The Harper. New luxury condo redefining Yorkville on the Upper East Side
Yorkville has been earning a second look for years. Since the Q train arrived on the Upper East Side, real estate values, sales volume, and rental prices have all climbed, and the neighborhood has ranked behind only Tribeca for new development condo sales. The Harper is the building that best shows where all of that momentum has gone.
The 21-story tower at 310 East 86th Street was designed by ODA Architecture and developed by Izaki Group Investments, totaling 145,000 square feet with 63 condo units ranging from two to four bedrooms, starting at $2.1 million. It also has ground-floor retail, and the location, mid-block between First and Second Avenues, is better than it sounds on paper. If you’re actively searching, browse current Upper East Side condo listings to see what’s available now.
Architecture and interiors: what ODA designed at 310 East 86th
Walk by and you notice it. ODA carved out an eroded volume at the top floors and pushed cantilevered bay windows off the east facade, overhanging the five-story building next door. The exterior is limestone panels and floor-to-ceiling glass. It references the Art Deco bones of the surrounding Upper East Side without trying to copy them. The result feels current without being jarring.
Inside, the finishes are serious. Every unit gets custom Poliform kitchens with warm matte lacquer cabinetry and antique brass WaterWorks hardware, Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and backsplashes, integrated Miele appliances, and primary bathrooms in Crema Luna limestone and Namibia white marble. White oak floors, radiant heat, and solid core doors with Valli & Valli hardware throughout.
Nothing on that list is a compromise.
Amenities at The Harper: built for families who actually live here
The amenity package includes a games lounge, fitness center, music practice room, children’s art room and playroom, pet spa, shared laundry, storage, and a bike room. There’s also a teen lounge. Read that list and a picture of the buyer emerges clearly: families who plan to live here full-time, not just park money in a Manhattan address.
In fall 2025, The Formula x Meredith, a Hamptons-based wellness studio, signed a lease for its first New York City location in the building’s base, with plans to open in early 2026.
Living in Yorkville: schools, transit, and everyday conveniences near 86th Street
People sometimes underestimate this stretch of the Upper East Side because it doesn’t carry the cachet of Park Avenue in the 70s. The day-to-day livability here is hard to argue with.
The Harper sits directly across from the entrance to the 86th Street Q train station. From there, Central Park is 12 minutes, Museum Mile is 15, Carl Schurz Park and Asphalt Green are 10. The FDR is 10 minutes out, LaGuardia is a 20-minute ride, and JFK is around 35.
Whole Foods, Fairway, and Eli’s Market are all close. Brearley, Chapin, Dalton, Spence, and Regis are in the immediate school orbit. Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai are nearby. Equinox, Barry’s, SoulCycle, Rumble, and the 92nd Street Y round out the wellness and culture options. It’s a complete neighborhood for a family. For a deeper look at the area, read our guide to buying on the Upper East Side.
The Harper condo prices and what they reveal about the Yorkville market
Yorkville condo sales jumped 26% on a price-per-square-foot basis between 2022 and 2023, from $1,509 to $1,896. The Harper landed right at the top of that move. At launch, units averaged $2,057 per square foot, above the local average of $1,869, which was itself an all-time high for the neighborhood at the time.
Unit 12B closed at $4.3 million in July 2025. By fall 2025, the building was nearing 75% sold with immediate occupancy available.
New construction coming to the Upper East Side: what buyers should watch
The pipeline around The Harper is busy. A 39-story CetraRuddy-designed tower at 1448 Third Avenue has already topped out with 125 condos, a 29-story tower at 301 East 71st Street has permits filed, and a Robert A.M. Stern-designed 22-story building at 242 East 71st Street has earthwork underway. More supply is coming, but finished product at this specification level is still thin.
The Harper got here first, delivered well, and set the standard the rest of the neighborhood is now measured against. If you want to get ahead of the next wave of new construction on the Upper East Side, speak with a Pazo Realty agent before those buildings hit the market.
