THE CONDO BOOK PROJECT

One United Nations Park

685 First Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10016

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Overview

A 148-unit condo on floors 28 to 43 of a Richard Meier-designed Solow tower at 685 First Avenue, above about 408 rental apartments. Renters share the pool and gym, and the rental owner controls the building-wide board. The offering plan specifies 9'6" ceilings, engineered wood floors, stone kitchen countertops, Gaggenau appliances, a washer and dryer in each apartment, Dornbracht bathroom fittings and fan coil units for heating and cooling.

  • Address: 685 First Avenue, Manhattan (Block 945, Lot 23), on a lot of about 32,000 square feet
  • Plan: CD170048, accepted for filing in January 2018
  • Residences: 148, from one-bedrooms of about 714 square feet to four-bedroom duplexes of about 3,831 square feet
  • Other units: a Rental Unit of about 408 apartments on floors 3 to 27, a ground-floor Retail Unit on East 39th and East 40th Streets, and a Garage Unit in the cellar, none of them offered for sale
  • Outdoor space: balconies on most E and H lines from the 28th to 39th floors, and terraces on 28A, 28D, 28E, 28M and 40E to 40H
  • Storage: 78 sub-cellar lockers of about 15 square feet, sold as licenses at $25,000 each plus $15 a month
  • First offering: all 148 homes at about $548.8 million in total, from about $1.5 million for a one-bedroom on the 28th floor to $10.8 million for a 42nd-floor duplex (sponsor offering prices, not sales). The Attorney General's record now lists about $447.5 million for the offering.
  1. SubmittedFebruary 2018
  2. AcceptedJanuary 2018
  3. 16 amendments
  4. First sale
  5. Latest sale

Sales

146 of 148homes sold (99%)
Every sale: 146 homes, with price and dateSee it free →

From city records (ACRIS), through Sep 30, 2026.

First-Year Budget

From our research: NYC Co-op and Condo Tax Abatement: Is It Worth Paying Prevailing Wage? (Board Calculator)

Ask Claude or ChatGPT: How do One United Nations Park's common charges compare with similar buildings? →

Property Taxes

The plan's first-year tax estimate, checked against the city's real bills for 16 homes.

Each home's estimate, city bills and tax breaksSee it free →

Closing Costs

The buyer pays the NYC and NY State transfer taxes, which a seller usually pays.

All 7 closing costs in the plan, with their pagesSee it free →

The Building

Finishes

Richard Meier & Partners wrote the finish schedule, and the plan says appliances vary by unit size and layout (compare with our NYC condo finishes guide).

Kitchen

  • Gaggenau throughout: 30- or 36-inch panel-ready refrigerators (or separate refrigerator and freezer columns), a gas cooktop, a 30-inch convection oven, a speed oven, a panel-ready dishwasher and a wine fridge.
  • Bosch vent hoods, an InSinkErator disposal and, in some layouts, a Sub-Zero under-counter fridge at a wet bar.
  • High-gloss white lacquer cabinets, stone counters with a solid white marble backsplash, a Blanco undermount sink and a Dornbracht faucet with hand spray.

See how these brands compare in our kitchen appliance brands guide.

Baths

  • Stone slab floors and walls, Duravit sinks and wall-hung Duravit toilets on Geberit carriers.
  • Dornbracht fittings, rain shower heads and accessories throughout.
  • Zuma undermount tubs, or freestanding Blu Bathworks stone tubs of 59 or 67 inches in some baths.

See how these names rank in our bathroom brands guide.

Floors, Ceilings and Windows

  • Engineered white oak floors, tongue and groove.
  • Ceilings of about 9.5 feet in most rooms. Double-height living rooms reach about 18.5 feet on the 28th and 40th floors and about 20 feet on the 42nd.
  • A black aluminum curtain wall with insulated-laminated glass, Metra awning windows that open about 4 inches, and Crestron motorized shades in every home.

Laundry, Heating and Cooling

  • Every home has a washer and dryer: a Bosch 800 Series 24-inch pair or an Electrolux 27-inch stacked pair, depending on the layout.
  • Four-pipe fan coils in the ceiling heat and cool each home, fed by central chillers and gas boilers, with a wall thermostat. A supplementary electric radiant floor system runs along the facade.
  • Electricity in each home is sub-metered. The engineer estimated about $1,700 a year for an average one-bedroom and about $4,500 for a four-bedroom duplex.

