Circa Central Park replaced a gas station on Frederick Douglass Circle.

Mapping the many gas stations lost to NYC’s development boom

There are now only 50 gas stations open to the public in Manhattan

By Breanna Reeves Jul 19, 2017, 1:14pm EDT

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Circa Central Park replaced a gas station on Frederick Douglass Circle.

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By Breanna Reeves Jul 19, 2017, 1:14pm EDT

7 comments / new

New York City’s gas stations have always been eyed as development sites, but the rate at which they’ve been gobbled up by developers has accelerated since 2008. The New York Times reports that since that year, about 30 have disappeared from the city, leaving only 50 gas stations open to the public in Manhattan—a number that is dwindling as bids for land grow.

Brooklyn is not faring much better. In a 2017 report, borough president Eric Adams noted that 12 gas station locations throughout the borough could be lost in the coming two to three years, including fuel stops in Bushwick, Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, and Sunset Park.

For a city that acts so dependent on cars, New York is turning on the sites that cater to this form of transportation. It’s not only gas stations that are disappearing, but parking garages and lots as well. Drivers beware: The below locations are no longer open if you need to fuel up, but if it’s an apartment you’re looking for, you may be in luck.

540-544 Hudson Street

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With the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, this site could soon be home to a seven-story building designed by Morris Adjmi. The site was once home to a gas station that was built in 1927, but it has been owned by William Gottlieb Real Estate since 1981. The proposed design will be heard by the LPC on July 25.

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540 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

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615 Tenth Avenue

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Xinyuan Real Estate has officially broken ground on a mixed-use project that will rise on the onetime site of a Hess Express gas station. The development, which will be called the "Manhattan Hudson Garden Project," will have condos, along with a Target at its base.

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615 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036

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300 Lafayette

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Last April, the long-standing BP gas station at the corner of East Houston and Lafayette streets closed only to be replaced by an 80,000-square-foot office building designed by COOKFOX. The gas station was the last to close in "Gasoline Alley."

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300 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

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285 W 110th Street

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Circa Central Park is now well on its way to completion on what was once BP gas station on the border of the Upper West Side and Harlem. The building, developed by Artimus Construction, stands 11 stories tall and 38 market-rate apartments, along with 11 affordable units. FXFOWLE, who designed the building, also did the swanky interiors.

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285 W 110th St, New York, NY 10026

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24 Second Avenue

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AORE Holdings LLC purchased what used to be a BP gas station for $32 million in 2014, and the station has since been demolished to make way for 31 condos. The 10-story building will have over 5,000 square-feet of retail space and 45,000 square feet of residential space.

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24 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

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11 Avenue C

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The East Village lost another gas station in 2014, paving the way for a 10-story, 46-unit residential building to rise on the corner of East Houston Street and Avenue C. The site was previously home to a Mobil station. Developer BLDG Management contracted Rotwein & Blake Associated Architects to design the building.

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11 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009

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325 Henry Street

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The former site of a Shell gas station in Cobbie Hill is on the way to being replaced by a boutique building with just eight condos. Sales for its apartments launched last spring.

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325 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

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119 W 145th Street

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Manhattan’s already dwindling number of gas stations took a hit earlier this year, when three Harlem gas stations closed along West 145th Street. The former Getty gas station at 119 W 145th Street was sold for $4.62 million to Platinum Realty Associates, and it will likely be replaced by a glassy building of some sort.

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119 W 145th St, New York, NY 10039

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150 West 145th Street

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Further down the street sits an unused Mobil station. It sold for $10.1 million in February 2017 to Israel Weinberger of Coltown Properties.

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150-154 W 145th St, New York, NY 10039

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124 W 145th Street

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Cowlton Properties also snagged a closed Speedway station next door to its Mobil acquistion; that deal closed for $6.75 million in December 2016.

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124 W 145th St, New York, NY 10039

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The Speedway and Mobil were purchased by residential developer Coltown Properties.

1039 Coney Island Avenue

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The former site of a Flatbush gas station will be replaced by a three-story commercial building, with plans for the development being filed late last year.

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1039 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235

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239 Tenth Avenue

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Named after the Getty gas station it replaced, this luxe High Line condo, is on track to being completed sometime this summer. The building was designed by Peter Marino, and will have only a few pricey condos, along with a museum at its base.