The 23-floor building was erected in 1926-1927 as a cooperative with 77 apartments, but today it has only 64 units. Developer Joseph Paterno initially opted to list the building as an apartment-hotel so as to legally build 23 stories as opposed to only 15 stories restricted for apartment houses. The building has a notable red-tiled steep-pitched roof, making it visible from a long distance. When it was built,
The Real Estate Record & Guide praised the $1 million building's "unusually striking upper-floor effect." By 2025, 825 Fifth Avenue was one of three apartment buildings on the Upper East Side with its own restaurant, the others being
1 East 66th Street and
960 Fifth Avenue. ==References==