All articles by Diane Pham

Diane is the founder and Editorial Director of 6sqft. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Real Estate Finance & Development and a minor in Architecture, she enjoyed stints at SCI-Arc, the A+D Museum Los Angeles, Perkins Eastman Architects and Resolution 4: Architecture. She also previously served as Senior Editor of Inhabitat.com and spent several years as an analyst at CB Richard Ellis Investments in Milan, Italy.

Construction Accidents Are Up in NYC; How an Apple Store’s Design Gets You to Spend Money

June 2, 2015

Construction Accidents Are Up in NYC; How an Apple Store’s Design Gets You to Spend Money

101 Murray Street will be shorter than previously reported. [Curbed] How to invest in real estate without actually buying up property. [AOL] Every square foot of an Apple Store is designed to make you spend more money. [TRD] Fatal construction accidents are on the rise. [NYT] Rupert Murdoch almost lost out on his recent $25M […]

Real Estate Trends

REVEALED: Rafael Viñoly’s Slender 52-Story Condo Tower Design for Nomad

Image via New York YIMBY

June 1, 2015

REVEALED: Rafael Viñoly’s Slender 52-Story Condo Tower Design for Nomad

Is there any architect more in demand than Rafael Viñoly these days? NY YIMBY has uncovered the first renderings of the starchitect's latest residential project, a tower slated to pierce the sky from a Nomad site at 281 Fifth Avenue. Though notably smaller than 432 Park Avenue at just 705 feet, the skyscraper does share the 432's stark and very geometrical shape. It will also be one of the tallest in the neighborhood once constructed.
Find out more here

Meet the Current Owner of the Spinning Upstate Dome Home; 10 Most Expensive NYC Apartments for Rent

June 1, 2015

Meet the Current Owner of the Spinning Upstate Dome Home; 10 Most Expensive NYC Apartments for Rent

Meet the woman who currently owns this amazing revolving dome home on the market for under $1M. [NYT] Here are the ten priciest apartments up for rent in NYC right now. [Curbed] De Blasio will crack down on unregulated “three-quarter houses” that are cramming addicts, recently released prisoners, and the mentally ill into apartments collecting state money. […]

Real Estate Trends

A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue

May 31, 2015

A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue

Most ideas usually end up in the trash but few ideas are inspired by the basket that holds them. A recent discovery by The Real Deal has revealed that the city's residential tower-of the-moment, 432 Park Avenue, was actually inspired by a Josef Hoffmann-designed wastebasket released in 1905. The revelation came via a talk held last December at the Cornell Center for Real Estate and Finance where Harry Macklowe, the co-developer of the supertall, told the crowd that the repository was an "important touchstone" for the 1,396-foot-high design.
More on the muse here

Architecture And Design

The One World Trade Center Observatory Officially Opens Today!

The view from above. Image via World Trade Center Progress

May 29, 2015

The One World Trade Center Observatory Officially Opens Today!

We couldn't have dreamt up a more picturesque day for the opening of One World Trade Center's sky-high observatory. Today visitors will get a new bird's eye view of New York City with panoramic views stretching 50 miles past the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty from a three-story perch 1,250 feet up in the air.
More details on the experience that awaits you here

Architecture And Design

Wife Builds Her Own ‘She Shed’ in the Catskills Mountains

Image by Todd Foster via TODAY

May 29, 2015

Wife Builds Her Own ‘She Shed’ in the Catskills Mountains

Men have their man caves, but when it comes to where a woman can find a place for respite, most are quick to point to the kitchen. Well that's all changing TODAY reports, as there seems to be an emergence of a new trend: she sheds. These tiny homes are offering wives, mothers and girlfriends an on-site escape away from the stresses of daily life. And at the forefront of this movement? Meet Sandra Foster, a lovely lady who built herself an equally lovely she shed in the heart of the Catskills mountains.
FInd out more here

Architecture And Design

Learn What Makes Inwood So Special; How Many Apartments Are Paid for with Cash?

May 28, 2015

Learn What Makes Inwood So Special; How Many Apartments Are Paid for with Cash?

Three units in the Walker Tower list as a combo for $60M. [WSJ] Explore all that is Inwood. [NYT] New Yorkers lament over the closing of FAO Schwartz. [NYT] How many NYC apartments are bought with cash? [Curbed] Here’s what you have to be earning to qualify for affordable housing in Essex Crossing. [The Lo […]

Real Estate Trends

EVENT: Hear Five Brilliant Ideas Vying to Improve Urban Life at ‘Pitching the City’

May 28, 2015

EVENT: Hear Five Brilliant Ideas Vying to Improve Urban Life at ‘Pitching the City’

New urban development and redevelopment proposals get thrown around on a daily basis, but very few ever come to fruition. With an overload of ideas floating around, it's hard to keep track of what's worth giving a second thought to—let alone cash. Enter Pitching the City, a biennial gathering that pits the creators of five genius plans to improve the contemporary city against one another. This year's summit will bring an array of innovative urban strategies from across the globe under one roof for a high-octane pitching session happening in Nolita on Friday, May 29th (that's tomorrow!), and you're invited.
Find out how to attend here

