What is the maximum residential FAR in C1-9A?

10, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.

What is the maximum commercial FAR in C1-9A?

2, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.

Is recent construction common under this designation?

More than in comparable designations: 12% of recorded buildings date from 2000 or later, the highest such share among the designations in this set.

Which building classes lead the mix on these lots?

Elevator apartment buildings lead at 25%, closely followed by walk-up apartment buildings at 23% and mixed residential-and-commercial buildings at 17%.

How tall does the recorded stock run under this designation?

A median of 5 stories, with 37% of recorded buildings rising above 6 floors.

Are these lots in a flood zone or historic district?

Modest shares of each: 6% sit inside the mapped flood zone and 5% carry historic-district status.

C1-9A Zoning District — New York City

C1-9A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.

C1-9A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City. It allows commercial uses, and generally also housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 10 and the maximum commercial FAR is 2. 111 tax lots citywide carry C1-9A as their primary zoning designation.

Records for lots carrying this designation show the most recent construction activity among the comparable designations in this set: 12% of buildings date from 2000 or later, and 23% from the 1945-1975 postwar boom. Elevator apartment buildings lead the building classes at 25%, ahead of walk-up apartment buildings at 23%. The median construction year is 1920, with 60% of the stock predating 1940.

What actually stands in this district

Of the comparable designations profiled in this set, this one shows the most recent construction activity: 12% of recorded buildings date from 2000 or later, a higher share than the others carry. The 1945-1975 postwar boom also left a real mark, at 23% of the stock — one of the larger boom-era shares recorded here — while 60% of buildings predate 1940. The median construction year, 1920, sits in the middle of that spread rather than anchored deep in the prewar era alone, reflecting a stock that kept adding new layers well past its original build-out. None of the other designations in this batch pair so high a recent-construction share with so substantial a boom-era share at the same time.

Elevator apartment buildings lead the recorded classes at 25%, narrowly ahead of walk-up apartment buildings at 23% and mixed residential-and-commercial buildings at 17% — a closely split top three rather than one class dominating outright. That even split across three building classes is less common in this batch than a single class running away with a clear majority. By land use, mixed residential-and-commercial use covers 61% of these roughly 110 lots, multi-family elevator use 16%, and commercial-and-office use 9%.

Overall, 86% of lots are coded residential, and the file counts 6,777 homes across the designation, one of the larger recorded unit counts for a designation of this footprint. Lots run modest to mid-size, with a median of 2,469 square feet and the 90th percentile reaching 14,310 square feet — a real spread between the typical parcel and the larger assembled or corner lots recorded here, roughly in line with what several other mid-sized designations in this batch record for the same measure.

Buildings rise to a median of 5 stories, with 37% recorded above 6 floors — a genuinely tall share for a hundred-odd-lot designation. Recorded alongside a headroom share this wide, that height figure describes a stock that has already built taller in places without using all of its allowed floor area elsewhere. A modest 6% of lots sit inside the mapped federal flood zone, and 5% carry historic-district status. On the development side, 76% of lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 6 FAR. As with any designation this size, the real governing numbers — floor area, height, all cited — live in the rules tables above, with each lot's own figures one page away.

Bulk rules for C1-9A

Context	Residential FAR	Commercial FAR	Community facility FAR	Max lot coverage	Heights	Citation
As of rightResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-9; C1-9A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	10	2	10	80%	—	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22
As of right — narrow streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-9; C1-9A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	10	2	10	80%	Base 60–125 ft · Max 185 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 2, § 23-431
As of right — wide streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-9; C1-9A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	10	2	10	80%	Base 125–155 ft · Max 215 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 1, § 23-431
Qualifying affordable housingResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-9; C1-9A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	12	2	10	80%	Max 235 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22
Qualifying affordable housing — narrow streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-9; C1-9A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	12	2	10	80%	Base 60–155 ft · Max 235 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 2, § 23-431
Qualifying affordable housing — wide streetResidential bulk = the R10A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R10A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-9; C1-9A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 10.0 per § 33-123 (= R10A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated.	12	2	10	80%	Base 125–155 ft · Max 235 ft	NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432 footnote 1, § 23-431

Values from the NYC Zoning Resolution, verified 2026-06-12; site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify them — run a full lookup for a specific lot.

About commercial districts

Commercial districts allow retail, office, and service uses, and most also allow housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. Commercial bulk is governed by § 33- of the NYC Zoning Resolution.

Contextual districts pair their floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights so new buildings mirror existing neighborhood form; non-contextual districts govern the envelope through more general height and setback rules, such as sky exposure planes. Commercial districts also allow residences under the rules of a residential-equivalent district, while manufacturing districts generally exclude new residences. Overlays and special purpose districts can modify any of this on a specific lot.

Example lots zoned C1-9A

401 1 Avenue — 104,861 sq ft lot, 8.85 built FAR, built 1970
222 East 34 Street — 35,396 sq ft lot, 15.3 built FAR, built 2002
205 3 Avenue — 26,312 sq ft lot, 13.64 built FAR, built 1964
340 East 23 Street — 16,819 sq ft lot, 11.37 built FAR, built 2007
195 3 Avenue — 19,182 sq ft lot, 13.04 built FAR, built 1973
267 3 Avenue — 21,350 sq ft lot, 12.54 built FAR, built 1962
166 3 Avenue — 17,296 sq ft lot, 13.65 built FAR, built 1963
225 East 34 Street — 15,800 sq ft lot, 13.05 built FAR, built 2007
347 East 33 Street — 13,770 sq ft lot, 15.51 built FAR, built 1998
230 3 Avenue — 13,800 sq ft lot, 12.32 built FAR, built 1956
333 East 34 Street — 19,532 sq ft lot, 9.9 built FAR, built 1961
385 1 Avenue — 9,875 sq ft lot, 11.6 built FAR, built 2002

Browse all 111 lots zoned C1-9A →

C1-9A — quick questions

What is the maximum residential FAR in C1-9A?: 10, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
What is the maximum commercial FAR in C1-9A?: 2, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-9A→R10A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
Is C1-9A a contextual district?: Yes. C1-9A is a contextual district — its bulk rules pair floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights intended to mirror existing neighborhood form.
Is recent construction common under this designation?: More than in comparable designations: 12% of recorded buildings date from 2000 or later, the highest such share among the designations in this set.
Which building classes lead the mix on these lots?: Elevator apartment buildings lead at 25%, closely followed by walk-up apartment buildings at 23% and mixed residential-and-commercial buildings at 17%.
How tall does the recorded stock run under this designation?: A median of 5 stories, with 37% of recorded buildings rising above 6 floors.
How much recorded floor-area capacity remains here?: 76% of lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 6 FAR.
Are these lots in a flood zone or historic district?: Modest shares of each: 6% sit inside the mapped flood zone and 5% carry historic-district status.

Keep learning

What do the C1-9A rules mean for a specific lot?

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District data: NYC municipal records (Department of City Planning) and the NYC Zoning Resolution. See our sources and methodology. Parcel data as of 2026-07-11.