Although the citywide storefront vacancy rate is largely improving, stubborn pockets of empty retail spaces remain in parts of Brooklyn, according to a new report from New York City Comptroller Mark Levine.
The Comptroller's office on Thursday released Who’s Minding the Storefront? An Analysis of Storefront Vacancies, an assessment of storefront vacancies across the five boroughs. While the citywide vacancy rate is improving, the study found recovery since the COVID-19 pandemic has been uneven, with as much as 20% of storefronts in some neighborhoods sitting empty, including in Ocean Hill, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Williamsburg and East Flatbush.
The pandemic took a heavy toll on New York City’s storefront businesses. The citywide storefront vacancy rate rose from 10.5% at the beginning of 2020 to 11.6% in late 2023, the first post‑pandemic period with complete data. Since then, the rate has improved and remains above pre‑pandemic levels at 11.0% as of April 15, 2026. Of the 142,000 storefronts in New York City, 15,700 are vacant, according to the report.
Vacancies are concentrated in clusters and storefronts located within one block (250 feet) of a vacancy are 30% more likely to be vacant than the citywide average, the report said.
Although Manhattan has the highest vacancy rate, Brooklyn has the second-highest rate at 12.3%.
Brooklyn shows some of the most widespread elevated vacancy in the city, with Ocean Hill, East New York (North), Bedford‑Stuyvesant (East), Crown Heights (North), and Bedford–Stuyvesant (West) forming a broad zone with vacancy rates above 15%. Additional pockets extend north into Williamsburg and Greenpoint and south into East Flatbush and Flatlands, according to the report.
Businesses tied to food services, like cafes and restaurants, accounted for a large share of total vacancies.
"Retail storefront occupancy is a key indicator of the economic health, vibrancy, and strength of a neighborhood, as well as our entire city,” Levine said in a statement. “This report gives us a clear picture of how we’ve recovered since the pandemic and provides a clear roadmap for the areas we still need to address. As we rethink the future of New York City’s economy, we must remain focused on cultivating the conditions to help entrepreneurs thrive, in turn modernizing, sustaining, and growing our commercial corridors.”
