C4-2 Zoning District — New York City
C4-2 is a high-density General Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
C4-2 is a high-density General 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. Under the as of right — narrow street rules, the maximum residential FAR is 2.2 and the maximum commercial FAR is 3.4. 1,577 tax lots citywide carry C4-2 as their primary zoning designation.
More tax lots carry this designation than any other profiled here — roughly 1,600 citywide. The land-use mix leans commercial, with commercial-and-office parcels the single largest category at 31%, but the housing stock is still substantial — 14,830 recorded homes, 54% of lots residential. Buildings run low, a median of 2 stories, with a construction record that is 65% prewar (median year 1931).
What actually stands in this district
More tax lots carry this designation than any other profiled here — roughly 1,600 citywide. That scale comes with a distinctly commercial land-use mix: commercial-and-office parcels are the largest single category at 31%, followed by mixed residential-and-commercial parcels at 28% and one- and two-family buildings at 15%. Few designations in this profile combine that much commercial land use with as large a lot count, and the mix suggests a corridor-type pattern rather than a purely residential one, at least as far as the records describe land use. That scale alone makes this designation's records some of the most heavily populated in the entire dataset.
Despite the commercial lean in land use, the recorded housing count is large: 14,830 homes, with 54% of lots residential. The single largest recorded building class holds 30% of the mix, with mixed residential-commercial buildings at 15% and walk-up apartment buildings at 11% rounding out the picture — commercial frontage layered over mixed-use and residential space above and behind it. That layering is consistent with a designation built around a commercial spine rather than a purely residential block pattern.
The age record leans prewar: a median construction year of 1931, with 65% of buildings predating 1940. The 1945-1975 postwar boom accounts for 11% of the stock, and 13% of buildings have gone up since 2000 — a steady trickle of newer construction onto an older base rather than a single rebuilding wave. That pace mirrors several other prewar-leaning designations profiled here, though few combine it with as much commercial land use or as large a recorded lot count. Buildings run low overall, a median of 2 stories, keeping the designation's profile modest in height despite its scale in lot count.
Lots run to a median of 2,700 square feet, with a 90th percentile of 18,750 square feet — a moderate spread, smaller than several other designations profiled in this set. Development headroom reaches 79% of lots, with a median residual of 1.2 FAR. Flood exposure touches 10% of lots inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — a modest but non-trivial share for a designation this size. None of these lots are recorded inside a designated historic district, leaving the zoning map as the only recorded layer of review here. Specific per-lot allowances, with citations, sit in the rules tables above, each tied to its governing zoning section.
Bulk rules for C4-2
| Context | Residential FAR | Commercial FAR | Community facility FAR | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right — narrow street§ 33-432 slope differs by street type: 2.7:1 narrow / 5.6:1 wide. | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.8 | NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 34-112 |
| As of right — wide street§ 33-432 slope differs by street type: 2.7:1 narrow / 5.6:1 wide. | 3 | 3.4 | 4.8 | NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 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 C4-2
- 40-22 College Point Blvd — 581,295 sq ft lot, 2.74 built FAR, built 2006
- 88-15 Queens Boulevard — 190,000 sq ft lot, 5.75 built FAR, built 1965
- 133-36 37th Avenue — 85,137 sq ft lot, 7.79 built FAR, built 2016
- 96-05 Queens Boulevard — 256,031 sq ft lot, 3.36 built FAR, built 1959
- 1776 Eastchester Road — 350,000 sq ft lot, 1.87 built FAR, built 1966
- 457 Gateway Drive — 1,479,935 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 519 Gateway Drive — 158,402 sq ft lot, 1 built FAR, built 2001
- 39-16 Prince Street — 39,573 sq ft lot, 7.1 built FAR, built 2012
- 102-05 Ditmas Boulevard — 87,971 sq ft lot, 2.86 built FAR, built 1981
- 133-27 39th Avenue — 48,853 sq ft lot, 7.56 built FAR, built 2016
- 88-31 55th Avenue — 46,768 sq ft lot, 6.47 built FAR, built 2017
- 410 Gateway Drive — 134,666 sq ft lot, 1.51 built FAR, built 2012
C4-2 — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in C4-2?
- 2.2, as of right — narrow street, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 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 C4-2?
- 3.4, as of right — narrow street, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 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 C4-2 a contextual district?
- No. C4-2 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.
- How many tax lots carry this designation citywide?
- Roughly 1,600 — more than any other designation profiled here.
- Is the land use here mostly commercial or residential?
- Commercial-leaning: commercial-and-office parcels are the largest category at 31%, though 54% of lots are still recorded as residential, holding 14,830 homes.
- How old is the recorded building stock?
- Mostly prewar: 65% of buildings predate 1940, median year 1931. The 1945-1975 boom adds 11%, and 13% have been built since 2000.
- How big are the lots under this designation?
- A median of 2,700 square feet, with a 90th percentile of 18,750 square feet.
- What share of these lots sits in a flood zone?
- 10% of lots sit inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — a modest but non-trivial share for a designation this size.
Keep learning
What do the C4-2 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.