C6-9 Zoning District — New York City
C6-9 is a high-density General Central Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
C6-9 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. 49 tax lots citywide carry C6-9 as their primary zoning designation.
This designation records the widest flood exposure of any residential-leaning district in this set: 88% of its roughly 49 tax lots sit inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area. It is also among the most recently built — 23% of recorded buildings date from 2000 or later, and 28% from the 1945-to-1975 boom, against a median construction year of 1961. Buildings rise to a median of 21 stories, with 76% above 6 floors.
What actually stands in this district
Of the designations covered on these pages, this one carries the widest recorded flood exposure short of the most exposed one in this set: 88% of its roughly 49 tax lots fall inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area. That is a statement about the current federal flood map, checkable lot by lot, not a claim about what has or has not flooded on the ground at any given parcel.
The building-year records here lean more recent than most designations in this set: 23% of buildings date from 2000 or later, and 28% from the 1945-to-1975 boom — both among the highest shares recorded in this batch. Even so, 44% of the stock predates 1940, and the median construction year is 1961, describing a mix of old and recently added buildings rather than a single dominant era of construction.
Land use splits evenly between mixed residential-and-commercial use and commercial-and-office use, each covering 33% of lots, with multi-family elevator use adding 10%. Condominiums lead the recorded building classes at 23%, with elevator apartment buildings at 15%. Residential use overall covers 44% of lots, with 4,525 units on record — a sizable housing count sitting largely inside the mapped flood zone described above.
Buildings rise to a median of 21 stories, with 76% of the recorded stock above 6 floors, on lots running to a median of 12,603 square feet and a 90th percentile of 30,080. On development capacity, 47% of lots show floor area below their allowance, though the median residual is 0 — little recorded gap on a typical lot despite the broad share showing some, a pattern that recurs across several of the taller designations in this set.
The file for this designation combines two threads that do not always travel together elsewhere in this set: a wide recorded flood exposure and a comparatively modern, tall building stock still being added to in recent decades. Roughly 49 tax lots carry the designation in total, and the records show construction continuing well after 2000 even as the flood map covers most of the same ground. Each lot's own page carries the specific figures behind these citywide numbers, and the rules tables above carry the governing allowances that sit behind the recorded development gap described earlier. Few other designations in this set pair that much recent construction with that much recorded flood exposure on the same ground, a combination that makes this file worth a closer read than its modest lot count might suggest.
Bulk rules for C6-9
| 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 C6-9
- 43 Water Street — 160,692 sq ft lot, 22.89 built FAR, built 1973
- 77 Front Street — 42,176 sq ft lot, 23.08 built FAR, built 1987
- 111 Wall Street — 48,741 sq ft lot, 20.32 built FAR, built 1968
- 50 West Street — 18,206 sq ft lot, 21.25 built FAR, built 2014
- 77 Water Street — 25,779 sq ft lot, 21.01 built FAR, built 1969
- 95 Wall Street — 22,957 sq ft lot, 20.62 built FAR, built 1969
- 100 Flatbush Avenue — 12,603 sq ft lot, 25.4 built FAR, built 2021
- 120 Wall Street — 23,475 sq ft lot, 24.81 built FAR, built 1929
- 13 Rector Street — 24,470 sq ft lot, 14.96 built FAR, built 1956
- 88 Pine Street — 27,600 sq ft lot, 24.09 built FAR, built 1973
- 56 Greenwich Street — 183,456 sq ft lot, 1.05 built FAR, built 1949
- 123 Washington Street — 14,217 sq ft lot, 21.99 built FAR, built 2007
C6-9 — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in C6-9?
- 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 C6-9?
- 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 C6-9 a contextual district?
- No. C6-9 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.
- Are lots with this designation in a flood zone?
- Widely: 88% of its roughly 49 tax lots sit inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, one of the higher shares in this set.
- How recently were these buildings built?
- More recently than most in this set: 23% of recorded buildings date from 2000 or later, and 28% from the 1945-to-1975 boom.
- How tall are the buildings in this district?
- A median of 21 stories, with 76% of recorded buildings above 6 floors.
- How much housing is recorded here?
- 44% of lots are recorded as residential, with 4,525 units on the books.
Keep learning
What do the C6-9 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.