Riverside / West End, NYC, Real Estate Agent | Patricia A Smith

There is no official ranking of Riverside / West End real estate agents, so the best agent is the one who knows how co-op boards, building financials, landmark rules and New York closing taxes affect your purchase or sale. I am Patricia A Smith, a Licensed Real Estate Agent with Compass in New York, also licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia.

If you are searching for a realtor on the Upper West Side, note that New York agents use the title Licensed Real Estate Agent. David and I have more than $500 million in lifetime sales, and I was a Coldwell Banker International President's Elite producer from 2019 to 2025. Interview two or three agents and ask each for recent sales in the building you like.

Buying a co-op means buying shares in the corporation that owns the building, so after your offer is accepted and your attorney negotiates the contract, you submit a board package of financial records and usually attend a board interview. The board can approve or decline, and many set their own down payment and post-closing reserve rules.

Condos are simpler: the board typically has a right of first refusal rather than full approval. Most Riverside Drive and West End Avenue buildings are co-ops, so I check each board's requirements before you offer.

The best price comes from pricing against recent comparable sales, called comps, in your building and nearby buildings, then launching with professional photography and wide syndication. On the Upper West Side, 42.8% of listings took a price drop over the three months ending August 2026, so the launch price matters more than anything else.

I prepare a written net sheet before we list that accounts for transfer taxes, any flip tax and commissions, and I review each buyer's financing and board readiness with you.

Sellers in New York City usually pay the city transfer tax of 1% up to $500,000 and 1.425% above that, plus New York State transfer tax of 0.4%, or 0.65% on residential sales of $3 million or more. Buyers pay the state Mansion Tax of 1% at $1 million and up, a supplemental tax above $2 million, and mortgage recording tax on condo loans.

Co-op purchases are exempt from mortgage recording tax. Commissions are fully negotiable. I give buyers a cost estimate and sellers a net sheet before any contract is signed.

Riverside Drive and West End Avenue addresses are in NYC Community School District 3, which had 41 schools and 18,840 students in 2024 to 2025. The public school inside the corridor is P.S. 75 Emily Dickinson, a K to 5 school at 735 West End Avenue. Middle schools in District 3 admit by application, and high schools admit citywide, both through the MySchools application.

Elementary zones follow the exact address, so confirm any apartment with the city's Find a School tool. Private schools inside the corridor include The Calhoun School at 433 West End Avenue, Manhattan Day School at 310 W 75th Street and West Side Montessori School at 309 W 92nd Street.

Yes. I run live video tours, coordinate with your attorney, lender and the building's managing agent, and help you assemble the board package so you can buy from Washington or farther away. Because I am licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia as well as New York, I can also sell your DMV home as part of one plan.

Most co-op boards still ask for an interview. I prepare you for it in advance.

First-time buyers in New York City commonly use conventional loans, FHA loans for approved condos, VA loans for eligible veterans and programs from the State of New York Mortgage Agency. Many co-op boards require a larger down payment than a lender does, often set building by building, along with cash reserves after closing.

Get pre-approved before you tour so your budget includes maintenance or common charges. I can introduce you to lenders who know co-op lending.

Most of the corridor sits on higher ground above Riverside Park, and First Street rates only about 4% of Upper West Side properties at risk of severe flooding over 30 years, a Minor flood factor. The low edge of the park at the Hudson, including the 79th Street Boat Basin, is mapped in a FEMA flood zone.

Check the NYC flood maps for any specific building, and ask about the building's insurance and storm history during due diligence.

From West End Avenue, most residents walk one block east to the 1, 2 and 3 trains on Broadway. From the 96th Street express station, the 2 train reaches Times Square in about 7 minutes, and 72nd Street is also an express stop. By car, Midtown is about 15 minutes off-peak via the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Local 1 trains stop at 79th, 86th and 103rd Streets, closer to the middle of the corridor.

Yes. Riverside Park has three fenced dog runs along the corridor, at Riverside Drive and West 72nd Street, West 87th Street and West 105th Street, and the 87th Street run sits in ZIP 10024. NYC Parks operates all three, and the 72nd and 105th Street runs serve the southern and northern ends of the corridor.

Check each building's pet policy as well, since many co-ops set their own rules.

Grocery stores near West End Avenue line Broadway, one block east: Zabar's at 2245 Broadway, Fairway Market at 2131 Broadway, Citarella at 2135 Broadway and Trader Joe's at 2073 Broadway, which reopened in September 2026. Whole Foods Market is at 808 Columbus Avenue near West 97th Street.

Zabar's and Citarella also sell prepared foods for nights you do not cook.

Riverside Park runs the full length of Riverside Drive, covering 253 acres over about 4 miles, with the Hudson River Greenway along the water for running and cycling. Highlights include the Hippo Playground at 91st Street, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at 89th Street and the Joan of Arc statue at 93rd Street.

Straus Park at West End Avenue and 106th Street anchors the north end of the corridor.

Restaurants near Riverside Drive cluster on Broadway, the corridor's eastern edge. Options include Carmine's at 2450 Broadway, Café du Soleil at 2723 Broadway, Sal and Carmine Pizza at 2671 Broadway, Mama's Too at 2750 Broadway, No Name Bakery at 2664 Broadway and Safta's Coffee and Fine Foods at 2345 Broadway.

Riverside Drive and West End Avenue themselves are almost entirely residential.

LaGuardia Airport is about 8.5 miles from West 86th Street and West End Avenue, roughly 22 minutes by car off-peak via the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. Newark Liberty International is about 35 minutes via the Lincoln Tunnel, and JFK about 40 minutes.

Rush-hour traffic and bridge delays can double these times, so plan airport runs with a buffer.