R8A Zoning District — New York City
R8A is a contextual, medium-density General Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R8A at a glance
It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 6.02. 1,285 tax lots citywide carry R8A as their primary zoning designation.
Bulk rules for R8A
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right | 6.02 | 6.5 | 80% | Base 60–95 ft · Max 125 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431, § 24-11 |
| Qualifying affordable housing | 7.2 | 6.5 | 80% | Base 60–105 ft · Max 145 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431, § 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 R8A
- 465 West 23 Street49,375 sq ft lot · 13.53 built FAR · built 1932
- 415 West 23 Street108,625 sq ft lot · 8.98 built FAR · built 1934
- 35 Irving Place24,764 sq ft lot · 11.65 built FAR · built 1909
- 407 W 206th Street59,949 sq ft lot · 6.37 built FAR · built 2023
- 11 Ocean Parkway46,538 sq ft lot · 8.45 built FAR · built 2022
- 547 West 47th Street30,125 sq ft lot · 6.72 built FAR · built 2020
- 381 2 Avenue36,740 sq ft lot · 9.22 built FAR · built 1931
- 73 Kosciusko Street47,600 sq ft lot · 8.15 built FAR · built 2024
- 21 Irving Place13,585 sq ft lot · 12.21 built FAR · built 1910
- 300 West 122 Street23,521 sq ft lot · 7.07 built FAR · built 2019
- 421 West 35 Street22,467 sq ft lot · 7.94 built FAR · built 2015
- 800 Flatbush Avenue31,855 sq ft lot · 8.19 built FAR · built 2019
R8A — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R8A?
- 6.02, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431, § 24-11. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is R8A a contextual district?
- Yes. R8A 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 R8A?
- 1,285 tax lots citywide carry R8A as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-10-20.
Keep learning
What do the R8A 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.