Bel Air

Subterms

    More stories

    • 213 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

      This Controversial Bel Air Mansion Has Sold for $5 Million—and Now It Has to Be Torn Down

      by

      One of LA’s most epic real estate sagas is finally coming to a close.

      After half a decade of legal disputes, Mohamed Hadid’s hotly contested Bel Air mansion has sold for $5 million at auction and is set to be demolished within the next nine months, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
      The luxury developer, who is the father of supermodels Gigi and Bella, first purchased the sprawling 1.2 acre property back in 2011. He promptly set about constructing a 30,000-square-foot mansion on the estate, which was both bigger and taller than city code allowed, according to the Times. The plans also called for a 70-seat IMAX theater, a gigantic wine cellar and a number of bedrooms and decks that were never approved by the city.

      Hadid’s half-finished Bel Air mansion will be demolished within nine months. 

      Damian Dovarganes/AP

      Neighbors expressed concern that the four-story manse, nicknamed “the Starship Enterprise,” could destabilize the hillside and put the properties below at risk. After Hadid was accused of illegally building the colossal abode on Strada Vecchia Road, he plead no contest to criminal charges in 2017, and was ordered to do community service, pay fines and present a plan to stabilize the structure. That same year, Hadid defiantly defended the property in the press.
      “Demolish this house? Never!” he told Town and Country Magazine. “This house will last forever. Bel Air will fall before this will.”
      In 2018, Hadid was hit with a civil lawsuit from his neighbors for not sticking to the terms of his plea deal and flouting repeated orders to halt construction. They demanded Hadid tear down the unfinished home. In 2019, a court ordered the mansion to be demolished, with Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig D. Karlan deeming it a “danger to the public.”

      The manse, nicknamed the Starship Enterprise, spans an imposing 30,000 square feet. 

      Damian Dovarganes/AP

      Hadid tried to stop the destruction by declaring bankruptcy, but was eventually forced to put it on the market for $8.5 million. With no willing buyers, the price was slashed to $5.5 million before the property was finally auctioned for $5 million by Premiere Estates Auction Co. The buyer, local developer Sahara Construction Co., must pay to have Hadid’s half-finished creation demolished within the next nine months.
      It seems the Starship Enterprise will die on the rarefied hills of Bel-Air. More

    • 188 Shares159 Views

      in Luxury

      Stevie Wonder Just Snapped Up This $14 Million Bel Air Mansion From a Saudi Prince

      by

      Ooh, baby! Stevie Wonder has signed, sealed and delivered himself to “Higher Ground” in Bel Air, where records reveal he’s dropped nearly $14 million on an elephantine hillside mansion. With views over the rugged surrounding mountains and shadowy canyons, the Mediterranean-style house is located in Bel Air Crest, the exclusive guard-gated community where other current and former residents have included NBA star Anthony Davis, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

      Astute real estate watchers and Wonder fans may recall that the 71-year-old music icon is not new to the Bel Air Crest community. For the last several years, he and wife Tomeeka Bracy have been leasing another huge mansion in the same enclave—a house that happens to sit right next door to the main L.A. residence of one Gordon Ramsay. The Bracy-Wonders frequently stop by to sample their neighbor’s cooking, according to Ramsay himself.
      While Wonder’s newly purchased mansion is further away from Ramsay, it’s still within walking distance of a world-class meal. And with nearly 20,000 square feet of living space, it will certainly require enough walking to work up a healthy appetite. There are 11 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, plus attached staff quarters and a 2,550-bottle wine cellar. Though the place was built in 2009, its yellowish-beige stucco exterior harks back to a distinctly ’90s, suburban sort of vintage.

      In 2012, the massive home was sold for $13.3 million to HH Prince Mohammed bin Faisal bin Saud Al Saud, a son of Princess Etab bint Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and a maternal grandson of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, who was crown prince of Saudi Arabia from 2005-2011. His Highness bought the house as a single man, though in 2013 he married Princess Madawi bint Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The couple apparently didn’t spend much time in Bel Air—over the last few years, the giant house has been leased out, most recently at a princely monthly rate of $75,000, per listings.
      Here’s a virtual spin through the Wonder-ful house, which is one of the largest and likely one of the most lavish homes in Bel Air Crest.

