C6-6 Zoning District — New York City
C6-6 is a high-density General Central Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
C6-6 is a high-density General Central 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 10 and the maximum commercial FAR is 15. 222 tax lots citywide carry C6-6 as their primary zoning designation.
This is the most widely mapped designation in this set, covering roughly 220 tax lots, and it carries the largest recorded housing count too: 10,939 units across 37% of lots recorded as residential. Despite 51% of lots showing some floor area below their allowance, the median residual is just 0.2 — a stock built close to its recorded capacity. Buildings run to a median of 12.5 stories, with 61% above 6 floors.
What actually stands in this district
Of the designations profiled on these pages, this one is mapped across the most ground: roughly 220 tax lots citywide, more than any other in this set. It also carries the largest recorded housing count — 10,939 units — even though only 37% of its lots are recorded as residential; the remainder is built up enough, and dense enough, to still post the highest unit total here, scale rather than a residential majority driving the number.
On development capacity, 51% of lots record floor area below their allowance, but the median residual is just 0.2 — the narrowest gap in this set. Broad headroom on paper with almost none of it in practice describes a stock built close to what its lots record as allowed, parcel by parcel; the rules tables above carry the specific figures and citations behind that narrow recorded gap.
The recorded stock is majority prewar at 62%, with a median construction year of 1926. The 1945-to-1975 boom left a heavier mark here than in most of this set, contributing 19% of the stock, and 8% has been built since 2000. Office buildings lead the recorded building classes at 31%, with condominiums recorded at 15% — a mixed-use record spanning several building eras rather than one dominant period.
Lots run to a median of 7,541 square feet, with a wide 90th percentile of 32,425 — a fabric that includes some considerably larger parcels alongside the median. Buildings rise to a median of 12.5 stories, among the taller median heights in this set, with 61% recorded above 6 floors. None of these lots, 0%, sit inside the mapped federal flood zone on the current map — worth noting as a map fact rather than a claim about flood risk on this much ground.
Scale is the throughline for this designation: the most tax lots, the most recorded housing units, and one of the narrower recorded development gaps in this set, all in the same file. That combination describes a stock already built up close to what its lots record as allowed, more so than several of the smaller designations profiled elsewhere on these pages. The rules tables above carry the specific figures behind that narrow gap, lot by lot, with citations attached. Given how many parcels this designation covers, the citywide averages here rest on a broader base than most of the smaller designations in this set, which makes the recorded figures more representative than a small-sample designation's would be.
Bulk rules for C6-6
| 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. | 10 | 15 | 15 | NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 33-451, § 34-112 |
| As of right — wide street§ 33-432 slope differs by street type: 2.7:1 narrow / 5.6:1 wide. | 10 | 15 | 15 | NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 33-451, § 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 C6-6
- 1 Columbus Circle — 149,560 sq ft lot, 14.05 built FAR, built 2004
- 1111 Avenue of the Amer — 87,863 sq ft lot, 25.55 built FAR, built 2005
- 601 Lexington Avenue — 70,572 sq ft lot, 23.44 built FAR, built 1978
- 1114 Avenue of the Amer — 67,875 sq ft lot, 22.36 built FAR, built 1971
- 1095 Avenue of the Amer — 56,781 sq ft lot, 18.35 built FAR, built 1972
- 919 3 Avenue — 64,768 sq ft lot, 20.43 built FAR, built 1970
- 599 Lexington Avenue — 45,022 sq ft lot, 21.87 built FAR, built 1985
- 1133 Avenue of the Amer — 42,050 sq ft lot, 24.72 built FAR, built 1968
- 1185 Avenue of the Amer — 42,049 sq ft lot, 24.91 built FAR, built 1970
- 888 7 Avenue — 32,425 sq ft lot, 26.72 built FAR, built 1970
- 1177 Avenue of the Amer — 32,134 sq ft lot, 28.41 built FAR, built 1988
- 393 7 Avenue — 57,675 sq ft lot, 19.13 built FAR, built 1926
C6-6 — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in C6-6?
- 10, as of right — narrow street, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 33-451, § 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 C6-6?
- 15, as of right — narrow street, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 33-122, § 33-123, § 33-25, § 33-26, § 33-43, § 33-432, § 33-451, § 34-112. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is C6-6 a contextual district?
- No. C6-6 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 lots carry this designation?
- Roughly 220 tax lots citywide — the largest footprint of any designation in this set.
- How much housing is recorded here?
- 10,939 units, the highest recorded housing count in this set, though only 37% of lots are recorded as residential.
- Is there recorded headroom on lots zoned this way?
- On paper, 51% of lots show floor area below their allowance, but the median residual is just 0.2 — a narrow gap in practice.
- How old are the buildings in this district?
- Majority prewar at 62%, with a median construction year of 1926; the 1945-to-1975 boom added 19% of the stock.
Keep learning
What do the C6-6 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.