Money Mapped: New York Has the Same GDP as Spain

May 28, 2015

Money Mapped: New York Has the Same GDP as Spain

We all have a general idea as to which states contribute the most to the nation's GDP, but this handy map offers a little more food for thought. Created by Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute, the map compares the gross domestic product of each U.S. state with the national GDP of economies abroad.
READ MORE

Uncategorized

One Vanderbilt Tower Receives Unanimous Approval from City Council

May 27, 2015

One Vanderbilt Tower Receives Unanimous Approval from City Council

This afternoon, SL Green's One Vanderbilt tower received the ultimate green light from the New York City Council, as members voted unanimously in favor of both the construction of the new 1,501-foot tall office building and the rezoning of a five-block stretch of Vanderbilt Avenue (the Vanderbilt Corridor) that would bring with it significant infrastructural upgrades to the area's public transportation. The vote was the last hurdle for the development and is a critical step in the rezoning of a greater area of Midtown East.
Find out more here

Popular Articles

What Skyline Is This? Why Investing in Trailer Parks Is a Good Bet

May 27, 2015

What Skyline Is This? Why Investing in Trailer Parks Is a Good Bet

Can you identify all the world’s skylines? Take this quiz. [Washington Post] A handful of city council members are in favor of the Central Park supertall moratorium. [Crain’s] Parents living in cramped quarters are asking friends to forgo giving their kids unnecessary gifts at birthday parties. [NYDN] General Assembly co-founder and entrepreneur Adam Pritzker (whose […]

Real Estate Trends

Futuristic Pod Powered by the Wind and Sun–a Viable Housing Solution?

May 27, 2015

Futuristic Pod Powered by the Wind and Sun–a Viable Housing Solution?

We've featured plenty of live/work and portable prefab spaces on 6sqft in the past, but this tiny house designed by Nice Architects might be one of the most efficient and adaptable housing solutions we've seen. Called the Ecocapsule, the sleek micro-house is a totally off-grid construction that's powered by solar and wind energy. Amazingly, at just 14.6 feet long and 7.4 feet wide, it has the potential to comfortably fit two adults. And on top of that, there's a kitchenette, a toilet, and a shower with hot water.
Find out more here

The Future NYC Skyline of 2030; Urban Blight in the West Village?

May 26, 2015

The Future NYC Skyline of 2030; Urban Blight in the West Village?

Why are so many West Village storefronts shuttered? [The New Yorker] Here’s what the NYC skyline will look like in 2030. [Curbed] Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev’s $88M penthouse has been taken off the market. [NYP] Crown Heights residents saw their rents double last year. [Gothamist] Small biz Brooklyn owners are calling it quits as the borough sees property values […]

Real Estate Trends

Report Poorly Parked Cars and Bad Drivers with the ‘TowIt’ App

May 26, 2015

Report Poorly Parked Cars and Bad Drivers with the ‘TowIt’ App

Few things are as enraging and unnerving as the way New Yorkers drive. And although no one wants to be a tattletale, there's finally a way to help better patrol bad drivers right from our smartphones. Called TowIt, this handy app allows concerned citizens to snap photos of motor violations, geo-tag them, and then send them in real-time for ticketing or towing by law enforcement and city officials.
Find out more and where to download the app

Starchitect Rafael Vinoly to Design a 10-Story Meatpacking District Building

May 26, 2015

Starchitect Rafael Vinoly to Design a 10-Story Meatpacking District Building

Look out—not up—because there’s a new low-rise Rafael Vinoly-designed building coming our way. The architect mastermind behind the city’s tallest residential tower, 432 Park Avenue, has just been chosen to design a comparatively demure ten-story office-and-retail building in the Meatpacking District, reports The Real Deal. The new addition is being developed by Vornado Realty Trust and Aurora […]

Rich NYC Buyers Now Requesting Luxury Panic Rooms

May 26, 2015

Rich NYC Buyers Now Requesting Luxury Panic Rooms

Call it the problems of 0.002 percent, but the Times reports that wealthy buyers are now requesting that "safe rooms" be installed as part of their multi-million dollar buys. Although when most of us envision these spaces we immediately think of the movie "Panic Room" where Jodie Foster and her on-screen daughter are hunkered down in a dark and cold metal encasement with bad lighting, the wealthy by comparison have no interest of slumming it even when under siege. The paper reports that these individuals are now putting their panic rooms in full view, and they're just as cushy as the rest of their ultra-luxe digs.
More on the trend here

Paul McCartney Purchases a Fifth Avenue Penthouse for $15.5M

May 22, 2015

Paul McCartney Purchases a Fifth Avenue Penthouse for $15.5M

Paul McCartney has just nabbed a $15.5 million penthouse at 1045 Fifth Avenue, the Post reports. Laid out as a duplex, the unit was previously owned by developer Manny Duell who made a living turning rentals into co-ops. This particular unit was one of Duell's creations, assembled as a gift for his wife who lived in the home until her death last year at the age of 92. Duell himself passed in 1977. With its roots in the Beatles era, McCartney should quickly feel at home here. The unit was previously described by the Times as a “glamorous 1960s time capsule with a dash of Hollywood.”
Have a look inside

