Turtle Bay

About Turtle Bay

Turtle Bay, as covered here, runs from 43rd Street to 53rd Street, east of Lexington Avenue to the East River. The United Nations headquarters, opened in 1952, fills the riverfront between 42nd and 48th Streets.

The side streets between Second and Third Avenues keep rows of 19th-century houses. The best known, on East 48th and 49th Streets, share a common rear garden and form the Turtle Bay Gardens Historic District, designated in 1966. Beekman Place, a short street above the river between 49th and 51st Streets, is lined with townhouses and pre-war co-ops.

First and Second Avenues have most of the larger buildings, from post-war co-ops to condominium towers near the UN, and most of the neighborhood’s shops and restaurants.

Landmarks Preservation Commission historic districts in the neighborhood include the Turtle Bay Gardens Historic District. Exterior changes to buildings inside a historic district need Commission approval, which is worth knowing before buying a townhouse or planning a renovation. Check any address on the LPC designations map.

Turtle Bay market report

From October 2025 through September 2026, NYC Department of Finance records show 443 home sales in Turtle Bay, with a median price of $1.08M. Half of those sales fell between $640K and $2.00M.

The total breaks down as 172 co-op sales, 266 condo sales and 5 sales of 1–3 family houses.

The overall median is up 9.5% on the previous 12 months, and the number of sales is down 12.6%.

The condo median rose 21% year on year, on 266 sales. A swing that size usually reflects which apartments sold, not a change in what comparable apartments are worth.

^* Large change on a limited number of sales; see the note above.

Source: NYC Department of Finance rolling and annualized sales, October 2025 – September 2026, compared with October 2024 – September 2025. Residential sales of $100,000 or more; bulk and duplicate records removed. Recent months may be incomplete because sales appear as deeds are recorded. Area covered: NYC Planning area MN0604, 43rd to 53rd Street, east of Lexington Avenue. Updated quarterly.

Homes in Turtle Bay

Condos made up about 60% of recorded sales in the last 12 months, many in towers along First Avenue and near the UN. Co-ops, the rest, range from pre-war buildings on Beekman Place to post-war buildings on the avenues. Townhouse sales are rare: 5 in the year.

• HomesAbout 16,100 residential units
• Age39% of units are in buildings from before 1940; 16% are in buildings from 2000 or later
• Building types54% in elevator apartment buildings, 33% in condominiums, 9% in walk-up apartment buildings
• Co-op buildings57
• Condo buildings67
• Townhouses and small buildings99 (1–4 units)

Building data from NYC Department of City Planning PLUTO. Counts are approximate.

Getting around

Lexington Avenue–53rd Street connects to the 51st Street station on the 6. Grand Central, on 42nd Street, is a short walk southwest, with the 4, 5, 6, 7 and S, Metro-North and the LIRR. The M15 Select Bus Service runs on First and Second Avenues.

Stations in the neighborhood

• Lexington Av/53 St6EF Accessible

Other nearby stations

• Grand Central-42 St about 8 blocks from the centre4567S
• 5 Av/53 St about 10 blocks from the centreEF
• 59 St about 12 blocks from the centre456NRW

Stations from the MTA’s station list. Plan a specific trip with the MTA trip planner.

Parks

Peter Detmold Park, beside the FDR Drive between 49th and 51st Streets, has a dog run, and MacArthur Playground is on 48th Street. The East River Esplanade runs north along the river.

• Peter Detmold Parkunder 1 acre
• MacArthur Playgroundunder 1 acre

NYC Parks properties in or next to the neighborhood. Areas from NYC Parks.

School district

The Garson Team in Turtle Bay

The Garson Team’s Turtle Bay sales include two apartments at 221 East 50th Street, a 1957 elevator co-op.

• 221 East 50th Street, Unit 8BSold
• 221 East 50th Street, Unit 8ASold

See all current listings

Nearby neighborhoods