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      The Weeknd’s Los Angeles Penthouse Sells at a $3 Million Loss

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      After nearly two years on the market, The Weeknd has finally managed to unload his little-used penthouse in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Occupying the entire 18th floor of the prestigious Beverly West building, the mansion-sized condo sold to married Drs. David and Andrea Feinberg, the former president and CEO of the UCLA Health System and current chairman of Oracle Health.

      Property records reveal the Feinbergs forked over $18 million, among the highest condo prices ever paid in Los Angeles but well under the unit’s original $22.5 million ask. That discounted sales price is also exactly $3 million less than what The Weeknd paid for the place four years ago. Still, it is unlikely he’ll suffer because of the big loss —- the 33-year-old Canadian entertainer, born Abel Tesfaye, long ago upgraded to a $69 million estate in prime Bel Air.

      The star of this real estate show are undoubtedly the condo’s 360-degree views, which include panoramic vistas of Downtown Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Mountains. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass also drink in the Los Angeles Country Club and its lush golf greens, which adjoin the Beverly West building.

      There are four bedrooms and eight bathrooms in nearly 8,000 square feet of contemporary living space, all of it flaunting tall ceilings, designer lighting fixtures and walnut paneling throughout. The master retreat is stunningly lavish — it features a boutique showroom-style closet, an apartment-sized bathroom with a steam shower and soaking tub, and a private balcony.

      The great room offers panoramic views and space for grand-scale entertaining.

      Carston Schertzer for The Luxury Level

      Other highlights are not limited to a backlit and temperature-controlled “wine vault,” a mirror-walled gym, a great room that includes a living room and a wet bar with a TV wall, wide-plank white oak floors and a bespoke kitchen designed in Italy that is outfitted with top-of-the-line Miele appliances.

      Completed in the 2010s, the Beverly West building includes just 35 luxury condos, all of which offer numerous communal amenities that include valet parking, 24/7 concierge, security guards, a sparkling pool, and a rooftop helipad. None of that comes cheap, however — monthly HOA dues for this particular penthouse top $8,000.

      Click here for more photos of The Weeknd’s just-sold penthouse. More

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      Rihanna’s First Ever California Home Sells for $15 Million

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      It’s no hopeless place, but yet another buyer has found love in Rihanna’s former Beverly Hills house. Occupied by the Barbadian superstar from 2009-2011, the boxy and very contemporary structure was the first Los Angeles residence she ever owned. In the 12 years since, the property has changed hands several more times.

      The most recent deal was inked just last month, when the house sold for $15 million to an entity linked to 35-year-old Jeremy Troxel, an attorney and founder of the Troxel Law firm. Over the past few years, Troxel Law has earned widespread recognition for filing numerous class action lawsuits against major companies such as Tylenol, Coinbase, Juul and Major League Baseball.

      While $15 million is certainly a large amount of money, it’s also a significant financial loss for the sellers, Canadian healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Sheldon Elman and his wife, Dr. Meryl Elman. The Elmans had acquired the former Rihanna estate for $16.8 million from John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, who owned the place from 2016-2021.

      Originally built in 1966 and located high in the mountains above Beverly Hills’ Coldwater Canyon, the house was completely rebuilt and expanded in the 2000s. During their ownership, Legend and Teigen also remodeled the estate, adding a unique patterned ceiling imported from Thailand, painting the exterior and interior walls, upgrading the bespoke kitchen and refinishing the wide-plank oak floors.

      A chunky double-sided fireplace bisects the spacious family and living rooms, while the upstairs primary suite — one of five bedrooms in the 8,500-square-foot house — flaunts a handmade brass fireplace and private balcony, plus what the listing calls a “glam room” and dual showroom closets. Outside, the dark-bottomed saltwater pool is heated and has spectacular canyon views. A vine-wrapped pergola additionally offers a built-in BBQ grill and wood-burning oven. Elsewhere on the property are a gym and movie theater.

      Rihanna, now a billionaire thanks to her Fenty cosmetics and fashion brand, currently maintains another home in Beverly Hills and two lavish condos in Century City’s The Century skyscraper, including one valued at $21 million. As for Troxel, he and partner Kristi Piacentile currently lease a luxury home in L.A.’s Beachwood Canyon neighborhood and own a second mansion in Scottsdale, Arizona. More

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      Liberace Once Owned This L.A. Townhouse. Now It Can Be Yours for $3.6 Million.

