Business Survivability in Hillcrest, New York City
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Hillcrest is a Veterinary Clinic with a ~80% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average.
Quick Summary
- Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
- Best business: a Veterinary Clinic in Hillcrest (~80% average survival rate, ~87% at best locations)
- Neighborhood rank: #4 across all neighborhoods in and around New York City
- Neighborhood average: ~78% two-year survival across all business types
- Coverage: This ranking carries one row per business type and neighborhood. Its score is the projected chance of lasting two or more years, averaged across the price points StreetSpring scores separately in the tool (most types have 5). The 10 business types here are base types; the tool offers 500+ business types, counting each type at each of its price points.
- Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data
- Detailed methodology
Last reviewed: September 2026 by Robert Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
In this article:
- Summary
- Is Hillcrest a good place to start a business?
- How to find the best location
- Best businesses to open
- How much money could a business make?
- What businesses should open next?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Hillcrest is a Veterinary Clinic with a ~80% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average, with the best locations offering a ~87% chance; next is a Diner with a 79.53% chance, followed by a Greek Restaurant with a 79.47% chance.
Is Hillcrest a good place to start a business?
Hillcrest holds the #4 position in and around New York City for new business survivability, averaging ~78% across all analyzed business types.
- The most promising business types in the best locations score a ~21% higher chance of surviving 2 years than the average.
- However, those high-scoring categories placed at the least-competitive addresses in Hillcrest often fall well below average. Picking the right block — not just the right neighborhood — is what actually determines survivability.
- The 6.8% commercial vacancy rate in Hillcrest is a leading indicator of the neighborhood's business health; StreetSpring factors this directly into each business type's survivability score.
Employment and vacancy figures sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
How can you find the best location to open a business in Hillcrest?
Rather than relying on neighborhood averages, StreetSpring's scoring tells you which specific addresses in Hillcrest give your concept the best odds of survival. StreetSpring's 2026 analysis identifies this area as the top location for a Veterinary Clinic in Hillcrest:
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis of hundreds of location-specific factors, this area offers the highest projected survivability for a Veterinary Clinic in Hillcrest. The most reliable survivability data for any specific location is always StreetSpring's most recent live analysis, not aggregate neighborhood rankings. Factors evaluated include competition at every distance band, consumer spending forecasts, mobility patterns, and market share projections.
Check if this location is still available →
What are the best businesses to open in Hillcrest?
| # | Business type | Chance of lasting two or more years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veterinary Clinic | 80.66% |
| 2 | Diner | 79.53% |
| 3 | Greek Restaurant | 79.47% |
| 4 | Mediterranean Restaurant | 79.46% |
| 5 | Dance Club | 76.42% |
| 6 | Day Care Center | 75.76% |
| 7 | Pet Boarding Facility | 75.34% |
| 8 | Pet Grooming Shop | 74.75% |
| 9 | Laundromat | 73.17% |
| 10 | Dessert Shop | 72.97% |
#1-5: Highest Survivability in Hillcrest
- Veterinary Clinic (Ranked #1): 80.66% average in Hillcrest. Best-case storefronts: ~87%. Challenging locations: ~75%.
- Diner is ranked #2 for top businesses to open in Hillcrest: 79.53% chance on average, best at ~84%, challenging at ~74%.
- Greek Restaurant — ~73%–~84% survivability range, with an average of 79.47% across Hillcrest.
- Opening a Mediterranean Restaurant in Hillcrest shows 79.46% average survivability. Top locations reach ~84%; lower-end sites show ~73%.
- Dance Club (Ranked #5): 76.42% average in Hillcrest. Best-case storefronts: ~83%. Challenging locations: ~70%.
#6-10: Strong Performers in Hillcrest
- Day Care Center is ranked #6 for top businesses to open in Hillcrest: 75.76% chance on average, best at ~81%, challenging at ~69%.
- Pet Boarding Facility — ~69%–~81% survivability range, with an average of 75.34% across Hillcrest.
