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.
My 500sqft: Artist Hector Castaneda Invites Us into His Spanish Harlem One-Bedroom ‘Museum’

Our new series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends, family and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to Spanish Harlem. Want your home to be featured here? Get in touch! 

April 8, 2015

My 500sqft: Artist Hector Castaneda Invites Us into His Spanish Harlem One-Bedroom ‘Museum’

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Located in an unassuming low-rise walk-up in Spanish Harlem is a tiny apartment with no views, a small living room, and thousands of pieces of one-of-a-kind art from around the world. Its owner, Hector Castaneda, is a world traveller who's visited more than 50 countries over the last 15 years. While most folks are happy simply snapping a few photos and heading home after a week or two, Hector is all about immersion and spends months at a time in some of the world's most exotic and extreme locales. As Hector travels the world he picks up art, tapestry, sculptures, furniture, and musical instruments from every country, which today magically fill every nook and cranny of his 500-square-foot apartment. "He is the only person I know who can turn a dingy walk-up building apartment into a work of art—it's really a private New York Museum and Hector is the curator," his friend Lisa Monroig told us. Once we heard that, we knew we had to pay him a visit.
Tour this miniature museum in the heart of Spanish Harlem here
You Can Now Tour the Gowanus Canal Without Catching Syphilis or Other Ailments
April 8, 2015

You Can Now Tour the Gowanus Canal Without Catching Syphilis or Other Ailments

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Conversations about the Gowanus Canal are usually accompanied with a quip about STDs or mutant dolphins, but all joking aside, there's no denying its murky waters also carry quite a bit of mystery and allure. The infrastructure, the architecture, and of course what's floating within, is nothing short of intriguing, because really, what's actually down there? Researchers at the Brooklyn Atlantis Project are just as curious as we are and they've constructed an unmanned water vehicle to go where no sane man dare go.
Find out more here
Keith McNally’s Village Townhouse Now Renting for $6K Less; Pearl River Mart in Soho Will Close
April 7, 2015

Keith McNally’s Village Townhouse Now Renting for $6K Less; Pearl River Mart in Soho Will Close

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Chef Keith McNally’s gorgeous Greenwich Village townhouse gets a price cut. The pad is now renting for $18,950 a month, down from $25,000. [Elliman] The famed Pearl River Mart on Broadway in Soho will shutter due to rising rents. The landlord wants $500,000 a month for the three-story space after the retailer’s lease ends this year. [Crain’s] A […]

Los Angeles Has Designed the Perfect Parking Sign–Can NYC Take Note?

Images courtesy of Parkwhiz (L) and LA Mayor’s Office (R)

April 7, 2015

Los Angeles Has Designed the Perfect Parking Sign–Can NYC Take Note?

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If you own a car in New York, you know that parking can be a downright nightmare. Finding a spot is like hunting for a needle in a haystack, and when you do find one, it's hard not to approach it with trepidation: Why is this spot empty? New York City parking signs typically run the gamut of perplexing to misleading at best, requiring a Rosetta Stone and a prayer to keep a parking ticket from happening. But there's a beacon of hope shooting through all of that confusion in the form of well-designed signage.
MOre on the new signs here
Donald Trump’s New Luxury Golf Course Opens atop a Former Bronx Dump
April 7, 2015

Donald Trump’s New Luxury Golf Course Opens atop a Former Bronx Dump

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Grab your golf clubs and head northward because Donald Trump's brand new luxury golf course is open for business. After decades of delays and cost overruns, The Donald has finally made the city's dream of a public golf course in the Bronx a reality. Called the Trump Gold Links at Ferry Point, the 7,400-yard course has been constructed atop a one-time landfill. And though its former use is anything but five-star, you wouldn't guess it by the admission price—Trump is charging nearly three times as much to use his greens as other city courses.
Find out more here
Interior Renderings for SHoP’s 111 West 57th Street Tower Revealed
April 6, 2015

Interior Renderings for SHoP’s 111 West 57th Street Tower Revealed

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Hot on the heels of last week's release of a new teaser site and rendering showing just how tall, slender and skyline-changing SHoP Architect's new tower at 111 West 57th Street will be, comes brand new renderings of the exterior and, for the first time, a look at the interiors. The images, uncovered by YIMBY, show the bronze and terra cotta supertall's elegant column-free spaces, as well as the incredible unobstructed views afforded by its 1,428 feet.
Inside the supertall here
EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Get Inside 432 Park Avenue