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      In 1937, MGM built The Shoreham, an elegant, Hollywood Regency-inspired complex just above L.A.’s Sunset Strip. Built to house the studio’s stable of up-and-coming ingenues, leading men, and visiting stars, the long list of silver screen residents reads like a who’s who of Golden Age Hollywood: Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Fernando Lamas, Ava Gardner, Veronica Lake, and Olivia de Havilland.

      Though he bought a 28-room mansion in Beverly Hills in the early 1960s that was once described as “a combination Versailles Palace and Vic Tanny Gym,” the famously flamboyant entertainer Liberace later owned a much more modestly proportioned townhouse condo at The Shoreham that has popped up for sale with an asking price of almost $3.6 million.

      It’s not known if Liberace dressed the almost 2,400-square-foot condo, one of the largest of the 15 townhouses and apartments within the tranquil gardens of the half-acre complex, with the same sorts of feathers and sequins he favored for his showy stage performances. However, the townhouse certainly retains much of the original architectural flair that was no doubt appreciated by the fleet fingered pianist. 

      Period details include herringbone-pattern walnut floors, French doors and mullioned windows that look out to a walled courtyard, Doric columns in the entryway between the living and dining rooms, a chateau-style marble fireplace in the living room, and staircase railings that resemble the swooping lines of a velvet theater curtain.

      The main entrance gates at The Shoreham in West Hollywood.

      Daniel Dahler for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Once occupied by Barbara Marx Sinatra, the former Las Vegas showgirl who became the fourth and final wife of Frank Sinatra, the later owners of the three-story townhouse condo include interior designer Dan Zimmerman and Beverly Hills ophthalmologist Joseph Sidikaro. The townhouse last changed hands only about a year ago, when it was sold for $2.6 million to veteran entertainment executive Glenn Geller, the former president of CBS Entertainment, now President of TV at Skybound Entertainment.

      Among the many improvements Geller has made over the last year, the lattice that adorned the double-height porch was removed, bookshelves were added to the fireside living room, mirrored tiles were affixed to the walls of the dining room, and the galley kitchen was updated with new paint, new countertops, and new high-end appliances.

      The view from the private roof terrace.

      Daniel Dahler for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Besides its show business provenance, the feature that really sets the townhouse apart from the other units at The Shoreham is the 2,000-square-foot private roof terrace. A tented dining area takes up a portion of the landscaped space that also has a built-in grill, a projector for alfresco movie nights, and a glittery city lights view beyond the neon lights and billboards along Sunset Boulevard.

      The townhouse is listed with Chris Laib and Michael Remacle of Sotheby’s International Realty—Los Feliz Brokerage.

      Click here for all the photos of Liberace’s former townhouse.

      Daniel Dahler for Sotheby’s International Realty More

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      Mischa Barton’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Sells to The Chainsmokers’ Alex Pall for $8.8 Million

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      After spending a little more than two months on the market for just under $10 million, this posh Italian-inspired villa high above Beverly Hills has officially traded hands for $8.8 million. Records show the discount-minded buyer is musician Alex Pall, who is probably best known as one-half of the Grammy-winning DJ duo The Chainsmokers.

      Last sold in summer 2021 for just under $9.2 million, the three-building compound is probably best known as the one-time residence of British-born actress Mischa Barton, who paid $6.4 million for the place back in 2005 when she was starring as Marissa Cooper on Fox’s hit TV show The O.C. She went on to list the lavish abode for $8.7 million some five years later, after falling behind on her mortgage payments, before finally managing to unload it in 2016 for a smidge over $7 million to an entity linked to Agoura Hills-based investment firm Strategic Acquisitions Inc.

      Tucked away behind walls and gates, on a 1.2-acre parcel sited in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, the property was completed in 2003. Known as the Bowmont estate, the stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure includes a main house and two guesthouses—for a total of six bedrooms and nine baths in over 10,000 square feet of living space packed with glitzy amenities like a game room, wine cellar, gym and movie theater.

