Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Manhattan
Storefront Tracker
Storefront Tracker
Total Storefronts in Manhattan
37,345
Active commercial storefronts, current
Manhattan Vacancy Rate
13.74%
2.58 pts above citywide average
▲ Above citywide 11.16%
NYC Citywide Vacancy
11.16%
Baseline comparison across all five boroughs
✓ Benchmark reference
16,247
Storefronts Closed Since Q1 2020
15,248
New Storefronts Opened Since Q1 2020
47.2%
Of Current Storefronts Are Post-Pandemic Businesses
Vacancy Intelligence
Storefront Vacancy Rate by Community District — October 2025
#1
Lower ManhattanCommunity District 1
22.11%
#2
LES & East VillageCommunity District 3
15.43%
#3
Central HarlemCommunity District 10
15.23%
#4
East SideCommunity District 6
15.21%
#5
MidtownCommunity District 5
15.15%
#6
East HarlemCommunity District 11
14.95%
#7
Chelsea & Hell's KitchenCommunity District 4
14.10%
#8
West Village & SoHoCommunity District 2
13.86%
#9
Upper East SideCommunity District 8
10.64%
#10
Upper West SideCommunity District 7
9.53%
#11
West HarlemCommunity District 9
9.07%
#12
Washington Heights & InwoodCommunity District 12
8.25%
Vacancy Rate Recovery
Change in vacancy, Oct 2023 – Oct 2025 · All 12 districts improved
Non-Resident Foot Traffic
Non-resident visits, Nov 2024 – Apr 2025 (Placer.ai)
"
It's almost like being visited by the mob… Property tax, fines, and costs are so overblown that it's hard to talk about it.
— SURVEY RESPONDENT · MISC. RETAIL · MANHATTAN RETAIL STOREFRONT WELLBEING SURVEY, FALL 2025
Overall Business Health
Survey of 129 storefront owners, Fall 2025
About Average
45%
Somewhat Poor
25%
Good / Excellent
30%
Nearly half of businesses rate their health as average, while 1 in 4 are struggling.
NYC Government Effectiveness
Perceived effectiveness in promoting retail small business wellbeing
Very Ineffective
42%
Somewhat Ineffective
26%
Other / Effective
32%
Survey Intelligence
Top Operational Burdens — Fall 2025 Survey
Compliance Costs
Respondents report that time and resources spent on licensing and government compliance have increased significantly — becoming one of the primary drags on profitability.
Quality of Life
Cleanliness, unlicensed vendors, and safety concerns are frequently cited as deterrents to foot traffic — affecting customer experience and revenue directly.
Infrastructure
Long-term construction and scaffolding are major physical barriers, often obscuring storefronts for years and suppressing walk-in customer volume.
District Intelligence
Community District Profiles
District 01
Lower Manhattan
Vacancy
22.11%
Rank #1 Highest
Foot Traffic
56.2M
Rank #4
Top Business Needs
District 02
West Village & SoHo
Vacancy
13.86%
Rank #8
Foot Traffic
70.7M
Rank #3
Top Business Needs
District 03
LES & East Village
Vacancy
15.43%
Rank #2 Highest
Foot Traffic
46.8M
Rank #7
Top Business Needs
District 04
Chelsea & Hell's Kitchen
Vacancy
14.10%
Rank #7
Foot Traffic
82.2M
Rank #2
Top Business Needs
District 05
Midtown
Vacancy
15.15%
Rank #5
Foot Traffic
186.2M
Rank #1
Top Business Needs
District 06
East Side
Vacancy
15.21%
Rank #4
Foot Traffic
48.3M
Rank #6
Top Business Needs
District 07
Upper West Side
Vacancy
9.53%
Rank #10
Foot Traffic
37.9M
Rank #8
Top Business Needs
District 08
Upper East Side
Vacancy
10.64%
Rank #9
Foot Traffic
51.9M
Rank #5
Top Business Needs
District 09
West Harlem
Vacancy
9.07%
Rank #11
Foot Traffic
18.4M
Rank #12
Top Business Needs
District 10
Central Harlem
Vacancy
15.23%
Rank #3
Foot Traffic
19.0M
Rank #11
Top Business Needs
District 11
East Harlem
Vacancy
14.95%
Rank #6
Foot Traffic
24.6M
Rank #10
Top Business Needs
District 12
Washington Heights & Inwood
Vacancy
8.25%
Rank #12 Lowest
Foot Traffic
24.6M
Rank #9
Top Business Needs
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Data sources: Live XYZ · Placer.ai · NYC SBRN · Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Survey
UPDATED BIANNUALLY