Retail

Retail Space on Second Avenue – 981 Second Ave, Turtle Bay / Midtown East

Address: 981 Second Avenue, New York, NY, 10022
Price: $22,000/month
Square Feet: 1,500 SF
Type: Retail Space

Property Overview:

Located on Second Avenue in the Turtle Bay / Midtown East neighborhood — one of Manhattan’s most convenient, centrally located, and desirable residential and professional areas — 981 Second Avenue offers 1,500 SF of prime retail space at a competitive price point. Ideal for medical and dental practices, urgent care centers, physical therapy clinics, pharmacies, fitness studios, beauty salons, or service-based businesses. Situated between East 52nd Street and East 53rd Street, this space benefits from proximity to the United Nations, major hospitals, luxury residential buildings, and some of the city’s best dining, shopping, and transit.

Key Features:

Prime Turtle Bay / Midtown East / Second Avenue Location:

• Situated on Second Avenue, a major east side thoroughfare that serves as a commercial spine for the Turtle Bay and Midtown East neighborhoods — two of Manhattan’s most convenient, centrally located, and desirable residential and professional areas, known for their pre-war architecture, tree-lined streets, strong sense of community, and excellent transit access.
• Located between East 52nd Street and East 53rd Street, placing your business in a high-traffic corridor with constant foot traffic from local residents, office workers, medical professionals, and commuters.
• Just steps from the United Nations Headquarters (42nd-48th Streets along First Avenue), generating foot traffic from UN employees and international visitors.
• Minutes from Grand Central Terminal (42nd Street and Park Avenue — a 15-minute walk), Turtle Bay’s vibrant dining and nightlife scene, and the East River Esplanade.

Medical & Institutional Proximity:

• Located within easy reach of several major medical institutions:
• Weill Cornell Medical Center (68th Street and York Avenue)
• NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (68th Street and York Avenue)
• Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) — #1 in orthopedics nationwide
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• This concentration of world-class hospitals creates consistent demand for medical and dental practices, urgent care centers, physical therapy clinics, pharmacies, and patient-serving retail.

Spacious & Flexible Retail Layout – 1,500 SF:

• 1,500 SF of generous retail space — ideally sized for a medical or dental practice, urgent care center, physical therapy clinic, pharmacy, fitness studio, beauty salon, or service-based business.
• Attractive storefront with excellent street-level visibility on Second Avenue, a busy corridor with constant pedestrian and vehicular flow.
• Functional floor plan suitable for exam rooms and reception area (medical practice), retail displays and checkout (pharmacy/market), fitness equipment and studio space (gym), or service stations (salon).
• Large windows providing abundant natural light — a valuable feature for patient-facing medical practices and wellness studios.
• Potential for back-of-house space, storage, or office areas depending on configuration.
• At $14.67 per square foot, this represents solid value for retail space in this prime Midtown location.

Excellent Transit Access:

• Close to Grand Central Terminal (4, 5, 6, 7, S) — a 15-minute walk — providing direct access to Metro-North Railroad and multiple subway lines, one of Manhattan’s busiest and most convenient transit hubs.
• Moments from the 51st Street subway station (6) on Lexington Avenue and the 53rd Street station (E, M) .
• Short walk to Penn Station (1, 2, 3, A, C, E) , providing LIRR, NJ Transit, and Amtrak connections.
• Multiple bus routes serve Second Avenue, First Avenue, and 52nd/53rd Streets (M15, M31, M50, M57, M101, M102, M103).
• Convenient for medical professionals, patients, and families from all five boroughs, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and beyond.

Affluent, High-Demand Customer Base:

• Medical professionals — thousands of doctors, nurses, researchers, and administrators employed at nearby world-class hospitals (Weill Cornell, NY-Presbyterian, HSS, MSK).
• Patients and families — patients seeking treatment at area hospitals, plus their families, create consistent demand for medical practices, urgent care, pharmacies, and patient-serving retail.
• Local residents — dense residential population of Turtle Bay, Midtown East, and surrounding neighborhoods, including young professionals, families, and longtime residents.
• UN employees — thousands of professionals employed at the United Nations Headquarters.
• Office workers — thousands of professionals employed in nearby Midtown East corporate offices.
• Ideal for businesses such as:
• Medical or dental practice (primary care, pediatrics, dermatology, dentistry, orthodontics)
• Urgent care or walk-in clinic
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation center
• Pharmacy or drugstore
• Boutique fitness or yoga studio
• Beauty or nail salon
• Specialty food market or grocery
• Coffee shop or cafe (patient and staff-friendly)
• Optical or eyewear shop
• Florist or gift shop (hospital-adjacent)

Highlights:
✔ 1,500 SF of prime retail space on Second Avenue in Turtle Bay / Midtown East
✔ $22,000/month — solid value at $14.67 per square foot
✔ Attractive storefront with excellent visibility on a busy commercial corridor
✔ Steps from the United Nations and world-class hospitals (Weill Cornell, NY-Presbyterian, HSS, MSK)
✔ Ideal for medical/dental practice, urgent care, pharmacy, or fitness studio
✔ Functional layout with potential for exam rooms, reception, and storage
✔ Large windows with abundant natural light
✔ Diverse, high-demand customer base — medical professionals, patients, residents, UN employees, and commuters
✔ Excellent transit access — 4, 5, 6, 7, S, E, M, 1, 2, 3 trains, Grand Central, Penn Station

Conclusion:

981 Second Avenue offers a prime opportunity for healthcare providers, fitness operators, and small business owners seeking well-located retail space in one of Manhattan’s most convenient, centrally located, and desirable neighborhoods — Turtle Bay / Midtown East, steps from the United Nations and world-class hospitals. With 1,500 SF of functional, flexible space, a prime Second Avenue location in the heart of a major medical and commercial corridor, and access to a loyal, high-demand customer base of medical professionals, patients, residents, and UN employees, this property is perfect for medical and dental practices, urgent care centers, physical therapy clinics, pharmacies, or fitness studios looking to thrive in a location where healthcare, government, and commerce intersect — all at a solid value of under $15 per square foot.

Contact us today to schedule a private tour and secure this Turtle Bay / Midtown East retail space!