      The main house is introduced via a double-height foyer displaying a curving wrought-iron staircase, which flows to formal living and dining rooms, an office space, and a gourmet kitchen decked out with a marble-topped eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and a breakfast nook. Upstairs, a sumptuous master retreat is accessible via double doors, and comes complete with a fireplace, balcony, dual closets, and a bath sporting a soaking tub and pair of steam showers.

      Not to be overlooked are the picturesque grounds, which are laced with greenery and bougainvillea, and spotlighted by a lap pool and covered loggia. There’s also a detached garage for three vehicles, plus a motorcourt equipped with a handy car turntable.

      In addition to his new Beverly Hills home, Pall also maintains several houses throughout the Los Angeles area, including a 1930s bungalow in the Hollywood Hills that he bought in 2013 for $2.7 million and then remodeled. As for Barton, she’s currently set to guest star in an Amazon Freevee reboot of the Australian drama Neighbours.

      The listing was held by Aaron Kirman and Cindy Ambuehl of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate; James Harris and David Parnes of The Agency repped Pall. More

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      After 14 Years, Cheryl Burke Sells Her Midcentury L.A. Home

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      Looks like Cheryl Burke would be well-suited to take up house-flipping for a living! Barely a month after she hoisted her longtime Los Angeles residence onto the market, the Filipino-American dancer, model and TV host has already handed over the keys to a new owner for a mere speck under her asking price.

      Records show the property went to a non-famous buyer for $2.2 million—or an impressive $900,000 more than the Dancing With the Stars alum originally paid for the place some 14 years ago, back in July 2009.

      A lot has changed since Burke paid almost $1.3 million for her stylish post-and-beam property tucked away in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of L.A. Not only did she make a name for herself on the popular TV dance competition as a two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner, but she also wed and subsequently divorced “Boy Meets World” actor Matthew Lawrence almost a year ago this September after nearly three years of marriage.

      The midcentury modern home is fronted by double entry doors and an attached two-car garage.

      Jeff Elson

      Resting directly off the street, on a compact parcel spanning less than a quarter-acre of land, the two-level structure was built back in the late 1950s and has since been updated with the help of Burke’s actress friend Leah Remini. Inside, three bedrooms and an equal number of baths are filtered throughout 2,100 square feet of open-concept living space boasting new wide-plank floors and high wood-beam ceilings, plus walls of glass providing sweeping canyon and city lights views.

      The main floor centers around a fireside living room that spills out to a balcony hosting a cozy fire-pit with built-in seating, and a wet bar-equipped dining area that opens to a small yet stylish kitchen outfitted with a breakfast bar, double ovens, a Sub-Zero refrigerator and beverage cooler. Elsewhere is a library/lounge area, along with a striking spiral staircase that heads to a lower level holding a spacious primary bedroom sporting a private balcony, walk-in closet, and stone-clad bath with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower.

      The living room is warmed by a large stone fireplace.

      Jeff Elson

      Born in San Francisco to a Filipino mother and American father, Burke, 39, is best known as a longtime professional dancer on ABC’s DWTS. She competed on the show for 26 seasons beginning in 2006, and was the first pro to win twice and consecutively with celebrity partners Drew Lachey and Emmit Smith. She officially retired from the show in November 2022.

      The listing was held by Meredith Schlosser and Jeremy Hensley of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties; Justin Vold of Redfin repped the buyer.

      Click here for more photos of Cheryl Burke’s home. More

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      The Producer of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Just Listed Her 1920s Spanish Colonial in Los Feliz for $11.5 Million

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      After barely four years of ownership, Melissa Cobb has decided to hoist her elegant residence in a prime Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles onto the market. And, according to the listing held by Marci Kays and Jonathan Mogharrabi of Carolwood Estates, the glam Spanish-style mansion “truly embodies Hollywood’s golden era.”

      The veteran entertainment industry executive—probably best known for producing the Kung Fu Panda franchise—is asking a speck under $11.5 million for the multi-level digs she picked up for nearly $6.4 million back in fall 2019.

      Originally commissioned by wealthy entrepreneur William C. Hay and completed by architect Charles C. Kyson in the early 1920s, the premises were prominently featured in a 1925 Architectural Digest article. The place recently underwent an extensive renovation courtesy of its previous owner, with Cobb also sprucing up the grounds during her tenure.

