Hidden in this Reuters piece moaning that the national office vacancy rate hit a 16-year high in 2009 is a bit of more cheery news for District residents who care about such things: According to a report from Reis, Inc., our vacancy rate is the lowest in the country, at 10.4 percent. That’s the first time we’ve beat out New York City, which is looking flabby at 11.7 percent. And it’s on top of the huge amount of new space that came online over the same period. Rents are down 4.5 percent, the Journal write-up notes, but that’s nothing next to New York’s 16.3 percent tumble.