The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, August 28, 2026
The podcast distinguishes between 'spite houses,' built out of malice to obstruct neighbors, and 'skinny houses' constructed for more positive reasons like utilizing small land plots or as artistic endeavors. The Long Beach Skinny House is presented as an example of a benevolent skinny house.
“One phrase in particular kept popping up in my research. Spite houses. In fact, this very podcast has covered some skinny houses before in an episode titled Spite Houses.”
“These are properties that are built out of malice to block views and crowd out neighbors.”
“But here's the thing: Not all skinny houses are spite houses. Many are built for much more benevolent reasons, to make use of a scrap of land, to house a family, to be a piece of art.”