Retail

Prime Retail Space on First Avenue – 969 First Avenue, Turtle Bay / Sutton Place

Address: 969 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10022
Price: $25,000/month
Square Feet: 1,681 SF
Type: Retail Space

Property Overview:

Located on First Avenue in the desirable Turtle Bay / Sutton Place neighborhood of the Upper East Side, 969 First Avenue offers 1,681 SF of prime retail space at a competitive price point. Ideal for medical and dental practices, pharmacies, urgent care centers, physical therapy clinics, veterinary offices, specialty food markets, fitness studios, or service-based businesses. Situated between East 53rd Street and East 54th Street, this space benefits from proximity to world-class medical institutions, luxury residential buildings, and strong daily foot traffic from residents, medical professionals, and patients.

Key Features:

Prime Turtle Bay / Sutton Place / Midtown East Location:

• Situated on First Avenue, a busy north-south corridor serving the eastern edge of the Upper East Side and Midtown East, connecting the Turtle Bay and Sutton Place neighborhoods.
• Located between East 53rd Street and East 54th Street, placing your business in a densely populated residential and medical corridor.
• Just steps from the East River and the East River Esplanade, offering beautiful waterfront green space and attracting joggers, dog walkers, and families year-round.
• Minutes from the United Nations Headquarters (42nd-48th Streets along First Avenue), generating foot traffic from UN employees and international visitors.
• Short walk to Sutton Place Park, Tudor City, and the Roosevelt Island Tram (59th Street and Second Avenue).

Medical & Institutional Proximity – A Healthcare Hub:

• Located within blocks of some of New York City’s most prestigious medical institutions:
• Weill Cornell Medical Center (68th Street and York Avenue)
• NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (68th Street and York Avenue)
• Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) (70th Street and York Avenue) — #1 in orthopedics nationwide
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (67th-68th Streets on York Avenue)
• Rockefeller University (66th-68th Streets on York Avenue)
• This concentration of world-renowned hospitals and research centers creates consistent, high-demand foot traffic from medical professionals, hospital employees, patients, families, and caregivers — all needing nearby services and amenities.

Spacious & Versatile Retail Layout:

• 1,681 SF of generous retail space — well-suited for medical practices, therapy centers, pharmacies, fitness studios, or neighborhood service businesses.
• Attractive storefront with good street-level visibility on First Avenue, a heavily trafficked corridor with constant vehicular and pedestrian flow.
• Practical layout with potential for a reception area, multiple private exam or treatment rooms, a break room, and storage.
• Large windows providing abundant natural light — a valuable feature for patient-facing medical practices and wellness studios.
• Potential for a pharmacy drive-through or back-of-house access depending on configuration.
• At $14.87 per square foot, this represents solid value for retail space in this high-demand medical corridor.

Excellent Transit Access:

• Close to the Lexington Avenue / 53rd Street subway station (E, M) and 51st Street station (6) on Lexington Avenue.
• Short walk to the 59th Street station (4, 5, 6, N, R, W) and the Roosevelt Island Tram (59th Street and Second Avenue).
• Multiple bus routes serve First Avenue, Second Avenue, York Avenue, and 53rd/54th Streets (M15, M31, M50, M57, M101, M102, M103).
• Convenient for Upper East Side and Midtown East residents, medical professionals, hospital employees, patients, and their families.

Affluent, Diverse & High-Demand Customer Base:

• The Turtle Bay / Sutton Place neighborhood is a densely populated residential area with a mix of longtime residents, young professionals, families, medical professionals, and UN employees.
• The concentration of world-class hospitals creates significant demand for medical and dental practices, urgent care centers, pharmacies, physical therapy clinics, and patient-amenity retail (e.g., delis, coffee shops, gift stores, florists, optical shops, hearing aid centers).
• Strong daytime foot traffic from hospital employees, home healthcare workers, and residents, plus consistent traffic from patients and their families.
• Unlike the luxury retail corridors of Madison or Fifth Avenues, First Avenue offers essential, everyday retail opportunities with high demand and less competition for medical and service-oriented businesses.
• Ideal for businesses such as:
• Medical or dental practice (primary care, pediatrics, dermatology, dentistry, orthodontics, ophthalmology)
• Urgent care or walk-in clinic
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation center
• Pharmacy or drugstore
• Veterinary clinic or pet supply store
• Boutique fitness or yoga studio
• Specialty food market or grocery
• Coffee shop or café (patient and staff-friendly)
• Optical or eyewear shop
• Hearing aid or audiology practice
• Florist or gift shop (hospital-adjacent)
• Dry cleaner or laundromat

Highlights:
✔ 1,681 SF of prime retail space on First Avenue in Turtle Bay / Sutton Place
✔ $25,000/month — competitive at $14.87 per square foot
✔ Attractive storefront with excellent visibility on a busy medical corridor
✔ Blocks from Weill Cornell, NY-Presbyterian, HSS, and Memorial Sloan Kettering
✔ Ideal for medical/dental practices, physical therapy, pharmacy, or fitness studio
✔ Practical layout with potential for exam rooms, reception, and storage
✔ Large windows with abundant natural light
✔ Loyal, local residential customer base plus hospital employees and patients
✔ Convenient transit access — E, M, 6, 4, 5, N, R, W trains and multiple bus routes

Conclusion:

969 First Avenue offers an outstanding opportunity for healthcare providers and small business owners seeking prime retail space in one of the Upper East Side’s most desirable medical-adjacent corridors. With 1,681 SF of practical, flexible space, a prime First Avenue location steps from world-class hospitals, and access to a loyal, high-demand customer base of residents, medical professionals, and patients, this property is perfect for medical and dental practices, physical therapy clinics, pharmacies, urgent care centers, or patient-serving retail concepts looking to thrive in the heart of Manhattan’s premier healthcare corridor.

Contact us today to schedule a private tour and secure this premier First Avenue retail space!