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    A Former Apple Exec’s San Francisco Apartment Just Hit the Market for $25.5 Million

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    Around 15 years ago, Jon Rubinstein doled out $7 million for a dated San Francisco apartment in a historic residential tower perched atop a hill in San Francisco’s affluent Pacific Heights neighborhood, across from Lafayette Park. Now the former Apple executive has hoisted the revamped residence back on the market, asking a substantially higher $25.5 million. Neal Ward of Compass holds the listing.

    Though that’s a whopping $18.5 million more than Rubinstein and his wife Karen Richardson, a former technology and software executive, paid for the place back in late 2010, the couple did spend three years and upwards of $10 million gut-renovating the premises in collaboration with Paul Davis Architects. Gone are the formerly bland 1970s interiors in lieu of an elegant Parisian townhouse-like space boasting custom paneling and moldings, Paul Ferrante lighting, and hand-distressed oak parquet floors in chevron and Versailles patterns. Vast expanses of glass also offer up postcard-worthy views of the San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and beyond.

    The fireside living room comes with an intimate seating area that opens to view terraces.

    Brian Kitts

    RELATED: A Silicon ValleyHeavyweight Lists His 1920s San Francisco Mansion for $19.5 Million

    Encompassing the entire fourth floor of the 10-story Beaux-Arts-style cooperative building on Washington Street, which was designed in the early 1920s by renowned Bay Area architect Conrad A. Meussdorffer, the Rubinstein home offers four bedrooms and five baths. More than 5,200 square feet of Mirella Forlani-designed living space features an array of posh perks ranging from a climate-controlled wine cellar that can accommodate up to 3000 bottles to a bedroom that’s been converted into a workout area complete with a sauna and steam shower.

    A private elevator opens into the entry vestibule, which flows to a window-lined living room sporting a decorative marble fireplace and a conversation nook with French doors opening on either side to iron-railed terraces. Other highlights include a chandelier-topped dining room tucked behind pocketing doors and a handsome walnut-clad study/media room, as well as a sleekly modernized kitchen outfitted with imported Italian Arclinea cabinetry, a stainless island, Miele and Sub-Zero appliances, and a breakfast room.

    The walnut-clad study/media room adjoins an office, both with built-in bookshelves.

    Brian Kitts

    RELATED: This Tech Financier’s $22 Million Estate Is One of the Oldest Homes in San Francisco

    Sequestered down a hallway is the primary suite, which hosts a dressing room and fitted walk-in closet, along with a compartmentalized bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a glass-encased shower. Each of the three secondary bedrooms has its own bath, one outfitted with the aforementioned sauna and steam shower. Rounding it all out is a hefty $9,519 monthly HOA fee, which covers the building’s doorman and security services, a communal garden, two assigned parking spaces, and storage rooms.

    Rubinstein, who was instrumental in developing Apple’s iMac and iPod products as senior vice president of hardware engineering, went on to become CEO of Palm and co-CEO of the global investment management firm Bridgewater Associates. He currently serves on the boards of Amazon and Robinhood. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the couple has decided to sell because they haven’t spent much time in California recently due to work-related travel. “Homes should be used,” said Rubinstein, who also owns a primary Florida residence in the seaside town of Vero Beach.

    Click here for more photos of the Pacific Heights residence.

    Brian Kitts

    Authors

    Wendy Bowman

    Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      A Real Estate Tech Pioneer’s San Francisco Live-Work Loft Lists for $3.2 Million

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      Not only did Mark Choey reside in this sleek San Francisco loft for over a decade, but the real estate tech entrepreneur also created a couple of innovative companies while he was under its roof. Now the guy behind the indie brokerage Climb (acquired by Realogy subsidiary NRT in 2016) and the real estate tech platform HighNote Labs is ready to part ways with his live-work spread at the historic Lighthouse Lofts in the SoMa District, asking $3.2 million.

      Originally built in 1924 by the Samuel H. Cowell family as a headquarters for the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind, the Howard Street structure was transformed into a live/work community in the late 1990s and is designated as a Category III contributory landmark. Other well-known residents who have lived at the 22-unit building include artist Klari Reis and the Battery social club founders Michael and Xochi Birch.

      One of the living areas is equipped with a basketball hoop.

      Robert Borsdorf Media

      RELATED: Celebrity Chef Charles Phan Relists His Live/Work Loft in San Francisco for $5.5 Million

      Records show Choey first acquired a corner loft consisting of two combined units in spring 2013 for $1.4 million and subsequently added an adjacent unit—for a combined total of four bedrooms and three baths spread across a little more than 3,600 square feet of flexible living space on two levels. Whimsical yet stylish interiors crafted by Lauren Geremia of Geremia Design are complemented by a mix of epoxy and wood floors, soaring ceilings, exposed concrete, and oversized steel-frame windows providing city views.

      The first two lofts Choey purchased consist of units 201 and 202. Those combined spaces span 2,633 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths, plus an enclosed office and several workstation nooks. Especially standing out on the lower level is a living/dining area that connects to a kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, a ceramic backsplash, and top-notch Bosch, Bertazzoni, and Fisher-Paykel appliances, as well as a game room. A mezzanine level houses a music lounge and the primary suite.