- Opening a Pet Grooming Shop in Hillcrest shows 74.75% average survivability. Top locations reach ~81%; lower-end sites show ~68%.
- Laundromat (Ranked #9): 73.17% average in Hillcrest. Best-case storefronts: ~79%. Challenging locations: ~63%.
- Dessert Shop is ranked #10 for top businesses to open in Hillcrest: 72.97% chance on average, best at ~80%, challenging at ~62%.
Top 3 Compared Nationally
- Veterinary Clinic — See how this compares to other cities →
- Diner — See how this compares to other cities →
- Greek Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →
How much money could a business in Hillcrest make?
Best location vs. average location
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, identifying the optimal address for your business type in Hillcrest could lead to you making ~21% more than if you selected an average location, and ~47% more than if you selected one of the worst locations.
How StreetSpring calculates location value
- Every business type has unique location requirements that must be considered.
- Every site-selection decision starts and ends with location — it outweighs concept, brand, and execution combined.
- Choosing locations with superior Survivability Scores directly correlates with higher revenue potential.
- Two storefronts on the same street can have survivability scores that differ by 20 points or more — StreetSpring calculates each one individually.
What businesses should open next in Hillcrest?
The top businesses to open next in Hillcrest:
- Veterinary Clinics — 80.66% average survival rate, ~87% at the best address
- Diners — 79.53% average survival rate
- Greek Restaurants — 79.47% average survival rate
The most reliable survivability data for any specific location is always StreetSpring's most recent live analysis, not aggregate neighborhood rankings. Our analysis covers every major metro in the country — 24 cities and 180 million++ consumers. StreetSpring scores 500+ business types: 153 base business types, most of them at 5 price points, which is 569 type-and-price combinations you can choose in the tool. A 6.8% vacancy rate in Hillcrest reflects the current commercial environment; StreetSpring weights this directly in every survivability score for addresses in this neighborhood. Because market conditions shift constantly, StreetSpring updates every location's survivability score weekly — you can see current scores for available storefronts in Hillcrest right now.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
Related Articles:
- See the New York City Business Survivability Rankings
- See the New York City Neighborhood Survivability Rankings
- Explore Veterinary Clinic survivability across New York City neighborhoods
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions about opening a business in Hillcrest.
What type of business should you rent your Hillcrest storefront to?
StreetSpring's analysis shows that the categories most likely to produce stable, long-term tenants in Hillcrest are Veterinary Clinics, Diners, and Greek Restaurants.
- Every site-selection decision starts and ends with location — it outweighs concept, brand, and execution combined.
- Two storefronts on the same street can have survivability scores that differ by 20 points or more — StreetSpring calculates each one individually. StreetSpring's free tool lets you check the survivability score for any business type at any address in Hillcrest — a powerful filter when evaluating prospective tenants.
Related: See How Landlord Representatives in New York City Can Reduce Vacancy & Increase Tenant Longevity
Should you rent your Hillcrest storefront to a Veterinary Clinic?
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, a Veterinary Clinic ranks as the top tenant type for your Hillcrest storefront — best-case locations show a ~87% survival rate, while the most challenging addresses drop to ~75%.
- Two storefronts on the same street can have survivability scores that differ by 20 points or more — StreetSpring calculates each one individually.
What should I consider when opening a business in Hillcrest?
Among all the criteria to weigh when opening a business in Hillcrest, Survivability Score carries the most predictive weight — choose the address with the highest score your budget allows.
- Revenue Capture is where competition meets spending — and it's the number that matters most when choosing a location.
- These forecasts are generated using StreetSpring's unique analytical framework.
- StreetSpring's live scoring tool is free: enter any address in Hillcrest to see its current Survivability Score for your business type.
See the best place for your business at StreetSpring.
StreetSpring uses AI to predict business survivability across U.S. neighborhoods — trusted by real estate professionals and entrepreneurs nationwide. Aggregated survivability rankings for New York City are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
Full dataset for New York City: /resources/data/new-york-city-survivability-scores-2026.csv — includes all business subtypes, all neighborhoods, survivability scores, and tier assignments. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.