      The Spanish Colonial home is fronted by an inviting entryway lined with lush foliage.

      Andrew Bramasco

      Nestled on a gated hillside parcel spanning over a half-acre, the stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure features five bedrooms and five baths in almost 5,500 square feet of living space, all of it flaunting stylish interiors accented with a mix of hardwood and marble floors, hand-painted oak doors and stained-glass windows throughout.

      A walkway passes through a lushly landscaped yard before emptying out at an ornate wood front door, which leads into an entry foyer displaying a “scene-stealing” staircase topped by a barrel-vaulted ceiling. From there, highlights include a soaring fireside living room resting beneath a hand-painted coffered ceiling, and a step-down den and seated wet bar.

      The fireside living room is adorned with an ornamental fireplace, a hand-painted coffered ceiling, and French doors spilling outside.

      Andrew Bramasco

      A formal dining room sporting wood paneling imported from England and an ornamental tracery ceiling opens to a second-level veranda, and the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with high-end appliances, an eat-in island and a cozy breakfast nook. Elsewhere are a family room, library, wine cellar, home offices and staff accommodations, along with an oversized primary bedroom that houses a fireplace, an elevated closet, and a spa-inspired bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower.

      Outdoors, the grounds are laced with fruit trees, terraces and gravel pathways leading to secluded gathering spaces, and host a sunken fire-pit lounge and private pool flanked by a grassy lawn centered around a period fountain. There’s also a street-level garage for three vehicles—all just minutes away from the Griffith Observatory and Greek Theatre.

      Cobb joined Netflix as head of kids and family in 2017 and went on to gain recognition for helping to build the company’s animation studio. In 2022, after acquiring The Lego Movie animation studio Animal Logic, the former DreamWorks executive stepped down as vice president of animation film and currently serves as a producer for Netflix.

      Click here for more photos of Melissa Cobb’s home. More

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      The Former Home of a Late Hollywood Heiress Is Newly Listed at $2.8 Million

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      Barbara Warner Howard grew up in one of the most famous homes in all of Beverly Hills. Built in the 1930s by her father, entertainment industry pioneer and film executive Jack Warner, the founder of Warner Bros., the palatial Georgian-style mansion (and its ten acres of landscaped grounds) was later owned by David Geffen, who, after three decades in residence, sold up in 2020 for $165 million to Jeff Bezos.

      As the daughter of one of Hollywood’s most influential moguls, Howard lived a life sprinkled with showbiz fairy dust. So the stories go: Judy Garland sang at her Sweet 16 party, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor attended her debutante ball, and she once climbed through a window at the legendary Brown Derby restaurant to escape the wandering hands of Robert Evans.

      She later lived in Paris, where she married and divorced twice before returning to Los Angeles and marrying screenwriter and producer Cy Howard. They were married until his 1993 death. Howard eventually settled in New York City, where she became a dedicated patron of the arts and a founding member of the New York Theatre Workshop. She lived for a time in a double-height apartment at the Gainsborough Studios building on Central Park South before moving downtown to a penthouse apartment atop an old, converted hotel on lower Fifth Avenue.

      The living room offers cinematic views thanks to massive picture windows.

      Jason Harlem

      In 2004, tax records show Howard dropped $1.45 million for a house back in Los Angeles, one much more modest in scale than her childhood home. The 2,600-square-foot home, set just above Hollywood Boulevard on a prime parcel in the historic Whitley Heights neighborhood and mostly obscured behind high hedging and security gates, is elevated atop a street-level two-car garage amid lush semi-tropical landscaping. The main living spaces are on the upper level to maximize light and views.

      Howard, who died late last year at 88, sold the house in late 2013 for $1.6 million to TV producer Nick Rabb Weidenfeld and his wife Amantha. Tax records show the property last changed hands in 2021, when the Weidenfelds sold it for $2.5 million, and now the circa 1950, late Moderne-style residence is newly on the market with Tim Swan at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties for a tetch under $2.8 million.

