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…