160 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan 10023 is a 5,000 square foot lot zoned R8. RunEnvelope’s engine finds an as-of-right scheme with homes of 43,200 sf (UAP (City of Yes)), against 9,000 sf built on the lot today.
That leaves 34,200 sf more floor area than stands here now, if the existing building were replaced. The largest scheme with homes and no affordability obligation holds 36,000 sf (Max Apartments).
City Planning’s PLUTO file lists a residential FAR of 6.02 for this lot, which at 5,000 sf of land is 30,100 sf. The engine’s largest residential-only scheme without an affordability obligation (Max Apartments) holds 36,000 sf, 19% more than that simple multiplication suggests.
Quality Housing height limit in R8 on a wide street: 135 ft (175 ft with the affordability preference). From the district’s rule set.
The largest 6 as-of-right schemes RunEnvelope’s engine produced for this lot, by zoning floor area. A full study also models the building itself: floor plates, heights, setbacks, unit mix and parking.
| Scheme | Type | Floor area | FAR | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAP (City of Yes) | Income-restricted housing | 43,200 | 8.64 | 47 |
| AIRS Senior Housing (100% Affordable) | Income-restricted housing | 43,200 | 8.64 | 47 |
| Max Apartments | Housing | 36,000 | 7.20 | 75 |
| Commercial Overlay | Mixed use with homes | 36,000 | 7.20 | 35 |
| Existing Building: Retain & Enlarge (ZR 54-31) | Keeps existing building | 36,000 | 7.20 | None |
| Shared Housing (SRO) | Shared housing (rooms) | 35,892 | 7.18 | 121 rooms |
Floor area is zoning floor area in square feet. Highlighted: the largest scheme with homes. Income-restricted schemes (Universal Affordability Preference, AIRS senior housing) require a share or all of the homes to be affordable. Shared housing counts rooms, not apartments. Schemes that need a landmark transfer of development rights, the FRESH food store bonus or a stack of every program are left off this page; the full study shows them.
As-of-right only: what the Zoning Resolution allows without a variance, special permit or rezoning. Computed by RunEnvelope’s zoning engine on October 21, 2026 from PLUTO 26v2 lot data, in screening mode: the engine uses the City’s recorded lot area and dimensions, not a surveyed lot outline.
This is not a professional opinion, an appraisal or a statement that anything will or should be built here. Existing tenants, leases and the owner’s plans are not part of it.
Why this lot has a page: we publish pages only for lots that clear a set of data quality and headroom tests.
The closest published lots in Manhattan, same zoning district first. All Manhattan lots.