Some buildings are remarkable for their views. Others for their amenities or their architect. 1400 Fifth Avenue in South Harlem is remarkable for all of those things, and for one distinction that places it in a category of its own: when it was completed in 2003, it was described as the first green residential building in Harlem and among the largest affordable green residential developments in the country, earning LEED certification at a time when sustainable residential construction in New York City was largely a concept rather than a delivered product. Located at 1400 Fifth Avenue between West 115th and West 116th Streets in South Harlem, Manhattan, NY 10026, this 8-story, 129-unit luxury condominium was developed by Full Spectrum of New York and designed by Roberta Washington Associates. The building is sold out from the original sponsor; residences are available on the secondary resale market, with current active listings for two-bedroom apartments ranging from $790,000 to $899,000. CityRealty rates 1400 Fifth Avenue 83 out of 100, ranking it among the top five buildings in all of Upper Manhattan. The 2 and 3 express trains at 116th Street and the B and C trains at Central Park West are within easy walking distance.
Building Overview
Full Spectrum of New York developed 1400 Fifth Avenue with two objectives that were, at the time, rarely combined in a single Manhattan residential project: genuine environmental performance and the full amenity depth of a luxury condominium. The building's LEED certification was not a marketing claim attached to energy-efficient light bulbs; it was the product of architectural decisions that extended from the building's structural materials through its mechanical systems, its water consumption, and its interior finishes.
More than 60 percent of the building's materials were either recycled or recyclable. Its mechanical systems consume 25 percent less energy than New York State's energy code requires. Most distinctively, 1400 Fifth Avenue was equipped with one of the first geothermal heat pump systems installed in a residential building in New York City, drawing on the earth's stable subsurface temperature to deliver heating and cooling at a fraction of the energy cost of conventional systems. These are not cosmetic distinctions: they represent a building whose environmental performance, two decades after completion, remains in the upper tier of the city's residential stock.
The building is the work of Roberta Washington Associates, whose principal, Roberta Washington, is among the most celebrated African American architects in New York City. A Columbia University graduate and LEED Accredited Professional, Washington brought to 1400 Fifth Avenue a design philosophy that was simultaneously technically rigorous and culturally rooted: the lobby's finishes, the building's railings, and its exterior light fixtures all incorporate West African motifs, giving the building a visual identity whose connection to Harlem's African American cultural heritage is expressed in the architectural language of the building itself.
Key Facts About 1400 Fifth Avenue
Address: 1400 Fifth Avenue (between West 115th and West 116th Streets), South Harlem, Manhattan, NY 10026
Developer: Full Spectrum of New York
Architect: Roberta Washington Associates
Completed: 2003
Building type: Luxury condominium
LEED: Certified (one of NYC's first LEED-certified residential buildings)
Stories: 8
Total units: 129 residences
Unit types: Studios through 3-bedroom apartments; select duplex and triplex configurations
Flooring: Bamboo throughout apartments
Kitchen appliances: KitchenAid
Green systems: Geothermal heat pump; 60%+ recycled/recyclable materials; 25% below state energy code
Bathrooms: Low-flow/dual-flush toilets; large shower stalls with curved glass doors (select units)
Central AC: Yes
Pets: Allowed (cats and dogs)
Minimum down payment: 20%
Current listings: $790,000 to $899,000 (2-bedroom units)
CityRealty rating: 83/100 (top 5 in Upper Manhattan; top 4 in Harlem)
Transit: 2/3 trains at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue; B/C at Central Park West and 110th Street; 6 train at Lexington Avenue
Architecture: Roberta Washington and the Cultural Language of Green Design
A Building Rooted in Harlem
Roberta Washington Associates designed 1400 Fifth Avenue with a visual vocabulary drawn from two sources: the contextual brick architecture of the surrounding Harlem streetscape and the West African design traditions whose influence on Harlem's cultural identity is both historical and ongoing. The building's exterior presents alternating low-rise red-brick sections between light-colored piers that rise two stories higher, creating a rhythmic facade whose play of heights and materials gives it a presence on Fifth Avenue that reads as both contemporary and contextually aware. Light-colored window surrounds frame the building's many corner windows, giving each floor abundant natural light and the angled views that corner exposures deliver. Narrow projecting rooflines at the building's upper edge provide a minimal but architecturally effective visual cornice.