More on systems like this in NYC condo heating and cooling.

Amenities, Staffing & Transportation

Nearly all the amenities sit on the second floor, and renters can use them too (compare with amenities by building size).

Second Floor

  • A 70-foot by 10.5-foot stainless steel lap pool, 4 feet deep, heated to 82 degrees, with a sauna, steam room and showers.
  • A fitness center with cardio and weight equipment and a yoga and training room.
  • A shared resident lounge and game room with a prep kitchen and billiard tables, a screening room and a kids' playroom.
  • A separate lounge for condo residents only.

Lobby and Lower Levels

  • A condo lobby with its own package room and a mail room with 148 boxes.
  • Storage for about 280 bikes, first come, first served.
  • A pay-per-use laundry room with up to 13 washers and 13 dryers.

Good to know: the shared amenities are run by the building-wide board, which the rental owner controls. The plan warns the large number of renters may make them harder to use. Big changes to hours, staffing or user fees need the votes of both condo-designated members on that board. The sponsor expects to hire Iowa Sports Management to run the second-floor amenities, and the budget sets aside $420,000 for the gym and spa contract.

Tip: parking is in the separate Garage Unit, which the sponsor expects to keep and run as a valet garage for about 110 cars, open to the public. Rates and availability are up to the operator. See deeded vs. licensed parking.

Staffing and Services

The plan promises a doorman and a concierge in both the main lobby and the condo lobby around the clock. The condo section's own budget, under a Local 32BJ staffing plan, pays for:

  • A superintendent who serves the condo only but doesn't live in the building.
  • About 4.2 full-time concierges and about 2.8 doormen.
  • About 5.6 porters and about 1.4 handymen.

Condo payroll comes to about $1.36 million. The condo also pays part of a shared staff of a resident manager, an assistant resident manager and about 4.2 doormen. The resident manager is expected to live in a rental apartment, rented at $8,000 a month and shared as a cost. Three destination-dispatch passenger elevators serve the condo floors. Our doorman cost guide puts these numbers in context.

Tip: until a year after the first closing or until half the condo homes close, whichever is later, the plan only guarantees one staffed lobby 24/7 and one working elevator to each occupied floor.

Transportation

  • Subway: 9 min walk to Grand Central-42 St 4 5 6 7 S
  • Parking: 1 parking unit in the plan
Amenities, Staffing & TransportationSee it free →

Amendments

Amendment 15 Sep 5, 2024

Budget and financial statements updated for 2025, offering period extended 12 months, and unsold unit prices adjusted.

  • 2025 budgets for Condominium and Tower Section adopted
  • Financial statements for fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023 provided; 2024 statements to follow
  • Unsold Tower Units: 3 occupied by tenants; aggregate monthly common charges approximately $41,262; aggregate monthly real estate taxes approximately $42,315
  • Temporary Certificate of Occupancy dated June 16, 2025 issued; permanent Certificate of Occupancy not yet issued
  • Purchase Prices for Unsold Tower Units increased or decreased on revised Schedule A
  • Real estate tax amounts calculated using tax year 2025/2026 assessments (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025)
  • Offering period extended 12 months from amendment filing date
  • FinCEN title company reporting order requirement updated to April 14, 2025 supplement with expiration currently October 9, 2025

Amendment 14 Nov 28, 2022

Sponsor sold non-tower units to GO UES Portfolio LLC, losing board control; prices and taxes updated for unsold tower units; offering term extended.

  • Rental Unit, Retail Unit, and Garage Unit sold to GO UES Portfolio LLC on September 23, 2022
  • Sponsor lost control of Condominium Board; now 6 of 9 board members appointed by Non-Tower Unit Owner
  • Sponsor retains control of Tower Board with three appointed members
  • Schedule A updated with actual real estate taxes for unsold tower units (2022/2023 tax year)
  • Purchase Prices for unsold tower units increased or decreased on revised Schedule A
  • Monthly real estate taxes for all unsold tower units approximately $385,536 in aggregate
  • Temporary Certificate of Occupancy issued October 18, 2022; permanent COO not yet issued
  • FinCEN beneficial ownership reporting requirements updated through October 26, 2022

Amendment 13 May 5, 2022

Amendment discloses the first closing, implements a waiver period for common charges, updates financial information, and extends the offering term.

