
- Most buildings are all-cash-preferred in practice even if financing is technically permitted. Some buildings require minimum down payments above what your bank requires.
- The 1986 downzoning protects East River views; verify the line and floor against the streetwall before paying a view premium.
- Pre-war mechanical and capital project history matters — riser replacements, facade work, elevator modernization, roof. The reserve study and recent capital project list belong in the diligence package.
A building-by-building market.
Beekman Place is one of the East Side micro-markets Tracie has worked since she started in NYC real estate in 1995. Her practice on the street and across the broader Beekman / Sutton / Turtle Bay corridor has covered the pre-war cooperative inventory, the occasional townhouse, and the periphery condo stock. The Tracie Approach — her quarterly mailers — has covered Beekman Place pricing, board-approval mechanics, and the timing of estate sales repeatedly over the years. Trust-and-estates referrals from major NYC firms send Beekman Place transactions to her practice regularly.
“No two listings are alike. For sellers, creating the proper marketing approach — and adjusting it if the property doesn’t move — is the work. The mechanics — pricing, the board package, the financial requirements specific to each building — are something I’ve seen across every kind of market cycle since the early 90s.”
If you’re thinking about buying or selling in Beekman Place, the right starting move is a conversation about your specific building, your block, and your timing — not a generic walk-through.
Adjacent neighborhoods.
Beekman Place, in plain answers.
What is the average home price on Beekman Place?
Beekman Place is a true micro-market — two blocks, mostly pre-war cooperatives, low turnover. There is no meaningful monthly neighborhood median. Recent reference points: 1 Beekman Place has shown average closed prices around $2,797,500; 2 Beekman Place actively asks $2,495,000–$3,300,000; 14 Beekman Place Corp asks $1,495,000–$1,900,000. The Manhattan-wide co-op median was about $850K in Q1 2026, but that figure is not relevant to pricing Beekman Place. Comps inside the specific building, on the specific line, with attention to view and renovation history are the only honest pricing input.
Is Beekman Place a good neighborhood to live in?
Beekman Place is one of the quietest residential blocks in Manhattan — two blocks long, no through-traffic, the East River bluff to the east, the UN complex one block south. Buyers come for the low-density character, the East River views (protected by the 1986 downzoning), the pre-war architecture, and the proximity to Grand Central, Lexington Avenue subway access, and the East Side restaurant and cultural footprint. The trade-off: no commercial on the street itself, with day-to-day retail handled by First and Second Avenue.
Are most Beekman Place buildings co-ops or condos?
Beekman Place is overwhelmingly pre-war cooperative — 1, 2, 14, 19, 23, 25, 33 Beekman Place and the townhouse stock. Condos are rare on the street itself. Boards are on the strict end of NYC norms; financial requirements vary widely building to building. Pieds-à-terre, financing, and subletting rules are often restricted — verify before writing an offer.
What subway lines serve Beekman Place?
Beekman Place has no subway under it. The closest stops are one long block west on Lexington Avenue: 51st Street (6), Lexington Avenue / 53rd Street (E, M), and Lexington Avenue / 59th Street (4, 5, 6, N, R, W). Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S plus Metro-North) is a short walk south. NYC Ferry runs from the East 34th Street terminal.
What are the schools serving Beekman Place?
The zoned public elementary is PS 59 Beekman Hill International (Pre-K–5) at 233 East 56th Street, District 2 — an International Baccalaureate program, well regarded, with strong recent state-test results. PS 116 Mary Lindley Murray (K–5) is also District 2. Major private options on the East Side include the Browning School, Spence, Chapin, Trevor Day School, Léman Manhattan Preparatory, and the Cathedral School of St. John the Divine. Hunter College High School (specialized exam-entry) has a separate admissions process.
What are the typical board requirements for a Beekman Place co-op?
Most Beekman Place co-op boards require 30–50% down minimums (varies by building, some higher), post-closing liquidity of 2–3+ years of carrying costs, strong debt-to-income ratios, and a comprehensive board package with multiple references. Some buildings restrict pieds-à-terre, restrict or prohibit financing, restrict subletting, or require all-cash purchases in practice. Verify rules building by building — they differ meaningfully even between adjacent addresses.
Let’s talk about your building.
Tracie Golding — Compass · New York, NY. Selling Manhattan and Brooklyn since 1995.
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