Inside NYC’s Grinnell co-op where units rarely list for sale

The Grinnell, a stately co-op in upper Manhattan, might just be the city’s best-kept secret — for now.

Replete with spacious homes, a strong sense of community and maintenance fees that are considerably less than in comparable buildings, the property stands in a sleepy corner of Washington Heights, at 800 Riverside Drive. It also rarely has openings — but house hunters and otherwise property-curious locals now have their best chance in years to become members of this exclusive, and under-the-radar, club.

In this 83-unit structure, where residents typically spend decades, there are now an unprecedented four apartments for sale. When they trade hands, they’ll mark the first sales at the Grinnell since 2020, according to StreetEasy, when only two units sold. In 2019, just three units found new owners.

“I don’t recall when [four homes] were on the market at the same time,” said Bruce Robertson, 71, a long-time Grinnell resident. Robertson, also a Compass broker, represents the six-room unit 8H, which listed on Saturday for $1.59 million — its first time up for sale in 45 years. Aptly called a “hidden treasure” in its marketing description, this top-floor spread has three bedrooms, a 23-plus-foot-long great room, a windowed kitchen with the original glass-fronted cabinetry, a formal dining room with wainscoting and views of the George Washington Bridge.

One day later, according to StreetEasy, a two-bedroom spread with one bathroom — and tony touches such as picture moldings — listed for $1 million with RE/MAX Sparrow Realty.

Among the other availabilities: Unit GRI, an eight-room duplex, which now asks $1.99 million after listing for $2.2 million in April. It boasts three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Features include French doors, a wood-paneled dining room, original oak floors and cabinetry, and mirrored mahogany doors. (Instead of a traditional listing, this home — represented by Hauseit — is an assisted for-sale-by-owner offering.)

There’s even unit 2A — a 1,800-square-foot three-bedroom with French doors, crown moldings, and bonus spaces including a library, a foyer, a maid’s room and a pantry. It listed in September for $1.35 million — and is represented by Jamella Swift of Keller Williams NYC.

Occupying a full triangle-shaped block between 157th and 158th streets — and Riverside Drive and Edward Morgan Place — the Grinnell offers homes of a bygone New York era. The smallest apartment has five rooms and measures 1,100 square feet; the largest has more than 10 rooms and spans 2,700 square feet. Built in 1911 and designed by architects Schwartz & Gross, it’s a history-rich standout with a Mediterranean-style façade, a porte-cochere entryway to an interior courtyard — and other classic interior details including hardwood floors, leaded glass transoms and 10-foot ceilings. Amenities include a gym, a bike room and a rooftop terrace.

Apart from the grande-dame glamour and million-dollar asking prices, many New Yorkers don’t know it’s a Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) co-op — meaning it’s part of the city’s affordable housing stock and subject to certain income restrictions for home purchases. It’s one of the most successful co-ops of its kind, and that “has worked well to maintain the Grinnell’s large infrastructure over the years,” said Robertson.

That said, the Grinnell is the uptown early-20th century apartment building fit for savvy New York royalty who, with the proper income requirements, can act now to get a coveted deal. It’s no surprise residents end up staying put.

“People who purchase in the Grinnell don’t move because it’s a wonderful place to live,” said Robertson, who’s also a former member of the building’s board and has sold 10 units in the building over the years.

Robertson has lived in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom spread with his wife, also a real estate broker, for the past 22 years. They found the apartment on a whim after getting priced out of their Upper East Side condo and immediately knew the building was special. He loves the south-facing windows, bright light, solid…