15 W 72nd St

Mayfair Towers

Striking a unique figure in a part of the Central Park-adjacent Upper West Side neighborhood suffused with prewar, Beaux Art-style buildings, Mayfair Towers is a decidedly midcentury modern co-op replete with clean-line casement windows and a facade clad in a pared back interplay of glazed white and gold brick. Erected in the mid-1960s, the 37-story through-block complex still incorporates the setbacks and proportions more indicative of those nearby structures, including the iconic The Dakota next door and the era-specific Oliver Cromwell across the street. A whopping 493 units have been combined in various configurations over the past half-century, but all still benefit from the building’s solid bone construction. Designed by the office of Horace Ginsberg & Associates for developer First National Realty and Construction Corporation, the co-op was the tallest postwar apartment house on the West Side when completed, a New York World-Telegram and Sun article reported at the time. Today, one of the building’s major draws is its reliable soft product and close-knit community atmosphere; an attribute that substantiates as much more than just marketing fodder. “Residents love to stay in the building,” says Shane Boyle, a broker with The Agency that has been selling in Mayfair Towers for many years. “Once they get in, they don’t typically leave.” “A lot of Mayfair Tower homeowners will start out in one bedrooms, eventually upgrade to larger combination units, and then downsize again as children move out or needs change,” Boyle describes. “They’ll also end up buying separate residences for their children as they branch out. It’s a real community.” Because of this, the co-op has made it harder than the area norm for new homeowners to get in on the action. “The barrier of entry is quite high due to the pricing of resale units but also the 33.3% downpayment policy,” he says. Despite long-established residents keeping the building “in the family,” so to speak, well-renovated residences do come on the market often. They benefit from the co-op’s sturdy through-plaster walls — not the flimsier plaster board more common today — and classic hardwood parquet flooring. Wall to wall windows bring in plenty of natural light, especially along the building’s southern exposure. As with any older building, the level of finish and renovation varies greatly throughout the property but that is often reflected in the price. There’s great opportunity for new residents to enact their own stylistic vision while still adhering to Mayfair Tower’s alteration policy. The co-op comprises two podium mounted spires, one situated right along West 72nd Street and the other toward the interior of the block, which comprises larger, pricier units with park-facing balconies. As Boyle notes, such side facing residences tend to sell for more throughout New York. The sizeable complex is divided into three zones: the ground floor to the 16th floor, the smaller intermediate level from floors 17 to 23, and the towers on floors 24 to 37. This influences layouts and, again, cost. While a standard one bedroom on the 16th floor was selling in summer 2024 for just under $1 Million, two bedrooms — some combined one bedrooms with studios — fetch between $2 Million and $3.5 Million. Three bedrooms, mostly found in the tower portions, sell for an average of $3.2 Million. Four bedrooms have exceeded the $5 Million mark in the past. Though it’s often said about many top condo and co-op buildings throughout New York City, Mayfair Tower’s especially attentive and long-employed staff is a major draw for residents, Boyle notes. The resident manager and her team, which includes a handyperson, are based in the building. The lobby is helmed by two 24/7 white gloved attendants. One remains positioned at the door to open it for residents and their guests or to assist with groceries, package deliveries and hailing taxis. “They remember everyone’s name and greet them accordingly,” Boyle says. Though operated by a third party, the 200-spot subterranean garage is accessed right next to the lobby but also connects through to the complex’s different elevator bays; ensuring that homeowners don’t have to go outside to access their cars during inclement weather. Though the lobby hasn’t been updated in a while and still retains the original character of its midcentury modern design, the space is well maintained and kept incredibly clean. The same can be said about the hallways and other shared areas. Popular on sunnier and warmer days, the sprawling roof top deck offers residents sweeping views of Central Park, as well as the turreted rooftop of The Dakota right next door. Mayfair Towers sits on the site that used to contain the storied, turn-of-the-20th-century edifice’s rose garden and tennis courts. Today, the co-op has a decent gym and sizeable storage units — allocated by waitlist. There’s also concierge drycleaning on the ground floor. Even if some of the larger residences feature in-unit washer/dryers, there are shared laundry rooms on each floor. Positioned along West 72nd Street — one of the Upper West Side’s main commercial yet highly desirable residential thoroughfares — Mayfair Towers gets a bit of the best of both worlds: the conveniences of comprehensive retail and dining along nearby Columbus and Amsterdam avenues and the oft-surprising serenity of Central Park. Accessed near the building’s entrance, this massive 843-acre green space incorporates everything from secluded woodlands and historic lakeside castles to a winding, hilly, 6.1 mile running and cycling loop. The surrounding area features many owner-operated restaurants, as well as a healthy mix of independent and big box retail. The corner of West 72nd and Broadway features a large Trader Joe’s grocery store and a subway stop served by local 1 and express 2 and 3 lines. The local C stops right next to Mayfair Tower along Central Park West. In terms of cultural offerings, the co-op complex is equidistant to the Lincoln Center campus — home of the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet — and the Museum of Natural History.