New York City is broken into many zoning districts. Residential, Commercial, and Manufacturing. Commercial Zoning is divided into districts with different regulations governing buildable area, building height, use and a variety of other matters. Most Commercial districts have equivalent residential zones.
Commercial zoning allows for a variety of uses including most commonly offices, retail, restaurants, and hotels. In most cases residential buildings are allowed in commercial zoning districts with residential equivalents. In Residential zones they may be commercial overlay zoning that allows for commercial uses in residential zoning districts. Hotel zoning is allowed in most commercial districts. Zoning districts that end with a letter like C6-4A are contextual zoning districts.
NYC Commercial Zoning Districts & Subdistricts
- C1 Commercial Zoning
- C2 Commercial Zoning
- C3 Commercial Zoning
- C3, C3A
- C4 Commercial Zoning
- C5 Commercial Zoning
- C6 Commercial Zoning
- C7 Commercial Zoning
- C7
- C8 Commercial Zoning
Below is a list of the floor area ratios and some other specifications for Commercial Zoning Districts. The floor area ratio is multiplied by the square footage of the property to determine the allowable square footage of the building.
C1 Zoning NYC
C1 Commercial Zoning
C1-6 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R7-2
C1-6A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R7A
Contextual Zoning
C1-7 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R8
C1-7A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R8A
Contextual Zoning
C1-8 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R9
C1-8A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R9A
Contextual Zoning
C1-8X Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R9X
Contextual Zoning
C1-9 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R10
Contextual Zoning
C1-9A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C2 Zoning NYC
C2 Commercial Zoning
C2-6 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R7-2
C2-6A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R7A
Contextual Zoning
C2-7 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R9
Contextual Zoning
C2-7A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R9A
Contextual Zoning
C2-7X Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R9X
Contextual Zoning
C2-8 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R10
Contextual Zoning
C2-8A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C3 Zoning NYC
C3 Commercial Zoning
C3 Zoning
Commercial FAR = .05
Residential Equivalent = R3-2
C3A Zoning
Commercial FAR = .5
Residential Equivalent = R3A
Contextual Zoning
C4 Zoning NYC
C4 Commercial Zoning
C4-1 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 1
Residential Equivalent = R5
C4-2 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R6
C4-2A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3
Residential Equivalent = R6A
Contextual Zoning
C4-3 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R6
C4-3A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3
Residential Equivalent = R6A
Contextual Zoning
C4-4 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R7-2
C4-4A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 34
Residential Equivalent = R7A
Contextual Zoning
C4-4D Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R8A
Contextual Zoning
C4-5 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R7-2
C4-5A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 4
Residential Equivalent = R7A
Contextual Zoning
C4-5D Zoning
Commercial FAR = 4.2
Residential Equivalent = R7D
Contextual Zoning
C4-5X Zoning
Commercial FAR = 4
Residential Equivalent = R7X
Contextual Zoning
C4-6 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R10
C4-6A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 3.4
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C4-7 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10
C4-7A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C5 Zoning NYC
C5 Commercial Zoning
C5-1 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 4
Residential Equivalent = R10
C5-1A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 4
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C5-2 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10
C5-2A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C5-3 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 15
Residential Equivalent = R10
C5-4 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10
C5-5 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 15
Residential Equivalent = R10
C6 Zoning NYC
C6 Commercial Zoning
C6-1 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R7-2
C6-1A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R6
C6-2 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R8
C6-2A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R8A
Contextual Zoning
C6-3 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R9
C6-3A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R9A
Contextual Zoning
C6-3D Zoning
Commercial FAR = 9
Residential Equivalent = R9D
Contextual Zoning
C6-3X Zoning
Commercial FAR = 6
Residential Equivalent = R9X
Contextual Zoning
C6-4 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10
C6-4A Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10A
Contextual Zoning
C6-4X Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10X
Contextual Zoning
C6-5 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10
C6-6 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 15
Residential Equivalent = R10
C6-7 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 15
Residential Equivalent = R10
C6-8 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 10
Residential Equivalent = R10
C6-9 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 15
Residential Equivalent = R10
C7 Zoning NYC
C7 Commercial Zoning
C7 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = None*
C7 Zoning commercial district does not allow residential use.
C8 Zoning NYC
C8 Commercial Zoning
C8-1 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 1
Residential Equivalent = None
C8-1 Zoning commercial district does not allow residential use.
C8-2 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = None
C8-1 Zoning commercial district does not allow residential use.
C8-3 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 2
Residential Equivalent = None
C8-1 Zoning commercial district does not allow residential use.
C8-4 Zoning
Commercial FAR = 5
Residential Equivalent = None
C8-1 Zoning commercial district does not allow residential use.
THANK YOU FOR READ OUR BLOG POST ON NYC COMMERCIAL ZONING.
We wish you the best of luck with your upcoming project. Please feel free to leave questions or comments below. If you want to discuss your project with an architect you can contact us directly.
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This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
