Restaurant space for lease in Washington Heights
Washington Heights is home to NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center at 168th Street, which anchors Upper Manhattan's medical office market. 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue are busy neighborhood retail and restaurant corridors.
- Retail stock
- 2.7M SF
- Retail properties
- 436
- Largest retail
- 600 West 181st Street
- Transit
- A C at 168 St
Building figures are existing stock from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax lot records, not space on the market. More below.
On Leasemark No restaurant space for lease and no requirements posted in Washington Heights yet. Post yours and it is matched the day it goes up.
Nothing listed here yet
New restaurant spaces in Washington Heights are matched to requirements the day they are posted. Post yours and be first in line.
NYC storefront registry
Storefronts in Washington Heights
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
- 1,112
- Vacant on Dec 31, 2024
- 91
- Vacancy rate
- 8.2%
- NYC 8.7%
- A year earlier
- 6.8%
- more empty now
Streets with the most storefronts in Washington Heights
Storefront vacancy across New York City
Source: NYC Department of Finance, Storefronts Reported Vacant or Not (Local Law 157), annual filings, pulled 2026-10-01. 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 Washington Heights
What already stands here, from the city's own property data. Useful for sizing a search before a single space is listed.
- Retail space
- 2.7M SF
- Properties with retail space
- 436
- All commercial space
- 18.1M SF
- Built before 1940
- 81%
Largest retail buildings
All 2 large commercial buildings in Washington HeightsAge, height and zoning
- Median year built: 1920.
- Median height: 5 floors.
- Most common zoning districts: R7-2 (529), R8 (113), C4-4 (37).
- Historic districts: Audubon Park Historic District (4 lots), Jumel Terrace Historic District (1 lot).
- 7 lots are designated city landmarks.
Source: NYC Department of City Planning, PLUTO 26v2, pulled 2026-09-30. Counts cover tax lots with commercial floor area within about 0.6 mi of Washington Heights' 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 Washington Heights
Every station within about 0.6 mi of Washington Heights' commercial core, closest first. Stations joined by a free transfer count once.
- Stations
- 6
- Subway lines
- 3
- Fully accessible
- 2 of 6
- Closest
- 168 St-Washington Hts, 1 min walk
The 6 stations
- 168 St-Washington Hts
- 175 St
- 181 St
- 181 St
- 163 St-Amsterdam Av
- 157 St
Lines
The 1, A and C trains stop within about 0.6 mi of Washington Heights' core.
Step-free access
- 175 St (A) is fully accessible.
- 181 St (A) is fully accessible.
Source: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA Subway Stations, pulled 2026-09-30. Walking times are straight-line estimates from the nearest point of Washington Heights' 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 restaurant space in Washington Heights
How much does restaurant space cost in Washington Heights?
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 restaurant space in Washington Heights 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 Washington Heights?
New York City's PLUTO tax lot data (26v2) records about 2.7 million square feet of retail floor area across 436 properties in the part of Washington Heights Leasemark covers. The largest by that measure is 600 West 181st Street, at about 53,000 square feet. That is the existing building stock, not space currently for lease.
How many storefronts are vacant in Washington Heights?
Owners registered 1,112 ground- and second-floor storefronts in the part of Washington Heights Leasemark covers for the end of 2024, and 91 of them (8.2%) stood vacant on December 31, 2024, against 8.7% citywide and 6.8% here a year earlier. The most storefronts are on Broadway (236) and St. Nicholas Avenue (220). 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 Washington Heights?
Six subway stations sit within about 0.6 mi of Washington Heights' commercial core, served by the 1, A and C trains. The closest is 168 St-Washington Hts (1 A C), roughly 1 minute on foot; then 175 St (A), 181 St (1), 181 St (A), 163 St-Amsterdam Av (C) and 157 St (1). Walking times are straight-line estimates from MTA station data.
Do tenants in Washington Heights pay the NYC Commercial Rent Tax?
No. Washington Heights is north of 96th Street, and the city repealed the Commercial Rent Tax for premises north of the center line of 96th Street, so a commercial lease here does not pay it at any rent. Space south of 96th Street does.
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.