  • First closing occurred July 20, 2021 for Unit 31F
  • Waiver Period implemented; Sponsor will pay all Tower Section expenses until Common Charges collection begins
  • Temporary Certificate of Occupancy issued April 27, 2022; permanent Certificate estimated by August 31, 2022
  • Escrow account balance as of March 8, 2022: $2,108,518.04
  • Working Capital Fund balance as of March 8, 2022: $24,429
  • Monthly real estate taxes for unsold units: approximately $243,505 in aggregate
  • Schedule A updated with current Common Charges and actual real estate taxes for tax year 2022/2023

Amendment 12 Mar 1, 2021

Amendment updates budgets, extends offering period, adjusts unit prices, clarifies first closing timing with tolled operation dates, updates sponsor principals, and declares the plan effective.

  • Unit purchase prices increased or decreased per revised Schedule A
  • First Closing anticipated for latter part of second quarter of 2021
  • First Year of Tower Section Operation tolled by 489 days due to Executive Orders
  • Final Certificate of Occupancy anticipated by December 31, 2021
  • Plan declared effective as of April 7, 2021; 23 Tower Units under Purchase Agreements
  • Sheldon H. Solow no longer principal of Sponsor; Stefan Soloviev remains
  • Offering period extended 6 months from filing of this Amendment
  • Seven Tower Units occupied under interim occupancy agreements; Sponsor receives approximately $20,522 per month in use and occupancy fees

Amendment 11 Jul 21, 2020

This amendment extends the offering period, modifies deposit requirements for new agreements, updates budget certifications, and adjusts the expected final Certificate of Occupancy date.

  • New Option Agreements require single 10% deposit due upon signing; Additional Deposit waived for prior purchasers who haven't paid it
  • Final Certificate of Occupancy expected on or around December 31, 2021 (no guarantee)
  • Four Tower Units occupied under interim occupancy agreements; Sponsor receives $10,783 per month in use and occupancy fees
  • Temporary Certificate of Occupancy expires September 28, 2020
  • Floor plan for Unit 28D revised due to construction changes
  • Offering period extended six (6) months from filing date
  • Budget certifications updated as of July 14, 2020
  • Property unencumbered by mortgage; Sponsor current on all financial obligations

Amendment 10 Jan 31, 2020

Purchase prices of 9 unsold units are changed.

  • Unit 32C: new price $1,405,000
  • Unit 30J: new price $1,250,000
  • Unit 31J: new price $1,270,000
  • Unit 28G: new price $2,475,000
  • Unit 29G: new price $2,495,000
  • Unit 30K: new price $2,715,000
  • Unit 28K: new price $2,880,000
  • Unit 29K: new price $2,900,000
  • Schedule A prices decreased for 9 homes (median -15.3%): 28G $2,875,000 → $2,475,000; 28K $3,230,000 → $2,880,000; 29G $2,895,000 → $2,495,000; 29K $3,260,000 → $2,900,000; ...

Amendment 9 Jan 16, 2020

This amendment updates the projected First Year of Tower Section Operation to June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021, revises budgets and real estate tax projections accordingly, and extends the offering period by six months.

  • Projected First Year of Tower Section Operation changed to June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021
  • Updated Schedule B-1 and Schedule B-2 budgets attached
  • Updated real estate tax projections from Marcus & Pollack LLP dated January 9, 2020
  • Revised Schedule A reflecting updated budgets and tax projections
  • New York State transfer tax and mansion tax language updated for closings on or after July 1, 2019
  • Added Special Risk regarding FinCEN title company reporting requirements through May 9, 2020
  • Escrow Account name changed to 'One United Nations Park Attorney Escrow Account' at Citibank N.A.
  • Offering period extended six months from filing of this amendment

Amendment 6 Jun 6, 2019

Purchase prices changed for 11 Tower Units at One United Nations Park.