MAPPED: Here’s What Americans Love to Eat the Most by State

May 21, 2015

MAPPED: Here’s What Americans Love to Eat the Most by State

Though we often chalk American cuisine down to hamburgers and apple pie, in reality folks across the country indulge in foods far more diverse. Foursquare and Mapbox have created a new map that reveals what foods Americans are statistically eating more of in every state. To make the map, they used an algorithm that analyzed Foursquare’s data set of menus, tips, and ratings—which represent stats from some 55 million users and two million businesses worldwide over the span of six years—and zoomed in on the food and drink items that appeared to be "disproportionately popular" across the states. In addition to getting what was uniquely popular to each state, they were also able to use the algorithm to determine just how much more—represented as a percentage—individuals seek out that favored food or drink item as compared to the national average. So, what do New York inhabitants crave the most? Hint: It's not pizza.
FInd out here

City Living

Auction.com Allows Chinese Investors to Buy U.S. Real Estate from Home; NYC Remains the World’s Most Global City

May 21, 2015

Auction.com Allows Chinese Investors to Buy U.S. Real Estate from Home; NYC Remains the World’s Most Global City

A Time exec has bought Million Dollar Listing star Fredrik Eklund’s West 27th Street pad. [NYP] Ziel Feldman’s HFZ Capital Group recently purchased one of the most expensive development sites ever sold in Manhattan, but he doesn’t plan on putting ultra-expensive condos up there—he’s opting for a small project instead. [Crain’s] Pierhouse blocked from being constructed […]

Real Estate Trends

Woolworth Condos Come to Market; July 4th Fireworks Will Return to the East River

May 20, 2015

Woolworth Condos Come to Market; July 4th Fireworks Will Return to the East River

The Woolworth condo apartments have hit the market. [Curbed; listings] Things New Yorkers wished they were told before moving here. [Brick Underground] The NYPD is moving several of its divisions into the Verizon building on Pearl Street. [NYP] The 39th annual Macy’s 4th of July fireworks will return to the East River this year. [Gothamist] Images: […]

Real Estate Trends

Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

Photo via Le Travelist

May 20, 2015

Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

Aby Rosen's plans to update the Four Seasons has been squashed by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. According to Crain's, the only upgrade that received a nod from the commission was a request to change the carpet. Bigger renovations, like replacing a non-original fissured glass partition with planters and to replace a fixed walnut panel between the public and private dining rooms with a movable one, were all rejected. "There is no good reason why they should make these changes," said Meenakshi Srinivasan, the commission's chairwoman, Crain's reports. "There's no rationale. The space could function perfectly well without these changes, so why do it?"
Find out more

Community Board Wants Moratorium Placed on Central Park Skyscrapers Taller than 600 Feet

May 19, 2015

Community Board Wants Moratorium Placed on Central Park Skyscrapers Taller than 600 Feet

Those looking to build a behemoth along Central Park may have to look elsewhere. The Manhattan Community Board Five's Sunshine Task Force has voted in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate, temporary moratorium on any new construction of 600 feet or taller that is not already undergoing public review, particularly with those threatening to cast shadows over Central Park in an area bounded by 53rd Street and Central Park South, and Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. The board voiced their concerns and outlined the ban in a policy brief (via DNA Info) which made its way to the desks of the Department of City Planning and the mayor last week.
FInd out more here

Chart Shows Where to Find the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers Over the Past Century

May 19, 2015

Chart Shows Where to Find the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers Over the Past Century

The number of skyscrapers a city can count is often a marker of how much progress they've made; these tall towers point to innovation, technology, ambition and most importantly, they scream "We have money!"—which of course equates to power. For the better part of the 20th century, the United States has accounted for the majority of the world's tallest skyscrapers, but with the emergence of new economies over the last few decades, there's been a definitive shift.
Learn more here

History

The MTA Explains Why Your Subway is Delayed with This 8-bit Video

May 19, 2015

The MTA Explains Why Your Subway is Delayed with This 8-bit Video

We're quick to write off the MTA as incompetent whenever we experience a subway delay, but let this video convince you that they do indeed know what they're doing. This new short created by the agency explains why holding a train can actually prevent additional delays from happening. As it turns out, keeping gaps from growing and restoring evenness to a line will help keep service on schedule overall. Check out their awesome 8-bit video ahead to get the visual explanation.
Watch the video here

Transit

Walker Tower Penthouse Back on the Market; 56 Leonard Not All That Jenga-Like

May 18, 2015

Walker Tower Penthouse Back on the Market; 56 Leonard Not All That Jenga-Like

Want a green card? Invest in real estate. [NYT] The Walker Tower penthouse is back on the market, now asking $70 million. The unit sold last year for a record $50.9 million. [TRD] Condos at Norman Foster’s new Midtown condos will go for $3.3 million and up. [Curbed] Some are saying that the actual construction of 56 […]

Real Estate Trends

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