Image © dbox

April 6, 2015

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Get Inside 432 Park Avenue

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We've all seen more than our fair share of 432 Park Avenue's facade around town, but finally here comes an opportunity to get inside the building. The Storefront for Art and Architecture has just announced that the Viñoly supertall will be the site of their 2015 spring benefit, TRANS. The gala, being held Tuesday, April 21st, 2015, will be the first public event hosted at the unopened building, and by the looks of the program, it also promises to be as starchitect-studded and "transcendent" as these things get.
Find out how to attend here
How Pier 55’s Futuristic Park Plan Came to Be; Observation Deck at 1 WTC Gets a Street Entrance
April 6, 2015

How Pier 55’s Futuristic Park Plan Came to Be; Observation Deck at 1 WTC Gets a Street Entrance

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How Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg came up with the idea for a futuristic offshore park for Pier 55. [NYT] One World Trade Center’s observation deck moves closer to opening. New signage marking the entrance has appeared. [Curbed] Robert A.M. Stern discusses “poor doors” and Mayor de Blasio’s urban revitalization and affordable housing plans for NYC. […]

Rich People Sleep More, Researchers Say

Image: Timothy Krause via flickr

April 6, 2015

Rich People Sleep More, Researchers Say

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Money may not buy happiness, but it does get you more sleep according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers at the CDC examined results from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and found that there is indeed a positive correlation between dollars and zzzs earned.
FInd out more here
Inside Artist and Poet John Giorno’s Beautiful Bowery Home; William Hearst’s Penthouse Now $14M Less
April 3, 2015

Inside Artist and Poet John Giorno’s Beautiful Bowery Home; William Hearst’s Penthouse Now $14M Less

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Artist and Poet John Giorno gives the Times a tour of his three-loft “Italian-inspired palazzo for the beggars.” [NYT] William Hearst’s penthouse gets at 137 Riverside Drive $14 million price cut. [NYDN; listing] Inside Mickey Rourke’s former Meatpacking apartment, now an Absolut Elyx vodka hangout. [NYO] New look and teaser site out for Bryant Park’s long-stalled […]

Believe It or Not: The World’s Population Can Fit Inside New York City
April 2, 2015

Believe It or Not: The World’s Population Can Fit Inside New York City

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Though New York City is expected to surpass its 2020 population projections this year, rest assured that there's plenty of space for all of these folks—and then some. An amusing and quite informative experiment conducted by Tim Urban of the blog Wait But Why takes a look at just how much space you would need to fit the world's population comfortably(ish). The investigation, which puts 7.3 billion folks cozily shoulder to shoulder, hinges on the assumption that you can fit ten humans into a square meter.
learn more here
This Trailer Home in the Hamptons Wants $1.2 Million
April 1, 2015

This Trailer Home in the Hamptons Wants $1.2 Million

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The Hamptons have long been a summer playground for the rich and famous, with real estate prices reflecting just how badly folks want to be part of the scene. But this latest home to hit market had us scratching (and shaking) our heads over its crazy asking price. Offering one bedroom and one bathroom within a 48-year-old, 700-square-foot trailer, this modest mobile abode is looking to make a $1.2 million sale. No, this is not an April Fools joke.
Check out what it has to offer
Mac Conner’s Vintage Illustrations Invite Us into the World of New York’s Real ‘Mad Men’
April 1, 2015

Mac Conner’s Vintage Illustrations Invite Us into the World of New York’s Real ‘Mad Men’

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Referred to today as the "real Don Draper," McCauley "Mac'" Conner was one of the most important illustrators working during America's golden age of advertising. Conner, now 101 years old, came to New York in 1950 and flourished in the city's publishing industry, bringing an era of deep red lipstick, unabashed chain smoking and lunch-time martinis to the pages of America's most popular magazines. With crisp lines and carefully chosen colors, Conner's vibrant works not only captured a pivotal point in American history, but he also helped shape the image of a postwar nation. Ahead are some of his most notable—and provocative, for the time—images created for magazines such as Cosmo, Good Housekeeping, Collier's, Woman's Day, and many more.
See some of his incredible illustrations this way
Live in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Former Plaza Apartment for $39.5M
March 31, 2015

Live in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Former Plaza Apartment for $39.5M

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Did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright was once a resident of The Plaza? Neither did we! The Post reports that the 4,000-square-foot pad the prolific architect briefly called home has just hit the market for $39.5 million. Wright lived in the corner apartment of the storied building from 1954 to 1959 while he was working on the Guggenheim Museum. The location right by Central Park—and a 30-minute walk from the site of his iconic creation—must certainly have bode well for the architect's creative juices.
Inside Wright's former digs here
Chinatown, Once Unchanged, Now Attracting Hipsters–and Real Estate Developers