  • Unit 30J: $1,575,000
  • Unit 31J: $1,595,000
  • Unit 30C: $1,475,000
  • Unit 31C: $1,485,000
  • Unit 28L: $1,425,000
  • Unit 29L: $1,440,000
  • Unit 30A: $1,665,000
  • Unit 31A: $1,680,000
  • Schedule A prices decreased for 11 homes (median -6.8%): 28L $1,495,000 → $1,425,000; 29L $1,520,000 → $1,440,000; 30A $1,875,000 → $1,665,000; 30B $2,890,000 → $2,595,000; ...

Amendment 5 Mar 26, 2019

Fifth Amendment changes the condominium name to One United Nations Park and updates zoning, restrictive declarations, and adjacent development disclosures.

  • Condominium name changed from '685 First Avenue Condominium' to 'One United Nations Park'
  • Updated zoning information reflecting C5-2 district and CPC/City Council approvals from January-March 2008
  • Disclosed potential future development at 700 First Avenue and 708 First Avenue sites owned by Sponsor affiliates
  • Unit owners cannot claim price abatement or rescission if adjacent development occurs
  • Property subject to Restrictive Declaration dated March 24, 2008 and Large-Scale Development Agreement dated February 4, 2013
  • Building contains 556 residential units and 110 parking spaces as filed with Department of Buildings
  • Property part of merged zoning lot with Con Edison substation; building may be cantilevered over easement area

Amendment 4 Mar 6, 2019

Purchase prices of 15 unsold tower units are changed.

  • Unit 28F: $2,795,000
  • Unit 28H: $4,685,000
  • Unit 29H: $4,595,000
  • Unit 30E: $4,750,000
  • Unit 30F: $2,900,000
  • Unit 31E: $4,805,000
  • Unit 32H: $3,960,000
  • Schedule A prices decreased for 14 homes (median -5.5%): 28F $2,875,000 → $2,795,000; 28H $4,950,000 → $4,685,000; 29H $4,860,000 → $4,595,000; 30E $4,960,000 → $4,750,000; ...

Amendment 3 Dec 21, 2018

This amendment updates the projected first year of tower section operation to July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, revises budgets and real estate tax projections accordingly, and makes other administrative changes.

  • Projected First Year of Tower Section Operation changed to July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020
  • Updated Schedule B-1 and B-2 budgets for tower and condominium operation
  • Real estate tax projections: tower units estimated at $4,646,540 for first year (2019/2020 tax year at 12.612% rate on $36,842,213 assessed value)
  • Second year tower real estate taxes estimated at $5,460,348 (2020/2021 tax year)
  • Selling agent for tower units changed to Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group (888 Seventh Avenue, New York)
  • Rental unit apartments may be occupied prior to plan effectiveness or first closing (approved November 19, 2018)
  • Added special risk disclosure regarding FinCEN title company reporting requirements for beneficial owner information (effective through May 15, 2019)

Amendment 2 2018

Second Amendment updates managing agent, revises submetering rules per PSC approval, modifies floor plans, adds smoking policy, and clarifies governance for shared amenities.

  • Managing agent changed to FirstService Residential New York at 622 Third Avenue, 15th Floor
  • Tower Rule #43 revised for submetered electricity compliance with PSC Order in Case 17-E-0358 (approved March 1, 2018)
  • Tower Unit Owners no longer required to cover costs of replacing damaged submeters, inspections for tampering, or reestablishing service
  • Floor plans for lower levels of Tower Units 28A and 28M revised: 'Family Room' labels changed to 'Closet'
  • Changes to Residential Common Elements now require affirmative vote of Tower Board designees on Condominium Board
  • Joan Miro triptych artwork in atrium is temporary, remains Sponsor-owned, subject to removal or substitution
  • New Rule #44 establishes smoking prohibited in interior common areas, permitted in dwelling units and outdoor areas if smoke does not escape to other units or common areas

Amendment 1 Feb 16, 2018

Schedule A corrected for real estate tax data sorting error with no changes to unit square footage or common interest percentages.

