Retail space for lease in Chinatown
Chinatown is a dense neighborhood of tenements and loft buildings east of Lafayette Street, where storefronts, restaurants and food wholesalers fill nearly every ground floor along Canal, Mott, Grand and East Broadway. Space comes in small units: ground-floor stores, upper-floor offices and walk-up suites, with a few larger loft floors near Canal Street.
- Retail stock
- 2.1M SF
- Retail properties
- 633
- Largest retail
- 88 East Broadway
- Transit
- J Z N Q R W 6 at Canal St
Building figures are existing stock from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax lot records, not space on the market. More below.
On Leasemark No retail space for lease and no requirements posted in Chinatown yet. Post yours and it is matched the day it goes up.
Nothing listed here yet
New retail spaces in Chinatown are matched to requirements the day they are posted. Post yours and be first in line.
For owners and brokers
Hear the moment a tenant looks for retail space in Chinatown
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NYC storefront registry
Storefronts in Chinatown
How many shopfronts the city's registry counts here and how many stood empty at the end of 2024: a quick read on how much choice a retail or restaurant tenant has.
- Registered storefronts
- 829
- Vacant on Dec 31, 2024
- 72
- Vacancy rate
- 8.7%
- NYC 8.7%
- A year earlier
- 10.9%
- fewer empty now
Streets with the most storefronts in Chinatown
Storefront vacancy across New York City
Source: NYC Department of Finance, Storefronts Reported Vacant or Not (Local Law 157), annual filings, pulled 2026-10-03. Owners of buildings with ground- or second-floor storefronts register each one every year with its status on December 31. Neighborhood figures count storefronts near the neighborhood's commercial core, the same area as the building figures on this page. A vacant storefront is not always on the market: some are being renovated, held empty or already leased to a tenant who has not moved in.
NYC tax lot records
Retail buildings in Chinatown
What already stands here, from the city's own property data. Useful for sizing a search before a single space is listed.
- Retail space
- 2.1M SF
- Properties with retail space
- 633
- All commercial space
- 6.8M SF
- Built before 1940
- 89%
Largest retail buildings
All 2 large commercial buildings in ChinatownAge, height and zoning
- Median year built: 1910.
- Median height: 5 floors.
- Most common zoning districts: C6-1G (344), C6-1 (158), C6-2G (138).
- 11 lots are designated city landmarks.
Source: NYC Department of City Planning, PLUTO 26v2, pulled 2026-10-03. Counts cover tax lots with commercial floor area within about 0.2 mi of Chinatown's commercial core, and each lot counts toward one neighborhood only, so boundaries are approximate. Building figures are the city's floor-area estimates, not available space.
MTA station data
Subway stations in Chinatown
Every station within about 0.5 mi of Chinatown's commercial core, closest first. Stations joined by a free transfer count once.
- Stations
- 7
- Subway lines
- 13
- Fully accessible
- 2 of 7
- Closest
- Grand St, 4 min walk
The 7 stations
- Grand St
- Canal St
- Bowery
- East Broadway
- Chambers St
- Spring St
- Delancey St-Essex St
Lines
The 4, 5, 6, B, D, F, J, M, N, Q, R, W and Z trains stop within about 0.5 mi of Chinatown's core.
Step-free access
- Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z) is fully accessible.
- Chambers St (J Z) is fully accessible.
Source: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA Subway Stations, pulled 2026-10-03. Walking times are straight-line estimates from the nearest point of Chinatown's commercial core (the same area as the building counts), so the street route is longer. Accessibility is the MTA's rating for the named station. PATH, LIRR, Metro-North and ferries are not in this data.
Before you sign
Plain-English guides to square footage, rent and lease terms in New York, and free calculators to run your own numbers.
Retail lease terms in New York: percentage rent, escalations and more
A New York retail lease covers much more than rent. Here is what percentage rent, escalations, pass-throughs, use clauses and restaurant terms mean for you.
Gross vs net leases in NYC: what tenants actually pay
Gross, modified gross or triple net: how NYC leases split taxes, operating costs and electricity, what the asking rent leaves out, and how to compare two spaces fairly.
How to read a New York commercial lease, clause by clause
Walk through a New York commercial lease clause by clause: rent start, escalations, deposit and guaranty, use, alterations, subletting, default and the end of the term.
Questions about retail space in Chinatown
How much does retail space cost in Chinatown?
Pricing depends on building class, floor, condition and lease length. Post a requirement with your budget and Leasemark will match you with spaces that fit it as they are listed.
How do I find retail space in Chinatown that is not publicly listed?
Post a requirement on Leasemark. Owners and listing brokers see what you need (without your contact details) and can respond with spaces, including ones that are not on the market yet. You choose who gets an intro.
How much retail space is there in Chinatown?
New York City's PLUTO tax lot data (26v2) records about 2.1 million square feet of retail floor area across 633 properties in the part of Chinatown Leasemark covers. The largest by that measure is 88 East Broadway, at about 51,000 square feet. That is the existing building stock, not space currently for lease.
How many storefronts are vacant in Chinatown?
Owners registered 829 ground- and second-floor storefronts in the part of Chinatown Leasemark covers for the end of 2024, and 72 of them (8.7%) stood vacant on December 31, 2024, against 8.7% citywide and 10.9% here a year earlier. The most storefronts are on Mott Street (89) and Bowery (85). A vacant storefront is not always on the market: some are being renovated, held empty or already leased to a tenant who has not moved in.
What subway lines serve Chinatown?
Seven subway stations sit within about 0.5 mi of Chinatown's commercial core, served by the 4, 5, 6, B, D, F, J, M, N, Q, R, W and Z trains. The closest is Grand St (B D), roughly 4 minutes on foot; then Canal St (6 J N Q R W Z), Bowery (J Z), East Broadway (F), Chambers St (J Z 4 5 6), Spring St (6) and Delancey St-Essex St (F J M Z). Walking times are straight-line estimates from MTA station data.
Do tenants in Chinatown pay the NYC Commercial Rent Tax?
Yes, for larger leases. Chinatown is in Manhattan below 96th Street, where the city's Commercial Rent Tax applies. A tenant owes it only when base rent for the space is $250,000 a year or more. The tax is 6% of base rent after a 35% reduction, so 3.9% of rent, with a sliding credit between $250,000 and $300,000, and the Small Business Tax Credit wipes it out for businesses with total income of $5 million or less and base rent under $500,000.
Is it free to post on Leasemark?
Yes. Posting a space or a requirement is free. Contact details are only shared when both sides accept an intro.