257 West 86th Street

A rarely available southwest-corner duplex on West 86th Street, newly priced at $3,125,000. Nearly 2,800 square feet, three exposures, and preserved pre-war detail in one of the Upper West Side’s most distinctive cooperatives. The scale, light, and original craftsmanship make it a rare opportunity to shape a long-term home.

At its center is a dramatic double-height living room with a wood-burning fireplace, twenty-foot ceiling, and monumental steel casement studio window, recently restored with high-efficiency glass. Northern light fills the room throughout the day, while a west-facing corner window looks over the neighboring church’s Spanish tile roofline. Above, original interior galleries with wood balustrades reinforce the apartment’s distinctive Arts & Crafts character.
Hardwood pocket doors open into a handsome corner dining room with south and west exposures, bringing in beautiful light and open outlooks over the neighboring church, West 86th Street, Riverside Park, and the Hudson River beyond.

The windowed kitchen, pantry, and private laundry are joined by adjacent space that offers meaningful flexibility for redesign. Whether reimagined as a larger eat-in kitchen, a reworked service core, or part of a broader reconfiguration of the lower level, the apartment is well suited to a more contemporary plan. At the current price, the renovation budget required to fully realize the apartment is well within reach of comparable turnkey product nearby.

Upstairs, the southwest-corner primary bedroom is wrapped by five windows with open views and exceptional light. Two additional bedrooms are bright and well proportioned, while the upper galleries add both drama and practical circulation space. A separate home office with original wood cabinetry sits quietly above the staircase. The apartment is currently configured as a four-bedroom, though its scale and proportions also lend themselves especially well to a comfortable three-bedroom layout.

Expanded kitchen and bath layouts, as well as central air conditioning, are permitted with board approval. The sale also includes a private windowed room on the ground floor, well suited for storage, an archive, or other personal use.

Pollard & Steinam designed 257 West 86th Street in 1907, the same firm behind other notable artist’s studio-style apartment buildings such as Hotel des Artistes and Parc Beaufort. The boutique building is well-staffed, with a 24-hour lobby attendant and elevator operator, full-time resident manager, landscaped roof deck, fitness room, basement laundry, bike storage, and deeded storage rooms.

A pre-war duplex with the proportions and provenance to reward a thoughtful renovation.