      The front of the property. 

      Zillow

      Positioned at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, the Tuscan-influenced house stands tall behind iron gates. There’s a front-facing three-car garage and additional driveway space for a couple more vehicles.

      Views within the home’s entrance. 

      Zillow

      Inside, the double front doors open into a hanger-sized foyer that soars two—or possibly three—stories tall, and it topped by skylights for a more ethereal vibe.

      The living room. 

      Zillow

      Linestone flooring extends to the multiple lounge areas and sitting rooms. This living room is serviced by a mahogany wet bar.

      The luxe formal dining room. 

      Zillow

      There’s also a formal dining room with two chandeliers and seating for 12.

      The office/library space. 

      Zillow

      The library/executive office is also beige, though it additionally sports intricate wood paneling and lavish built-in bookcases.

      The spacious family room. 

      Zillow

      The family room, which offers a large fireplace.

      The kitchen. 

      Zillow

      The oversized kitchen is capable of catering large events and features high-quality stainless appliances and an island with beige granite countertops.

      Views from one of the home’s terraces. 

      Zillow

      Numerous terraces and loggias offer shady space for dining and lounging.

      A hallway with wooden panels inside the mansion. 

      Zillow

      The wood-paneled interiors go for an antique, vaguely museum-like appearance. 

      The primary bathroom. 

      Zillow

      The primary bathroom features a central soaking tub — grandly raised with steps up, naturally — underneath a giant glass skylight.

      Views from the master suite terrace. 

      Zillow

      The master suite also has a private terrace with enough room for intimate dinner parties and views over undeveloped hills.

      A hallway with the home’s elevated shown. 

      Zillow

      For convenience, a wood-clad elevator services all of the home’s three levels.

      The pool. 

      Zillow

      The infinity-edged pool features an inset spa. While the property spans more than a half-acre, the house takes up a substantial part of the lot. Still, there are plenty of grassy play areas and a park-like collection of beautifully mature trees.

      A look at the backyard of the home. 

      Zillow

      Emanouel Ourshano of Platinum Estates held the listing; Nick Segal and Rick Ojeda of Avenue 8 repped the buyer.

      The pool light up at night. 

      Zillow

      In addition to his new Bel Air digs, Wonder’s sizable property portfolio still includes commercial property in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, two houses in the Hollywood Hills and an estate in Alpine, New Jersey. More

    • 200 Shares149 Views

      in Luxury

      ‘Daily Show’ Host Trevor Noah’s Sleek and Stylish Bel-Air Mansion Could Be Yours for $30 Million

      by

      Less than a year ago, Trevor Noah dropped $27.5 million on an extravagant Bel Air mansion—just months after selling another nearby Bel Air home to Bird founder Travis VanderZanden for a little over $21 million. Now the South African comedian and Emmy-winning host of “The Daily Show”—who also owns a $10 million penthouse in the New York City borough of Manhattan—has decided to clean house in California, flipping his recently purchased digs back onto the market.

      Views of the outdoor landscape from the interior of the home. 

      Redfin

      Noah is asking $29.75 million for the modern Bel Air structure, which was designed by architect Mark Rios as a personal residence for himself and his fertility doctor husband Guy Ringler. Composed of three white and windowless cubes out front, the rear of the six-bedroom, 9.5-bath home has floor-to-ceiling walls of glass with ocean and mountain views. Over-the-top amenities run rampant—a Japanese-style spa underneath the pool boasts a wooden tub, sauna, and massage and changing rooms, while a wine room has a hidden door that opens to a glass-encased elevator that travels to a gourmet kitchen sporting dark wood cabinetry. There’s also a stylish timber-clad library, plus a gym, club room and rooftop terrace that doubles as a screening room.

      One of the property’s six bedrooms. 

      Redfin

      Other highlights of the three-level residence include a living room adorned in wide-plank oak floors from Germany, which opens to an outdoor bar and kitchen topped by a terrace; and a formal dining room abutting a den. A swank master retreat is spotlighted by dual baths and walk-in wardrobes, and four additional ensuite guest bedrooms can be found elsewhere in the house. Then there are the lush manicured grounds, replete with a 15-by-60-foot infinity-edge pool, fireside conversation pit and the aforementioned outdoor kitchen.