Inside, the lobby's detailing, the building's railings, and its exterior light fixtures all incorporate West African design motifs: a design decision that gives 1400 Fifth Avenue a cultural specificity that most luxury condominium buildings, regardless of neighborhood, do not attempt and could not authentically achieve. For buyers who want to live in a building whose architecture reflects the community it inhabits, the significance of this design choice is more than decorative.
Residences: Bamboo Floors, KitchenAid, and Distinctive Layouts
Sustainable Materials, Comfortable Homes
Apartments at 1400 Fifth Avenue feature bamboo flooring throughout, giving each residence a material whose sustainability credentials and visual warmth distinguish it from the hardwood or carpet common to most Manhattan residential construction of the same era. Bamboo's natural grain and warm tone give each unit a residential quality that ages gracefully. Kitchens are equipped with KitchenAid appliances. Bathrooms throughout the building feature low-flow or dual-flush toilets, consistent with the building's overall environmental program, and many units have large shower stalls with curved glass doors.
Select residences at 1400 Fifth Avenue are among the more spatially generous in Harlem's condominium market. A penthouse duplex unit features a 20-foot living room, an 11-foot kitchen, a 21-foot private terrace, and a bedroom on the upper floor, with two additional bedrooms and a 20-foot study on the level above. A triplex residence includes a 51-foot living and dining area, a fireplace, and a 24-foot private roof deck. These configurations give 1400 Fifth Avenue a range of residential possibilities well beyond what the building's modest 8-story height and 129-unit count might suggest.
Amenities: Roof Deck, Wine Cellar, Screening Room, and More
A Depth of Programming Uncommon at Eight Stories
1400 Fifth Avenue offers an amenity program whose breadth reflects Full Spectrum's ambition to deliver the full-service luxury condominium experience within a sustainably constructed building. The amenity suite includes a roof deck, a screening room, a wine cellar, a health club, a conference center, a sculpture garden within the private courtyard, a children's playroom, a bicycle room, and private storage units. A 24-hour attended lobby and concierge service staff the building around the clock, with a live-in superintendent providing on-site maintenance and valet service available for residents. Keycard laundry facilities on each floor give residents convenient access without leaving their residential level. The building is pet-friendly.
The private courtyard sculpture garden is among the most distinctive outdoor amenity spaces in Harlem's condominium market: an enclosed green environment whose scale and design give residents a daily outdoor retreat whose quality is specific to this building. On-site parking is available adjacent to the courtyard.
Neighborhood Context: Fifth Avenue, Central Park, and Marcus Garvey Park
1400 Fifth Avenue occupies one of South Harlem's most strategically positioned residential addresses: a Fifth Avenue frontage that places the building within steps of Central Park's northern edge to the south, Marcus Garvey Park to the northeast, and the full cultural life of Harlem's most active corridors along 116th Street, Lenox Avenue (Malcolm X Boulevard), and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
Central Park's northern sections, including the Harlem Meer, the Lasker Pool, and the North Woods, are among the quietest and most ecologically rich parts of the park, offering residents a park experience distinctly different from the more touristed blocks to the south. Marcus Garvey Park, the historic hilltop park between 120th and 124th Streets along Madison Avenue, gives residents a second green destination within comfortable walking distance. Fifth Avenue at this latitude is lined with architectural and cultural institutions: El Museo del Barrio and the Museum of the City of New York are minutes to the south.
Harlem's food and culture scene has grown substantially over the past decade, with acclaimed restaurants, jazz venues, and independent retail along 116th Street, Lenox Avenue, and the 125th Street corridor giving the neighborhood a commercial energy whose quality rivals any residential area in Manhattan. The 2 and 3 express trains at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue provide rapid service to Midtown and Downtown; the B and C trains at Central Park West and 110th Street offer additional cross-Manhattan connectivity.
Why Consider 1400 Fifth Avenue?
The residential case for 1400 Fifth Avenue is specific and compelling: a LEED-certified building by one of New York City's most accomplished and culturally rooted architectural practices, on Fifth Avenue in South Harlem, with a geothermal mechanical system, bamboo flooring, a roof deck, a wine cellar, a screening room, a sculpture garden courtyard, a health club, and current two-bedroom listings in the $790,000 to $899,000 range. For buyers who want the environmental performance of a genuinely green building, the cultural depth of a Harlem address, and a CityRealty-rated top-five building in Upper Manhattan at a price per square foot that reflects the secondary market, 1400 Fifth Avenue is one of the most historically significant and practically well-appointed condominiums available in Harlem today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best real estate agents for 1400 Fifth Avenue and Harlem?