  • Schedule A revised and restated in Exhibit A to correct inadvertent sorting error in real estate tax data
  • No changes to square footage or Common Interest of any Tower Unit
  • Sponsor reserves right to revise Purchase Prices and other terms of sale except where Agreements for purchase are in effect
What each amendment changed, line by lineSee it free →

Fine Print

What's Specific to It

  • A condo on top of a rental building: the condo homes fill floors 28 to 43. Floors 3 to 27 hold a single Rental Unit of about 408 apartments that the sponsor keeps.
  • The rental owner runs the building: the building-wide board has nine seats. The Rental Unit owner names five, the condo section three and the retail owner one, so condo owners can never outvote the rental side on shared matters.
  • Shared amenities: the second-floor pool, gym, lounges, game room and kids' room are open to renters as well as condo owners. Only one lounge is condo-only.
  • Power and hot water from the rental owner: a rooftop gas co-generation system owned by the Rental Unit owner supplies electricity and hot water, and that owner bills condo homes for their sub-metered electricity.
  • Sponsor may never sell out: the sponsor can rent unsold homes instead of selling them, and only has to sell 15% of the condo units for the plan to take effect. The plan warns owners may never control their own board.
  • Double-height duplexes with private elevators: six duplexes (28D, 28E, 40D, 40K, 42D and 42K) have their own elevators, and some double-height living rooms reach about 18.5 to 20 feet.

One United Nations Park takes the west side of First Avenue between East 39th and East 40th Streets, with its lobbies facing a private drop-off plaza that runs through the block. Its offering plan tells you who you'll share the building with, what's in the apartments and what it should cost to run.

Fine Print Worth Knowing

  • Control may never pass to owners: the sponsor names the condo board until the later of five years after the first closing or 90% of condo homes closing, and its right to rent unsold homes means that point may never come. On the building-wide board, the rental owner holds a majority as long as it owns the Rental Unit.
  • Electricity through the rental owner: the Rental Unit owner bills your sub-metered electricity and can charge more than it pays Con Ed, though no more than direct-metered rates at similar buildings. It can also bill owners for upkeep of the co-generation system.
  • Views and the double glass facade: secondary glass screens sit just outside units 28E, 30E to 39E, 42E, 43E and 28H to 43H. The Rental Unit owner keeps the building's unused air rights and may sell them to neighbors, and sponsor affiliates may develop 700 and 708 First Avenue across the street.
  • No reselling for a year: you can't list or advertise your home until you close, and can't sell it for 12 months after closing. Leases must run at least a year, and the board has a right of first refusal.
  • Window treatments: you must keep the Crestron shades and can't add blinds or curtains that interfere with them or show from outside.
  • Limited warranty: the state housing warranty law doesn't apply. The sponsor fixes defects it's told about within a year, with a long list of exclusions.
  • Closing costs and foreign buyers: you pay the city and state transfer taxes and a $4,200 fee to the sponsor's lawyers. Buyers with diplomatic or sovereign immunity must put down 50% and deposit two years of common charges at closing.

FAQ

Do renters share the amenities at One United Nations Park?

Yes. The second-floor pool, gym, lounge, game room, screening room and kids' room, plus the laundry and bike rooms, are shared with the roughly 408 rental apartments below the condo, and only one lounge is reserved for condo residents.

Who controls the board at 685 First Avenue?

The sponsor names the condo board at first, and the rental owner names five of nine members of the building-wide board that runs shared spaces, so condo owners can't outvote the rental side, and the plan warns they may never control their own board.

How much are common charges at One United Nations Park?

Under the sponsor's first-year projection, about $930 a month for the smallest one-bedrooms to about $4,970 for the four-bedroom duplexes, with projected real estate taxes of roughly $1,410 to $7,560 a month on top.

Where this comes from: the building's offering plan (CD170048) as filed with the New York Attorney General, including its Special Risks, Description of the Property, Schedule A, Schedules B-1, B-2 and B-3, and the architect's Description of Property and Specifications. Prices are the sponsor's offering prices, not sales, and budget figures are the sponsor's first-year projections. Later amendments may change them. Updated October 2026.

Team

The plan doesn't name an interior designer; nestseekers.com reports Meier Partners.

Zoning

Zoning district
C5-2

Today's zoning, from city data (PLUTO 26v2).

Nearby

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The Condo Book Project Are One United Nations Park's common charges high for the area? No, they're on the low side. One United Nations Park budgets $1.30 per square foot a month, against a $1.44 median for the 10 most similar Manhattan plans.Schedule A Do you want to see the list of similar buildings?
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