      The backyard of the home featuring an infinity-edge pool. 

      Redfin

      Noah, 37, has helmed Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” since 2015. In 2017, he inked a contract extension that will keep him in the host’s chair through the end of 2022. He also recently embarked upon a “Back to Abnormal” world tour and relays on Instagram that he snagged a role in the upcoming “The Matrix 4: Resurrections” film, slated for release in December; according to the New York Post, Noah has rented another NYC penthouse, this one in Tribeca’s luxe 70 Vestry building at a rate of $52,000 a month.

      Jonah Wilson of Hilton & Hyland holds the listing.
      Check out more images of the mansion below.

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin

      Redfin More

    • 175 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Slam Dunk: Lakers Star Anthony Davis Closes on a $31 Million Bel Air Mansion

      by

      Just a few short months after finalizing a $190 million contract with the Lakers, Anthony Davis has reinvested a substantial chunk of those earnings into a new Los Angeles home. The Real Deal first revealed that the Chicago native forked over an eye-popping sum for a huge estate in Bel Air Crest, a guard-gated community tucked into the mountains about halfway between Bel Air proper and the San Fernando Valley.

      Developed in the late ’80s and ’90s, Bel Air Crest consists of roughly 200 homes, most of them hulking Mediterranean-style mansions set behind driveway gates of their own. Due to the enclave’s security features and semi-remote location, celebrities are known to roam the premises—other Bel Air Crest homeowners have included Gordon Ramsay, Kathy Griffin, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who lived in the neighborhood while their Hidden Hills mega-compound was under construction.

      Google Maps

      As for Davis, his house was never on the market, but records reveal he paid exactly $31 million for the new digs, securing a $20.1 million mortgage in the process. That’s a huge amount of money, of course, and easily the most ever paid for a Bel Air Crest home, but the estate in question is also the largest and most lavish in the entire neighborhood, flaunting approximately 20,000 square feet of living space and set on a 3.5 acre promontory with jetliner views to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island.
      Property records also show that the 8-bedroom, 9.5-bath house was completed in 2010 and built for the Changs, a local family. In 2016, the perfectly symmetrical structure—it’s perhaps best described as an vaguely International-style, European-influenced chateau fusion take on the White House—was sold for exactly $10 million to Ted Foxman, a retired semiconductor exec-turned-real estate developer. Foxman subsequently spent another fortune on renovations to the giant property; the interiors were extensively redone, as was the landscaping, which now feels far more lush and vibrant than before.

      Google Maps

      Foxman also indulged his decorative whimsy with the house, adding vibrant pops of color inside, and even parking a vintage Porsche 356, painted a lovely shade of aqua, in the living room. The result of his efforts, led by the guiding hand of L.A.-based interior designer Lonni Paul, was photographed last year for Elle Decor.

      Inside, a giant dome tops the double-height foyer, giving the place a solarium feel. Endless public spaces connect to more intimate rooms—there’s a music room for guitar jamming, a games room with a wet bar, wine cellar, movie theater, and much more. But despite its size, the property’s centerpiece is not the mansion itself, but rather the stunning view and that Olympic-worthy pool—all 120 feet of it. Other amenities include a poolside cabana, endless grassy lawns, and a full-size tennis court.

      Zillow

      Davis previously owned a sumptuous estate out in Westlake Village, acquired in 2018 for $7.5 million and sold in 2020 at a precipitous, million-dollar loss. As for Foxman, who more than tripled his money on the Bel Air sale to Davis—before taxes and renovation expenses, of course—he’s downsized to a $13.8 million mansion in Encino, complete with a basketball court and 13,000 square feet of living space.
      Check out more images of the Bel Air mansion below.

      Zillow

      Zillow

      Zillow More

    • 213 Shares119 Views

      in Luxury

      Lachlan Murdoch Just Bought the ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ Manse for $150 Million, Making It California’s Most Expensive Home

      by

      Chartwell, the Bel Air compound long considered one of L.A.’s most epic estates, has transferred for an unprecedented $150 million, easily enough to rank as the most expensive California home ever sold. The amount is also the second-biggest on record in the entire U.S., behind only hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin’s $238 million splurge on a […] More