C3 Zoning District — New York City
C3 is a low-density Waterfront Recreation District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
C3 is a low-density Waterfront Recreation 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 0.75 and the maximum commercial FAR is 0.5. 263 tax lots citywide carry C3 as their primary zoning designation.
The records for this designation carry no reliable year-built or building-height data, but what they do show is a stock shaped heavily by water: 72% of the roughly 260 tax lots mapped citywide sit inside the federal flood hazard map, and 21% are recorded as vacant land. One- and two-family buildings account for 41% of recorded classes, and 56% of lots are residential, holding 844 recorded homes.
What actually stands in this district
This designation's records carry no reliable year-built or building-height data — both families are absent from the file, so no claims about age or floors are possible for the roughly 260 tax lots mapped citywide. That absence is a data-coverage gap, not a claim that nothing has been built or that every structure is uniform — it simply means age and height are not reliably recorded here. What the records do carry is unusually consistent on one point: 72% of these lots sit inside the mapped federal Special Flood Hazard Area, one of the higher recorded flood shares among the designations covered on these pages. That flood figure, more than any age or height statistic, is what defines this designation's file.
Land use here leans toward one- and two-family buildings, 52% of recorded lots, with 21% recorded as vacant land and a further 12% falling under another recorded land-use category. Building classes follow a similar pattern: one- and two-family homes lead at 41%, vacant-land classifications at 21%, and a further recorded class at 11%. Vacant land at this share, alongside the flood exposure, describes a stock that is only partly built out, with meaningful acreage still recorded as open rather than developed.
Residential lots make up 56% of the total, and the records count 844 homes — a modest total that matches the amount of vacant and open land recorded alongside it. Lots run to a median of 2,700 square feet, though the 90th percentile reaches 76,148 square feet, one of the widest recorded lot-size spreads among the designations profiled here, meaning a few very large parcels sit alongside many small ones. That spread is itself consistent with a designation carrying this much vacant and lightly built land.
On development, 52% of lots carry recorded floor area below their allowance, though the median residual is a small 0.2 FAR — breadth without much depth. The 72% flood share is a statement about the federal regulatory map, not a claim about what has or has not flooded; nothing on this designation's records promises the remaining lots are dry. The rules tables above carry the governing allowances for any specific lot, with citations, and each lot's own page carries what detail is on record, including whatever age or height information may exist for that individual parcel even where the designation-wide figures are absent.
Bulk rules for C3
| Context | Residential FAR | Commercial FAR | Community facility FAR | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of rightR3-2 equiv per § 34-112; § 23-22 residential FAR 0.75. | 0.75 | 0.5 | 1 | NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-283, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 34-112 |
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 C3
- Flatbush Avenue — 23,108,842 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 5923 Strickland Avenue — 33,645 sq ft lot, 1.51 built FAR, built 2002
- 5-12 115 Street — 279,235 sq ft lot, 0.42 built FAR, built 1985
- 160 Pilot Street — 226,834 sq ft lot, 0.43 built FAR, built 1981
- 4302 Westshore Avenue — 443,910 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 2824 Plumb 3 Street — 60,550 sq ft lot, 2.48 built FAR, built 2000
- 2 Windward Lane — 246,945 sq ft lot, 0.45 built FAR, built 1981
- 173 Marine Street — 173,381 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 2433 Knapp Street — 78,000 sq ft lot, 0.38 built FAR, built 2019
- 3929 Emmons Avenue — 119,915 sq ft lot, 0.03 built FAR, built 2000
- Hunter Avenue — 65,404 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 23-16 120 Street — 111,000 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
C3 — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in C3?
- 0.75, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-283, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 34-112. 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 C3?
- 0.5, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-283, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 34-112. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is C3 a contextual district?
- No. C3 is not a contextual district; its building envelope is governed by the district's general height and setback rules rather than a prescribed contextual envelope.
- Is there reliable data on building age for this designation?
- No — year-built and building-height data are both absent from the records for this designation, a coverage gap rather than a description of the buildings themselves.
- Are lots with this designation exposed to flood risk?
- Substantially, per the federal map: 72% of the roughly 260 tax lots mapped citywide sit inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area.
- How much vacant land is recorded under this designation?
- 21% of lots are recorded as vacant land, alongside 52% in one- and two-family use — a stock that is only partly built out.
- How large are the lots, and how much do sizes vary?
- A median of 2,700 square feet, but the 90th percentile reaches 76,148 square feet — one of the widest recorded spreads in this profile.
- Is there recorded development headroom here?
- Some: 52% of lots carry floor area below their allowance, though the median residual is a small 0.2 FAR.
Keep learning
What do the C3 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.