New Data Shows Scope Of Washington Heights Vacancy Problem

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Residents in Washington Heights have long known that vacant storefronts blighted the neighborhood. Now, recently released data reveals just how severe the trend has become.

The new data shows the lease status of every ground-floor and second-floor commercial space in the five boroughs. The database was created to comply with a 2019 law that required landlords to register their retail spaces — part of a push by the City Council to get a handle on vacancies.

After being delayed by the pandemic, the long-awaited database was published this month. Though the most recent data is from June 2020, it still provides a snapshot of the city's vacancies.

Nearly 130 Vacancies

In Washington Heights — within the 10032 and 10033 ZIP codes — 126 storefronts were not leased as of last June, the data shows. Somewhat surprisingly, the figure is just a small jump from the 116 storefronts that were vacant in the neighborhood as of December 2019.

All told, Broadway had by far the most vacancies of any avenue in Washington Heights, with 28 unleased stores.

The other avenues with the most closures in the neighborhood were Amsterdam with 16, St. Nicholas with nine, and Audubon with nine.

In some cases, the data appears incomplete. Recent closures such as Coogan's at 4015 Broadway are not listed, while other listings likely refer to secondary or second-floor units at addresses that active businesses also reside in.

The secondary unit situation causes certain addresses to get listed twice in the database, signifying one building has two unleased storefronts.

One last thing about the new vacant storefront database, it does not include the names of landlords that keep the properties vacant.

There is, however, a push by elected officials to force building owners to reveal their names rather than hiding behind anonymous LLCs — a move that would pressure them into leasing their storefronts.

For comparison, Harlem has 416 unleased storefronts, the Upper West Side has 183, and the Upper East Side has 435, according to the database.

Here are the 126 unleased storefronts in Washington Heights, according to the database.

1. 425 EDGECOMBE AVENUE
2. 425 EDGECOMBE AVENUE
3. 1893 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
4. 400 WEST 155 STREET
5. 473 WEST 158 TH STREET
6. 473 WEST 158 TH STREET
7. 1969 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
8. 1969 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
9. 1973 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
10. 2083 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
11. 2129 AMSTERDAM AVE
12. 475 WEST 165 STREET
13. 446 WEST 167 STREET
14. 3750 BROADWAY
15. 554 WEST 158TH STREET
16. 552 WEST 158TH STREET
17. 553-555 WEST 157TH STREET
18. 3792 BROADWAY
19. 3790 BROADWAY
20. 3788 BROADWAY
21. 1980 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
22. 531 WEST 159TH STREET
23. 555 WEST 160TH STREET
24. 3856 BROADWAY
25. 577 WEST 161 STREET
26. 2106 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
27. 2102 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
28. 1051 ST. NICHOLAS AVENUE
29. 3910 BROADWAY
30. 3910 BROADWAY
31. 3910 BROADWAY
32. 3910 BROADWAY
33. 2140 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
34. 500 WEST 168
35. 2176 AMSTERDAM
36. 2176 AMSTERDAM AVE
37. 501 WEST 167 STREET
38. 501 WEST 167 STREET
39. 61 AUDUBON AVENUE
40. 500 WEST 170 STREET, STORE2
41. 104 AUDUBON AVENUE
42. 1250 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
43. 571 WEST 173 STREET
44. 175 AUDUBON AVENUE
45. 562 WEST 175 STREET
46. 188 AUDUBON AVENUE
47. 188 AUDUBON AVENUE
48. 2308 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
49. 2308 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
50. 2304 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
51. 219 AUDUBON AVENUE
52. 219 AUDUBON AVENUE
53. 1318 SAINT NICHOLAS AVENUE
54. 1314 SAINT NICHOLAS AVENUE
55. 206 AUDUBON AVENUE
56. 1326B ST. NICHOLAS AVE
57. 599 WEST 177 STREET STORE #1
58. 600 WEST 157 STREET
59. 601 WEST 156TH STREET STORE# 2
60. 3799 BROADWAY
61. 3821 BROADWAY
62. 3841 BROADWAY
63. 3841 BROADWAY
64. 3841 BROADWAY
65. 3841 BROADWAY
66. 600 WEST 162ND STREET STORE# 7
67. 3931 BROADWAY
68. 703 WEST 171 STREET
69. 4068 BROADWAY
70. 4066 BROADWAY
71. 4064 BROADWAY
72. 1249 ST. NICHOLAS AVE
73. 630 WEST 173 STORE #6
74. 4105 BROADWAY
75. 4103 BROADWAY
76. 4101 BROADWAY
77. 715 WEST 175TH STREET
78. 635 WEST 174TH STREET
79. 635 WEST 174TH STREET
80. 1271 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
81. 4130 BROADWA Y
82. 4126 BROADWA Y
83. 1291 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
84. 4160 BROADWA Y SECOND FLOOR
85. 4168 BROADWAY
86. 519 WEST 179 STREET
87. 519 WEST 179 STREET
88. 1380 ST NICHOLAS
89. 564 WEST 181 STREET
90. 564 WEST 181 STREET
91. 541-7 WEST 180TH STREET STORE# 3
92. 549 WEST 180 STREET
93. 549 WEST 180 STREET
94. 575 WEST 181 STREET
95. 575 WEST 181 STREET
96. 575 WEST 181 STREET
97. 575 WEST 181 STREET
98. 1428 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
99. 571 WEST 181 STREET
100. 2502 AMSTERDAM AVENUE
101. 1506 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
102. 547 WEST 186 STREET
103. 547 WEST 186 STREET
104. 380 AUDUBON AVENUE
105. 619 WEST 179 STREET
106. 614A WEST 181ST STREET
107. 604 WEST 181ST STREET
108. 660 WEST 180 STORE #8
109. 660 WEST 180 STORE #2
110. 4250 BROADWAY
111. 4250 BROADWAY
112. 4250 BROADWAY
113. 4250 BROADWAY
114. 1425 ST. NICHOLAS AVENUE
115. 1495 ST NICHOLAS AVE
116. 1479 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
117. 1479 ST NICHOLAS AVENUE
118. 736 WEST 181 STREET
119. 728 WEST 181 STREET
120. 720 WEST 181 STREET
121. 40 PINEHURST AVENUE
122. 40 PINEHURST AVENUE
123. 469 FORT WASHINGTON AVENUE
124. 801 WEST 181 STREET
125. 810A W 187 ST
126. 4309 BROADWAY

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.