Every broker knows the moment: the “perfect” listing hits your inbox - right size, right price, right layout. Then you open the photos. The windows stare at a brick wall. With such an inspiring sightline, it’s clear why it looked so good on paper. In New York, what you see outside the glass is as important as what’s inside the walls.

The Floor Factor

A view isn’t just what you see, it’s how high you are when you see it. The baseline rule inside a single line is simple: about 1% more per floor, all else equal. But in practice, the market shows sharper jumps at certain levels:

• 1st → 2nd floor: nearly a 20% jump as buyers pay to escape noise, darkness, pests, and security concerns.

• 2nd → 3rd floor: another 10%+ lift as privacy improves and scaffolding exposure fades.

• 7th floor: a meaningful step up, when most six-story rooflines fall away and sightlines open.

• Above 12: apartments become scarcer, and while supply thins, price per square foot keeps rising as light, quiet, and vistas compound.

Central Park: Permanence and Prestige

Central Park views are Manhattan’s most enduring premium - often 40–50% higher than comparable non-Park units. Jonathan Miller has noted this isn’t only about the Park itself. Park-facing apartments also tend to be larger, in better lines, and on higher floors, all of which drive value. Still, the Park delivers what no skyline can: permanence and lifestyle. Buyers know nothing will ever be built on it. That certainty gets priced in — and explains why Fifth Avenue, Central Park South, and Central Park West achieve some of the city’s highest price-per-square-foot sales. Beyond numbers, Park frontage offers prewar splendor, proximity to world-class museums, and the walkability New York was designed around.

The Rivers

The East River offers beauty, but a lack of landmarking inhibits permanence. The edges of the UES and UWS are lined with towers and Moses-era highways. A wide Hudson sunset or a broad East River sweep can be stunning, often adding 10–20% over interior lines in the same building. But views near the East River especially are vulnerable. Development can rise and what felt like a panorama can shrink to a sliver. That fragility makes river premiums less consistent plus the limited waterfront access by foot inhibits lifestyle.  

My Take

Between 59th and 96th, views tell you more than what’s outside the window - they require you to interpret what endures. Central Park and landmarked districts offers permanence, cultural proximity, and a walkable lifestyle that has defined New York for more than a century. The rivers deliver beauty, but they carry risk: new towers, shifting angles, and highways at their edges.

That’s why the real work isn’t just admiring a view - it’s doing the due diligence. Checking zoning, air rights, and neighboring development plans can be the difference between buying a forever view and watching it vanish. It’s also about balance: the luxury of a panorama weighed against layout, space, and resale value.

As always, if you’re weighing a purchase or need a valuation read on your apartment, I’m here as a resource.

Best,

Corey Cohen

Founder

The Roebling Group

ccohen@roeblinggroup.com

646.939.7375

@mrcoreycohen