R1-1 Zoning District — New York City
R1-1 is a low-density Single-Family Detached Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R1-1 is a low-density Single-Family Detached Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City. It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 0.75. 1,618 tax lots citywide carry R1-1 as their primary zoning designation.
Across roughly 1,600 tax lots carrying this designation, the recorded stock leans toward the postwar era: a median construction year of 1965, with 42% of buildings dating to the 1945-1975 boom against just 24% predating 1940. Lots run large for a low-rise designation — a median of 12,762 square feet — and floor-area headroom is close to universal: 98% of lots record built area below their allowance, with 84% of lots coded residential and 1,412 units on file.
What actually stands in this district
Of the three closely related low-rise designations covered in this batch, this one records the latest median construction year: 1965, squarely inside the 1945-to-1975 postwar boom, which itself accounts for 42% of the recorded stock across these roughly 1,600 lots. Only 24% of buildings predate 1940, and 10% have gone up since 2000 — a stock built overwhelmingly in the middle of the twentieth century rather than before or after it. That boom-era weighting is the most distinctive fact in this designation's file, setting it apart from the other two low-rise designations profiled alongside it, both of which carry older recorded medians and a smaller boom-era share. Construction since 2000 still adds a real 10% to the file, keeping the designation from reading as a stock frozen entirely in one decade.
Building class here runs 83% one-family homes, with vacant land recording 13% and outdoor recreational facilities a further 1% — a composition weighted almost entirely toward detached, single-family ground. Land use tracks closely: 84% one- and two-family use, 13% vacant land, and 1% public facilities and institutions. Eighty-four percent of these roughly 1,600 lots are coded residential, and the file counts 1,412 units on record — a modest total, consistent with a designation built around single-family ground rather than multi-unit structures, and with a 13% vacant-land share still recorded on file alongside it.
Lots here run larger than is typical for a low-rise designation: a median of 12,762 square feet, with the 90th percentile reaching 35,588 square feet — sizable ground consistent with the boom-era, lower-density construction the year-built file already points to. Buildings sit at a median of 2 stories, with 0% of the recorded stock rising above 6 floors, a uniformly low-rise profile across the entire file, matching the single-family composition recorded above.
Floor-area headroom is close to universal here: 98% of lots record built area below their recorded allowance, with a median residual of 0.5 FAR — the widest recorded headroom share of the three related designations in this batch. A recorded 6% of lots also carry historic-district status, and 2% sit inside the mapped federal flood zone, both modest overlays on a designation otherwise defined by its boom-era, large-lot character. The specific allowance behind that headroom figure, along with its citation, is set out in the rules tables above, lot by lot.
Bulk rules for R1-1
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right§ 23-21 footnote 1: For standard zoning lots with lot area >= 4,000 sq ft, max residential floor area associated with any single dwelling unit shall not exceed an equivalent FAR of 0.60. | Per § 23-332(a): detached single/two-family residence requires two 8 ft side yards (R1 districts). | Per § 23-361(a): single/two-family residence on interior/through lot. Corner lot 80%; multiple dwelling (where permitted) 80% interior/through, 100% corner. | Per § 23-321(b), corner lots may reduce one front yard by 5 ft (min 5 ft). Per § 23-321(a), qualifying residential sites with lot width >= 150 ft may reduce by 5 ft. | Per § 23-342(a): detached and zero-lot-line buildings require 20 ft rear yard at or below 75 ft (30 ft above 75 ft where permitted). Semi-detached and attached buildings on lots <40 ft wide require 30 ft; on lots >=40 ft wide, 20 ft at or below 75 ft. Per § 23-342(b), shallow interior lots (<95 ft deep, existing pre-12/15/1961) may reduce by 6 in per ft below 95 (min 10 ft). | 0.75 | 1 | 40% | Base 25 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11 |
| Qualifying residential sitePer § 23-21: 'Qualifying residential sites' FAR. Per § 23-333, on qualifying residential sites in R1-R5 no side yards are required (though 5 ft open area along side lot line if provided). Per § 23-321(a), front yard may be reduced by 5 ft on QRS with lot width >= 150 ft (min 5 ft). Per § 23-312(f), no parking permitted in front yard on QRS in R1-R5. | Per § 23-342(a): detached and zero-lot-line buildings require 20 ft rear yard at or below 75 ft (30 ft above 75 ft where permitted). Semi-detached and attached buildings on lots <40 ft wide require 30 ft; on lots >=40 ft wide, 20 ft at or below 75 ft. Per § 23-342(b), shallow interior lots (<95 ft deep, existing pre-12/15/1961) may reduce by 6 in per ft below 95 (min 10 ft). | 1 | 1 | 40% | Base 35 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-424, § 24-11 |
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 residential districts
Residence districts principally allow housing and community facilities. Bulk rules in the NYC Zoning Resolution (§ 23-) control how much floor area a lot can carry and how tall and close to lot lines a building may be.
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 R1-1
- 720 West 231 Street — 229,981 sq ft lot, 0.1 built FAR, built 1936
- Coverly Avenue — 110,665 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- West 261 Street — 5,909,787 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- Hylan Boulevard — 8,537,766 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 4941 Arlington Avenue — 37,848 sq ft lot, 0.48 built FAR, built 1899
- 5040 Independence Avenue — 52,271 sq ft lot, 0.33 built FAR, built 1899
- 3600 Palisade Avenue — 170,000 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 163 Benedict Road — 36,537 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- Ridge Avenue — 190,000 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- Ridge Avenue — 205,000 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- Spaulding Lane — 128,950 sq ft lot, 0 built FAR
- 5525 Independence Avenue — 33,608 sq ft lot, 0.32 built FAR, built 1910
R1-1 — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R1-1?
- 0.75, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is R1-1 a contextual district?
- No. R1-1 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 are zoned R1-1?
- 1,618 tax lots citywide carry R1-1 as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-07-11.
- What era were most of the buildings on these lots constructed?
- Mostly the postwar boom: the median construction year is 1965, and 42% of recorded buildings date to the 1945-1975 boom, against 24% predating 1940 and 10% built since 2000.
- What kind of housing sits on lots with this designation?
- Overwhelmingly one-family homes: 83% of recorded building classes and 84% of land use are one- and two-family, with 1,412 units on record across roughly 1,600 lots.
- How big are the lots under this designation?
- Large for a low-rise designation: a median of 12,762 square feet, with the 90th percentile reaching 35,588 square feet.
- Is there recorded room to build more on these lots?
- Broadly, yes: 98% of lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 0.5 FAR — the widest recorded headroom share among the related designations in this batch. The governing allowance itself is in the rules tables above.
- Do these lots carry historic-district status or sit in a flood zone?
- A modest share of each: 6% carry historic-district status on record, and 2% sit inside the mapped federal flood zone.
Keep learning
What do the R1-1 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.