The Beresford NYC | Co-op Building Guide

20 distinguished Manhattan co-op buildings

The Beresford anchors the north side of the American Museum of Natural History. Its three towers and broad frontage give it a different presence from the San Remo.

Address

211 Central Park West

Location

Central Park West

Ownership

Cooperative

Architect

Emery Roth

Completed

1929

Architecture and building history

Completed in 1929, the Beresford is another major Emery Roth apartment house on Central Park West. Three rooftop towers identify the building from a distance, while its lower mass occupies the block between West 81st and 82nd Streets.

The setting is unusually open for Manhattan. Central Park lies to the east and the museum grounds lie to the south. That relationship helps explain the building's prominence, though an individual apartment's windows still determine which outlooks it actually receives.

What to compare in the apartment

Compare the direction of the principal rooms before comparing room counts. East-facing, south-facing and interior exposures produce different light and outlooks. The museum frontage can matter as much as the apartment's height.

The Beresford contains varied apartment configurations. Study the entrance gallery, bedroom access and service areas together. When a residence has been combined or substantially renovated, confirm the approved arrangement and the treatment of wet rooms, ventilation and internal stairs where relevant.

The location

The address works particularly well for a search centered on the museum and the middle Upper West Side. Walk the local blocks as well as the park frontage; the daily experience extends to Columbus Avenue and the West 81st Street transport connections.

Services, maintenance and purchase requirements

Request the current service schedule and maintenance breakdown for the apartment. Establish which services are included, which carry separate charges and whether storage or other ancillary space transfers with the shares.

A co-op purchase involves shares in the building corporation and a proprietary lease. Have your attorney review the financial statements, minutes, insurance and any assessment notices. Confirm the current requirements for financing, liquidity, intended occupancy, ownership structure, subletting and renovations with the managing agent. Published summaries can lag the governing documents.

Compare the complete cost of ownership with the apartment’s condition and the work you intend to do. A recognizable address does not establish the condition of the home or the co-op’s finances.

Where it fits on a shortlist

Park versus museum exposure, apartment circulation and the documented history of combinations or renovations.

Compare this building with The San Remo, The Eldorado. The top-20 co-op guide explains the wider selection.

For purchase steps, read buying an apartment in NYC and the co-op versus condo guide. For market-wide inventory, use the 100 newest Manhattan co-op listings.