R3A Zoning District — New York City
R3A is a contextual, low-density Detached Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R3A at a glance
It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 0.75. 54,553 tax lots citywide carry R3A as their primary zoning designation.
Bulk rules for R3A
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right | 0.75 | 1 | Base 25 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11 |
| Qualifying residential site | 1 | 1 | Base 35 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-424, § 24-11 |
Values from the NYC Zoning Resolution, verified 2026-10-06; 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 R3A
- Cross Bay Boulevard6,100,680 sq ft lot · 0 built FAR
- 118-35 Farmers Boulevard40,209 sq ft lot · 2.01 built FAR · built 2016
- Cross Bay Boulevard2,409,539 sq ft lot · 0 built FAR
- 87 62 Avenue33,649 sq ft lot · 1.34 built FAR · built 1989
- 5676 Riverdale Avenue25,933 sq ft lot · 1.77 built FAR · built 1983
- 3779 East Tremont Avenue30,575 sq ft lot · 0.65 built FAR · built 1970
- 570 Tompkins Avenue34,983 sq ft lot · 0.32 built FAR · built 2009
- Billop Avenue81,900 sq ft lot · 0 built FAR
- 20 Merle Place40,000 sq ft lot · 1.53 built FAR · built 1964
- 4051 Hylan Boulevard42,100 sq ft lot · 0.3 built FAR · built 2013
- 6655 Broadway15,825 sq ft lot · 6 built FAR · built 1929
- 147-10 84 Road25,000 sq ft lot · 2.6 built FAR · built 1952
R3A — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R3A?
- 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 R3A a contextual district?
- Yes. R3A is a contextual district — its bulk rules pair floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights intended to mirror existing neighborhood form.
- How many tax lots are zoned R3A?
- 54,553 tax lots citywide carry R3A as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-10-20.
Keep learning
What do the R3A 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 2026-10-20.