42 East 81st Street
Description
Upon entering the residence, a large formal dining room awaits, with views of the forecourt’s beautiful greenery through an oversized window. The open plan eat-in kitchen is complete with a center island...42 East 81st Street is a charming historic townhouse on one of the most coveted tree-lined blocks of the Upper East Side. Originally constructed in 1872, this 5 story townhouse measures 5,262 square feet and consists of six bedrooms five and a half baths, central air, and elevator access to all floors.
Upon entering the residence, a large formal dining room awaits, with views of the forecourt’s beautiful greenery through an oversized window. The open plan eat-in kitchen is complete with a center island and Italian serpentine marble counters, Thermador four burner cooktop with grill and hood vented to the outside, double Thermador wall ovens with warming drawer, Subzero refrigerator and freezer, with two additional integrated under counter Subzero refrigerator drawers, and two Miele dishwashers. Adjacent the kitchen is a spacious breakfast area overlooking the south facing garden complete with a planted boarder and outdoor lighting.
An elegant grand staircase leads you to the parlor floor which features two large entertaining rooms. The formal living room is north facing over the quiet tree lined street, and boasts high ceilings, oversized double height windows, and a gas fireplace with original marble mantle. Equal in scale, the south facing sitting room also features high ceilings and a gas fireplace with original marble mantle. Off the sitting room is a stunning wrought iron balcony which overlooks the garden below.
The third floor is made up of the primary bedroom and library or additional bedroom. The primary bedroom is south facing and has abundant natural light, a gas fireplace with marble surround, and boasts beautiful wood paneling and crown moldings. A shared bathroom with dual vanities, jacuzzi tub, steam shower, and radiant heated floors joins the two rooms and dressing area.
The fourth and fifth floors each consist of two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, while the fifth floor also has an office with built in desk, filing cabinets, bookshelves, and additional storage space.
The basement has a finished recreation room, laundry and two storage rooms, and houses the mechanicals.
This extraordinary home is located one block from Central Park on beautiful tree-lined East 81 Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue. World-class destinations are just moments away, including the city's finest restaurants, shops, boutiques, galleries, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museums along Museum Mile.
Listing Agents
![Justin Rubinstein]()
justin.rubinstein@compass.comP: (646)-320-7745
![Jing Ma]()
jing.ma@compass.comP: (646)-462-8007
![James Augustine]()
james.augustine@compass.comP: (917)-846-6297
Amenities
- Primary Ensuite
- Balcony
- Private Yard
- Crown Mouldings
- Decorative Mouldings
- Built-Ins
- Private Entrance
- High Ceilings
Property Details for 42 East 81st Street
| Status | Sold |
|---|---|
| Days on Market | 226 |
| Taxes | $6,519 / month |
| Maintenance | - |
| Min. Down Pymt | - |
| Total Rooms | 12.0 |
| Compass Type | Townhouse |
| MLS Type | - |
| Year Built | 1899 |
| Lot Size | 1,634 SF / 16' x 102' |
| County | New York County |
| Buyer's Agent Compensation | 2.5% |
Building
42 E 81st St
Location
Virtual Tour
Building Information for 42 East 81st Street
Payment Calculator
$62,568 per month
30 year fixed, 6.15% Interest
$56,049
$6,519
$0
Property History for 42 East 81st Street
| Date | Event & Source | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 10/27/2022 | Sold Manual | $11,500,000 |
| 10/14/2022 | Contract Signed Manual | — |
| 04/25/2022 | Price Change Manual | $11,995,000 |
| 03/01/2022 | Listed (Active) Manual | $12,495,000 |
| 01/01/2022 | — | |
| 11/19/2021 | $12,200,000 | |
| 03/31/2021 | Listed (Active) RLS RESO #RPLU-21920800815 | $12,200,000 |
For completeness, Compass often displays two records for one sale: the MLS record and the public record.
Public Records for 42 East 81st Street
Schools near 42 East 81st Street
Rating | School | Type | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public - | PK to 5 | |||
| Public - | 6 to 8 | |||
| Public - | 6 to 8 | |||
| Public - | 6 to 8 |
Rating | School | Distance |
|---|---|---|
P.S. 6 Lillie D Blake PublicPK to 5 | ||
Nyc Lab Ms For Collaborative Studies Public6 to 8 | ||
Lower Manhattan Community Middle School Public6 to 8 | ||
Jhs 167 Robert F Wagner Public6 to 8 |
School ratings and boundaries are provided by GreatSchools.org and Pitney Bowes. This information should only be used as a reference. Proximity or boundaries shown here are not a guarantee of enrollment. Please reach out to schools directly to verify all information and enrollment eligibility.
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This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. ©2026 The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., All rights reserved. The source of the displayed data is either the property owner or public record provided by non-governmental third parties. It is believed to be reliable but not guaranteed. This information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the IDX Program of OneKey® MLS. Information Copyright 2026, OneKey® MLS. All data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Compass. See Terms of Service for additional restrictions. Compass · Tel: 212-913-9058 · New York, NY Listing information for certain New York City properties provided courtesy of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Residential Listing Service (the "RLS"). The information contained in this listing has not been verified by the RLS and should be verified by the consumer. The listing information provided here is for the consumer’s personal, non-commercial use. Retransmission, redistribution or copying of this listing information is strictly prohibited except in connection with a consumer's consideration of the purchase and/or sale of an individual property. This listing information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. ©2026 The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., all rights reserved. This information is not guaranteed, should be independently verified and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Offers of compensation set forth here are for other RLSParticipants only and may not reflect other agreements between a consumer and their broker.©2026 The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., All rights reserved.