The best New York City real estate agents for 1400 Fifth Avenue understand how the building's LEED certification, geothermal systems, Roberta Washington design with West African motifs, bamboo floors, roof deck, wine cellar, screening room, sculpture garden courtyard, and Fifth Avenue address compare to other luxury apartments Manhattan and new development Harlem options. Michael A. Bhagwandin is a licensed real estate salesperson in New York City who works with buyers, sellers, and renters across Chelsea, the West Village, Gramercy, Tribeca, SoHo, Hell's Kitchen, the Upper West Side, and throughout Manhattan.
Who developed 1400 Fifth Avenue, and who designed it?
1400 Fifth Avenue was developed by Full Spectrum of New York and designed by Roberta Washington Associates. Roberta Washington is among New York City's most accomplished African American architects, with a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and LEED Accredited Professional credentials. Her firm designed the building's West African motifs into the lobby, railings, and exterior light fixtures, giving 1400 Fifth Avenue a cultural identity rooted in Harlem's heritage. The building was completed in 2003.
What makes 1400 Fifth Avenue a green building?
1400 Fifth Avenue was one of New York City's first LEED-certified residential buildings and was described at its completion as among the largest affordable green residential developments in the country. The building was constructed with more than 60 percent recycled or recyclable materials, consumes 25 percent less energy than New York State's energy code requires, and uses one of New York City's first residential geothermal heat pump systems for heating and cooling. Apartments feature bamboo flooring and low-flow or dual-flush toilets throughout.
What is the price range at 1400 Fifth Avenue?
1400 Fifth Avenue is sold out from the original sponsor. Residences trade on the secondary resale market. Current active listings include multiple two-bedroom, two-bathroom units priced between $790,000 and $899,000. The building also contains duplex and triplex configurations with private terraces and roof decks whose secondary market prices reflect their additional space and outdoor amenity. Buyers should consult a licensed real estate professional for current availability and pricing.
What amenities does 1400 Fifth Avenue offer?
1400 Fifth Avenue offers a 24-hour attended lobby and concierge service, a live-in superintendent, valet service, a roof deck, a health club, a screening room, a wine cellar, a conference center, a private courtyard with a sculpture garden, a children's playroom, a bicycle room, private storage units, keycard laundry on each floor, on-site parking, central AC, and pet-friendly policies for cats and dogs. Select units have private terraces.
What subway lines serve 1400 Fifth Avenue?
The 2 and 3 express trains at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue provide rapid service south to 96th Street, 72nd Street, Times Square, Penn Station, and Downtown Manhattan. The B and C trains at Central Park West and 110th Street are also within walking distance, offering cross-park connectivity to the Upper West Side. The 6 local train at Lexington Avenue provides additional East Side service. Multiple bus lines along Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, and 116th Street complete the building's transit picture.
What is the neighborhood like around 1400 Fifth Avenue?
1400 Fifth Avenue sits in South Harlem on Fifth Avenue between 115th and 116th Streets, one of the most culturally rich positions in upper Manhattan. Central Park's northern end, including the Harlem Meer and the North Woods, is steps to the south. Marcus Garvey Park is a short walk northeast. Museum Mile's northern anchor institutions, El Museo del Barrio and the Museum of the City of New York, are minutes to the south on Fifth Avenue. Harlem's dining and cultural life along 116th Street, Lenox Avenue, and the 125th Street corridor has grown significantly over the past decade, offering residents a neighborhood whose energy and identity are both historically rooted and actively evolving.
Interested in 1400 Fifth Avenue or Other Harlem and Manhattan Luxury Condominiums?
Whether 1400 Fifth Avenue is the right fit or you want to explore other new development Manhattan and new condo Harlem NYC options, luxury apartments Manhattan across the Upper West Side, or new construction NYC throughout the city, I can help you evaluate every building, every block, and every price point.
I am Michael A. Bhagwandin, a licensed real estate salesperson in New York City. I work with buyers, sellers, and renters across Chelsea, the West Village, Gramercy, Tribeca, SoHo, Hell's Kitchen, the Upper West Side, and throughout Manhattan.
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