      Dubbed “Graciebird” and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the property offers sweeping views that, on a clear day, extend all the way from the downtown skyline to the Pacific Ocean. Updated with in-ceiling speakers and other creature comforts, the home retains many period details. Coved ceilings in the step-down fireside library/den and in the formal dining room add sensual curves matched in the decorative wrought iron railings featured both within the house and outside along a second-floor balcony.

      The backyard is a private, courtyard-style oasis.

      Jason Harlem

      Gigantic, mullioned picture windows converge in a corner of the nearly 400-square-foot living room, making for a cinematic view of the city lights through the surrounding trees, while the eat-in kitchen is up to date and the bathrooms showcase well-preserved vintage tile work. 

      All together, there are three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms dispersed over two floors. On the lower level, along with a couple of bedrooms and baths, a family room opens to a herringbone-pattern brick patio amid lush tropical plantings.

      The narrow, winding streets of the Whitley Heights neighborhood have long been popular with entertainment industry movers and shakers. Golden Age icons like Carole Lombard, Carmen Miranda, Rudolph Valentino, Ronald Reagan, and Charlie Chaplin all resided in the hilly enclave, as have modern-day film and TV stars Ellen Pompeo, Busy Philipps, Rachel Bilson, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

      Click here for all the images of 2019 Grace Avenue.

      Jason Harlem More

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      This One-Time Hollywood Hills Home of Celebrity Photographer Herb Ritts Can Be Yours

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      A lofty Hollywood Hills villa that Herb Ritts once called home just popped up for sale high above the Sunset Strip, asking a click under $8.4 million; and it’s every bit as sublime as the late photographer’s images capturing the likes of Olivia Newton John, Madonna, Cindy Crawford and many more notable personalities—complete with museum-quality furnishings, plus sweeping views of the Griffith Observatory, city lights and ocean beyond.

      “The property presents a peaceful tranquility to be experienced while living in a midcentury art-deco work of art,” says Ernie Carswell, who holds the listing with Spencer Daley, both of Douglas Elliman. “For purists, there is nothing finer.”

      The Hollywood Hills home is fronted by a walled and gated court entry boasting an organic vegetable garden.

      Brian Kaplan

      Ritts acquired the 1936-built premises at the start of the 2000s—shortly before his death in 2002 at age 50—and then undertook an extensive remodel and expansion that added a cabana entertainment room with a full kitchen and bath that could easily serve as a guest suite if needed, as well as an additional bedroom and bath for staff that could be accessed via its own entrance.

      Per Carswell, there have been four owners since Ritts’ tenure, all of whom meticulously maintained the residence; and the current owners even added high-tech amenities and security features, such as armored windows and “James Bond-level” surveillance, he says.

      Resting atop a promontory, amid a secluded cul-de-sac parcel spanning almost a half-acre, the white stucco structure is fronted by an attached two-car garage, and offers a total of five bedrooms and six baths in a little more than 4,200 square feet of two-level living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high ceilings and steel-case French doors spilling out to a wraparound balcony. There also are plenty of original museum-quality furnishings by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, Serge Mouille and Pierre Jeanneret that are all available for purchase.

      Furnishings crafted by French designers ranging from Jean Prouvé to Pierre Jeanneret are available for purchase separately from the home’s sale price.

      Brian Kaplan

      A walled and gated courtyard entryway centered around an organic vegetable garden leads to the main level, which features a living room/library sporting a concealed motorized screen, projector and surround sound for movie nights. Other highlights include a wet bar-equipped den, formal dining room with built-in banquette, and galley-style kitchen decked out with custom cherry wood cabinetry and high-end Sub-Zero and Viking appliances, plus a breakfast nook on one side and lounge with a wine fridge on the other.

      All of the bedrooms can be found on the lower level, including a spacious primary retreat displaying a private balcony, walk-in closets, and a tiled bath spotlighted by dual vanities, a fitted tub and glass-encased shower. As for the outdoors, the private grounds are laced with specimen trees, and host a black-bottom pool flanked by a sundeck and an al fresco dining patio; and, per the listing, the sale also comes with architectural plans for a two-story ADU/guesthouse to be built on the property, as well as permits for a Tesla Solar Roof that can provide off-grid power for the entire house.

      Click here to see more photos of 8724 St. Ives Drive. More