C2-7A Zoning District — New York City
C2-7A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
C2-7A 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 7.52 and the maximum commercial FAR is 2. 130 tax lots citywide carry C2-7A as their primary zoning designation.
The stock beneath this designation is about as prewar as the records get: 96% of buildings predate 1940, the median dates to 1895, and the 1945-1975 postwar boom left literally nothing on record here — a 0% share. Historic-district coverage reaches 68% of the roughly 130 tax lots mapped citywide, buildings run to a median of 5 stories with 21% above 6 floors, and 0% of lots fall inside the mapped flood hazard area.
What actually stands in this district
Few designations show as clean a break from the mid-century as this one. A recorded 96% of buildings predate 1940, and the median construction year is 1895 — deep in the nineteenth century. The 1945-1975 postwar boom that reshaped so much of the city is entirely absent from these lots on record, at 0%, and only 3% of buildings have gone up since 2000. This is a stock that was substantially finished before the boom years began and has been touched only lightly since, at least according to what the records carry forward to today. Few of the other designations profiled alongside this one show as complete a break from mid-century construction.
The recorded building classes are dominated by walk-up apartment buildings, 55% of the mix, with elevator apartment buildings at 13% and condominiums at 8%. By land use, mixed residential-and-commercial parcels lead at 62%, multi-family walk-up buildings follow at 16%, and multi-family elevator buildings add 7%. Residential lots make up 85% of the roughly 130 tax lots mapped citywide, and the records count 3,474 homes on that base — a dense figure for a designation this size, achieved through a small-building, multi-unit pattern rather than tower construction. Commercial and mixed-use space is present in the land-use figures but does not come close to displacing housing as the recorded majority use.
A recorded 68% of these lots also sit inside a designated historic district, meaning landmark review applies to most of the stock beyond the zoning map alone. Lots run to a median of 2,566 square feet, with a 90th percentile of 10,200 square feet — a moderate spread rather than an extreme one. Buildings reach a median of 5 stories, and 21% rise above 6 floors, one of the taller recorded profiles among the designations covered here. That combination of height and near-universal historic coverage is unusual enough to be worth noting on its own.
Development headroom is wide: 86% of lots carry recorded floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 3.3 FAR. Flood exposure is absent from the federal map, at 0% of lots inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — a statement about the regulatory map, not a guarantee about water given how much else on these blocks predates modern recordkeeping. Specific FAR, height, and historic-review requirements for any lot are cited with their sections in the rules tables above, and each lot's own page carries whatever additional detail the records hold.
Bulk rules for C2-7A
| Context | Residential FAR | Commercial FAR | Community facility FAR | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of rightContextual letter-suffix district; height/setback governed by § 23-43 per § 33-40 (out of this chunk's scope). | 7.52 | 2 | 7.5 | Base 60–95 ft · Max 135 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 34-112, § 23-43, § 23-431, § 23-432, § 33-122 (via § 11-25 from C2-7) |
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 C2-7A
- 205 West 76 Street — 28,862 sq ft lot, 9.73 built FAR, built 2007
- 161 West 75 Street — 18,288 sq ft lot, 10.28 built FAR, built 1924
- 249 8 Avenue — 11,300 sq ft lot, 14.45 built FAR, built 1931
- 216 West 23 Street — 17,281 sq ft lot, 9.88 built FAR, built 1885
- 208 West 23 Street — 11,875 sq ft lot, 12.83 built FAR, built 1927
- 360 Amsterdam Avenue — 10,216 sq ft lot, 12.87 built FAR, built 1929
- 175 West 73 Street — 11,524 sq ft lot, 10.45 built FAR, built 1925
- 287 Amsterdam Avenue — 10,667 sq ft lot, 10.7 built FAR, built 1913
- 186 West 80 Street — 8,684 sq ft lot, 7.45 built FAR, built 1887
- 213 West 23 Street — 8,970 sq ft lot, 7.32 built FAR, built 1900
- 225 West 23 Street — 12,961 sq ft lot, 5.13 built FAR, built 1930
- 473 Amsterdam Avenue — 7,823 sq ft lot, 12.36 built FAR, built 1923
C2-7A — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in C2-7A?
- 7.52, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 34-112, § 23-43, § 23-431, § 23-432, § 33-122 (via § 11-25 from C2-7). 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 C2-7A?
- 2, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 34-112, § 23-43, § 23-431, § 23-432, § 33-122 (via § 11-25 from C2-7). Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is C2-7A a contextual district?
- Yes. C2-7A 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 the building stock on these lots mostly prewar?
- Almost entirely: 96% of recorded buildings predate 1940, with a median construction year of 1895. The 1945-1975 boom accounts for 0% of the stock, and only 3% has been built since 2000.
- Are lots with this designation under historic-district review?
- Often: 68% of these lots also sit inside a designated historic district, layering landmark review on top of the zoning map.
- What does the recorded housing mix look like here?
- Walk-up apartment buildings lead at 55% of the mix, with 85% of lots residential and 3,474 recorded homes across roughly 130 lots citywide.
- Is there recorded headroom to add floor area on these lots?
- Yes, broadly: 86% of lots carry recorded floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 3.3 FAR. The rules tables above cite the specific allowances.
- Are these lots exposed to flood risk on the federal map?
- No: 0% of lots carrying this designation fall inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, per the current federal map.
Keep learning
What do the C2-7A rules mean for a specific lot?
PearlAudit resolves the governing zoning for any NYC tax lot — district, overlays, special districts — and cites the Zoning Resolution section behind every rule claim.
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.