Image via CityRealty

March 31, 2015

Chinatown, Once Unchanged, Now Attracting Hipsters–and Real Estate Developers

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"Canal Street is a gantlet of billboards and signs; Courvoisier, Pearl Paint, Bally's Grand Hotel, Salem Cigarettes, Lincoln Savings Bank, Mc Donald's, and signs in Chinese impend on traffic, which is the covered with signs and graffiti itself." A New Yorker article published in 1990 paints a picture of Chinatown that isn’t all that different from the one we know today. Despite its prime location, few developers have eyed Chinatown as a destination for luxury living. As a largely self-sustaining community—many stores don’t even bother with English—it has preserved its cultural fabric even as the city has gone through transformation after transformation just streets away. But all of this is changing. A new crop of shops, galleries and condos is starting to find its way into the neighborhood's depths, the Wall Street Journal reports, and brokers are predicting rapid change for Chinatown over the next decade.
more on changes in chinatown
Download 422 Free Art Books from The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetPublications
March 31, 2015

Download 422 Free Art Books from The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetPublications

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The Met—already well-loved for its generous "pay as you wish" admission—is offering up another public good sure to get art buffs and wannabes clearing space on their hard drives. The Met has added 422 free titles to its MetPublications site, providing global citizens with digitized versions of new and archived books and catalogs that—if you can even get your hands on them in real life—can oftentimes ring up for more than $200 a pop.
More info here
10-Foot-Wide ‘Skinny House’ in Mamaroneck Is an Historic Work with a Heart-Warming Story
March 30, 2015

10-Foot-Wide ‘Skinny House’ in Mamaroneck Is an Historic Work with a Heart-Warming Story

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This red-shingled home may not look like much, but it's steeped in history dating back to the early 20th century—and of course, there's the fact that it's no wider than most NYC bedrooms. Affectionately–and aptly–called the Skinny House, this tiny structure is the slimmest house in Mamaroneck and measures only 10 feet wide, 39 feet long, and rests on a 12.5 foot wide parcel of land. It's also three (yes, three) stories tall. But in addition to a demure size, it also comes with a heart-warming story of neighborly love and generosity that have allowed it to endure for the better part of a century.
More history and photos here
NYC Planning Commission Approves One Vanderbilt; A New ‘World’s Skinniest Tower’ Coming
March 30, 2015

NYC Planning Commission Approves One Vanderbilt; A New ‘World’s Skinniest Tower’ Coming

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One Vanderbilt gets the green light. The City Planning Commission gave unanimous approval (12-0; 1 recusal) to the controversial Midtown project slated to rise on a site adjacent to Grand Central Station. [6sqft inbox] More units at 432 Park are coming to the market. Nine new listings, including a $76.5 million penthouse, have been posted in the last seven […]

Airbnb Continues to Thrive Even as New York City Wages Battle
March 30, 2015

Airbnb Continues to Thrive Even as New York City Wages Battle

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The city and the hotel industry have been waging war against Airbnb since last September in an effort to both preserve affordable housing and to protect hotel operators throughout the city. Though millions of dollars have been spent by both parties campaigning for change, apart from a couple of rulings ousting affordable renters for putting their apartments on the home-sharing site, not much has changed. Airbnb has failed to sway lawmakers, and the group leading the anti-Airbnb movement, ShareBetter, has only kept Airbnb from changing a state law that prohibits tenants in buildings with three or more units from renting out their home for short stays. In fact, according to Crain's, Airbnb is thriving in NYC with now more than 27,000 rooms and apartments on its site.
Find out more here
This Fort Greene Townhouse Looks All Grown Up, but Quirky Details Just for Kids Abound
March 27, 2015

This Fort Greene Townhouse Looks All Grown Up, but Quirky Details Just for Kids Abound

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We know New Yorkers love to spoil their kids, but this incredible renovation of a Fort Greene townhouse by Leone Design Studio takes things to a whole new level. As stunning and sophisticated a space as you'd expect when walking into a historic Brooklyn townhouse, this home also boasts tons of details dedicated to its pint-sized residents.
Have a peek inside here
Norman Foster-Designed Residential Tower to Rise in Sutton Place; Peek Inside BIG’s West 57th Street Pyramid
March 27, 2015

Norman Foster-Designed Residential Tower to Rise in Sutton Place; Peek Inside BIG’s West 57th Street Pyramid

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Have a look inside construction at BIG’s pyramid at 625 West 57th Street. [Field Condition] A 269,000-square-foot tower designed by Foster + Partners will rise at 426-432 East 58th Street. The developer, Bauhouse, plans to raze four properties in Sutton Place to create the 95-unit building. [6sqft inbox] Manhattan condo inventory hit an historic low in February. [NYDN] The rise […]

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