Strolling through New York City block-by-block is a mixed bag. In 10 minutes you can walk past everything from historic co-op buildings and elegant townhomes to new condo developments and aging walk-ups. Go outside of Manhattan and deeper into the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island and the rarest of all NYC amenities – space – becomes more prevalent. In these boroughs, you’ll find grassy front yards, driveways and even private swimming pools or beachfront property.
Just as home types and architecture change with each block, so does price. Which NYC blocks are the most expensive in the city? The StreetEasy Research team looked at city blocks (blocks being defined as a length of street between two cross streets) with at least 10 sales since 2005 to find the top three most expensive blocks by median sale price in each borough.
Manhattan
There is no shortage of Central Park views along Manhattan’s most expensive blocks on the Upper East Side. Here, historic co-ops along Museum Mile demand prices upwards of $10M.
| Most Expensive Blocks in Manhattan | Median Sales Price | |
| Lenox Hill: 5th Avenue between E 64th and E 65th |
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| Upper East Side: 5th Avenue between E 80th and E 81st | $13,478,194 | |
| Carnegie Hill: 5th Avenue between E 93rd and E 94th | $10,792,773 |
It’s no surprise that Central Park-facing blocks on the historically pricey Upper East Side take the lead for the most expensive blocks across all five boroughs. From Lenox Hill (the lower part of the Upper East Side) to Carnegie Hill (the northernmost UES neighborhood), blocks dominated by classic co-op buildings lining Central Park demand the highest in all of NYC.
Curious what properties on these blocks look like? Check out some fabulous 5th Avenue homes.
Don’t let the high prices daunt you. There are plenty option on the UES. See all homes for sale in Lenox Hill, Upper East Side, and Carnegie Hill.
Brooklyn
The most expensive blocks in Park Slope (left), Boerum Hill (top right), and Brooklyn Heights (bottom right) offer a variety of home options for those willing to spend upwards of $3M.
| Most Expensive Blocks in Brooklyn | Median Sales Price |
| Brooklyn Heights: Garden Place between Joralemon St and State St | $4,035,134 |
| Boerum Hill: State Street between Smith St and Hoyt St | $3,217,320 |
| Park Slope: 1st St between Prospect Park West and 8th Ave | $3,139,149 |
Brooklyn Heights (with its $40 million mansions), Boerum Hill, and Park Slope claim the most expensive blocks in the borough. The storied single-family homes along these blocks range from stately townhouses in Brooklyn Heights, to super-wide brownstones in Boerum Hill, to Edwardian limestone behemoths in Park Slope. Snagging a historic home along one of these highly-desirable blocks is no easy (or cheap) feat, but the grandeur — not to mention space — these homes offer make them some of the most sought-after properties in the borough, if not all of New York City.
See what it’s like to live on the toniest blocks of Brooklyn – check out these properties on Garden Place, State Street and 1st Street.
If those places aren’t quite in your price range, see all homes for sale in Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, and Park Slope.
Bronx
Full-service amenity condo buildings in Riverdale like the Solaria (left) offer luxury living, not to mention some of the best views of the Hudson, like those from the Hayden-on-Hudson complex (right).
| Most Expensive Blocks in the Bronx | Median Sales Price |
| Riverdale: W 237th St between Blackstone Ave and Independence Ave (Solaria building) | $1,307,293 |
| Riverdale: Douglas Avenue (Hayden on the Hudson complex) | $845,379 |
| Throgs Neck: Dean Ave between Philip Ave and Lafayette | $837,724 |
The first and second most expensive blocks in the Bronx are located in Riverdale, the borough’s most expensive neighborhood. While much of Riverdale’s housing stock is made up of sprawling single-family homes, on the two most expensive blocks, prices are driven by full-service amenity condo buildings, the Solaria and the Hayden on the Hudson. The third-most expensive block is a waterfront block along Eastchester Bay in Throgs Neck, with a mix of housing – from single-family homes to condos – that offer waterfront living.
Check out the expansive condos on the Bronx’s most expensive blocks.
Not quite the single family home set-up you expected? See all homes for sale in Riverdale and Throgs Neck.
Queens
A Tudor home in Forest Hills (top) and a waterfront home in Whitestone (bottom). (StreetEasy photo).
| Most Expensive Blocks in Queens | Median Sales Price |
| Forest Hills Gardens: Groton Street between 72nd Ave and 70th Ave | $1,778,737 |
| Whitestone: Powell’s Cove Blvd | $1,626,188 |
| Forest Hills: Juno Street between 71st Ave and 72nd Ave | $1,383,864 |
Tucked away in the Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills is an enclave of homes called Forest Hills Gardens. It is here where you’ll find the first-most expensive block in Queens, and the third-most expensive block sits in Forest Hills just on the outskirts of the Forest Hills Gardens boundary. The second-most expensive block in Queens is located in the Whitestone community and offers single-family homes along the East River waterfront.
Want a sprawling lawn and two car garage… in NYC? See the homes on Queens’ most expensive blocks.
If you prefer a more modest price point, see all homes for sale in Forest Hills and Whitestone.
Staten Island
A home on Staten Island’s most expensive block on Covington Circle (top), and lush backyard views from the borough’s second-most expensive block in Sunnyside (bottom).
| Most Expensive Blocks in Staten Island | Median Sales Price |
| Woodrow: Covington Circle | $774,485 |
| Sunnyside: Cheshire Place | $645,020 |
| Port Richmond: Benedict Ave between Brookside Ave and Elias Pl | $568,178 |
The most expensive block in Staten Island is an enclave of homes in the “Covington Park” section of Woodrow, a neighborhood in central Staten Island where homes sit nestled along the greens of the Grand Oaks Country Club. Proximity to golf courses and greenery are popular amenities in Staten Island; the second-most expensive block in Sunnyside offers homes that face the Silver Lake Golf Course, and the third-most expensive block in Port Richmond sidles up next to the lush Clove Lakes Park.
What do the homes on Staten Island’s most expensive blocks look like? Check them out here.
See homes for sale in Woodrow, Sunnyside, and Port Richmond.
How did we do it?
The Most Expensive Blocks in New York City list is compiled from all recorded sales since 2005. Sales prices are adjusted by a price appreciation factor to adjust sales that have occurred in the past to the current period. The median of these appreciation-adjusted recorded sales prices is then used to determine the median price of the block. StreetEasy defined a block as the length of one street between two cross streets. While the block in most cases matches this definition, in some cases the block definitions include two blocks, for a greater data sample size. A block is included in the ranking if it has had at least 10 recorded sales of different properties during the period. If a single property has sold more than once during the period, only the most recent sale is used.