      One of the bedrooms includes a lofted area.

      Robert Borsdorf Media

      RELATED: Car Collector Magnus Walker Lists Downtown L.A. Live-Work Building for About $20 Million

      The smaller 1,056-square-foot loft (unit 203) that was tacked on later is clad with bamboo floors and includes a combined living/dining room, a kitchen and a full bath on the lower level, as well as a bedroom and an office up top. The lofts come with three parking spots and a private storage unit. Rounding it all out, a roughly $2,715 monthly HOA fee allows residents access to a roof deck and a dedicated custodian.

      Per the listing held by Chris Lim and Michelle Balog of Christie’s International Real Estate, “this residence feels boundless in its possibilities—flexible for residential living, a family compound, or a creative office space with private living accommodations for a founder.”

      Click here for more photos of the San Francisco live-work loft.

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      A Silicon Valley Heavyweight Lists His 1920s San Francisco Mansion for $19.5 Million

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      A stately San Francisco residence long owned by early Silicon Valley venture capitalist C. Richard (Dick) Kramlich and his wife Pamela has popped up for sale in the affluent Presidio Heights neighborhood. The asking price is a substantial $19.5 million, with the listing held by Neal Ward of Compass.

      Acquired by the well-known media-based art collectors in the early 1980s for $1.6 million, the Tudor-style abode was originally built and designed in the late 1920s by noted Bay Area architect Albert Farr for engineer Leland Rosener. In addition to having had a hand in building the Golden Gate Bridge, Rosener was also instrumental in the home’s creation—hence the remaining vestiges of his tenure at the premises, which include an original pneumatic vacuum system and a window perch where he could use a telescope to watch the bridge’s construction progress.

      Upon entry into the gated property, an outdoor space hosts an inviting exercise pool.

      Brian Kitts

      Secluded behind high iron gates, amid the southwest corner of the 3600 block of Washington Street, the four-story limestone and brick-accented structure is fronted by a serene courtyard bolstered by a fountain and an exercise pool. Inside, five bedrooms and eight baths are spread across nearly 10,000 square feet of elevator-accessible living space boasting a mix of stone and herringbone-patterned floors, leaded glass windows, and ceilings adorned with wood beams and intricate plaster relief details. Of course, there are also views of the iconic orange-hued suspension bridge.

      Especially standing out on the main level is an entrance gallery that flows to a living room anchored by an oversized stone fireplace surrounded by a coffered wood wall. The formal dining room connects to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with a center island, top-tier stainless appliances and a walk-in pantry, while a more casual family dining room has floor-to-ceiling glass and steel-framed French doors spilling out to an alfresco entertaining patio warmed by a fireplace.

      A grand living room facing the Golden Gate Bridge is centered around an antique stone fireplace.

      Brian Kitts

      Other highlights include a guest apartment with its own kitchenette, bath and deck, plus a posh primary suite that comes with a fireplace, a seating area, a bar nook, a dressing room, and a luxe bath. Rounding out the listing is a top-floor family room and den that have been converted into a dedicated office space and a lower level featuring a recreation/media room equipped with a stage, a bar and a wine cellar, as well as a catering kitchen, a children’s study area, a gym, and a two-car garage.

      Co-founder of New Enterprise Associates and Green Bay Ventures and CEO of Kramlich Investment Group, Kramlich began his career in 1969 as a general partner at Arthur Rock & Company. Since then, he’s become widely known as the first outside equity investor in Apple and for leading numerous startup companies to valuations exceeding $1 billion each. Avid art collectors, the couple created the renowned Kramlich Collection, which features one of the world’s largest assemblages of media-based works primarily housed within their Herzog & de Meuron-designed residence/gallery in Napa Valley. They also maintain a Florida vacation home in the Windsor enclave of Vero Beach.

      Click here for more photos of the San Francisco home.

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      Celebrity Chef Charles Phan Relists His Live/Work Loft in San Francisco for $5.5 Million

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      A little over three years after it first hit the market for $6.2 million, Charles Phan’s live-work space in the bustling Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco has popped up for sale once again. This time the award-winning chef and owner of The Slanted Door restaurant empire is seeking $5.5 million for the property that he and his wife Angkana Kurutach picked up for a smidge under $1.8 million in late 2005. The listing is held by Trecia Knapp of Sotheby’s International Realty–San Francisco Brokerage.

      Designed by noted Bay Area architect William Wurster and built way back in the early 1900s, the industrial-style structure extends from Wilmot to Bush streets, along Fillmore Street. With a total of 6,300 square feet over three levels, the building includes ground-floor restaurant space that’s currently leased for roughly $11,000 a month and a personal living space on the upper floors consisting of three bedrooms, four baths, and a roof deck providing city views.

      The double-height great room hosts a combined living and dining area, plus a Phan-designed kitchen.

      Open Homes Photography

      RELATED: A Prominent Restaurant Family’s Longtime Beverly Hills Home Hits the Market for $5.6 Million

      Mattina, a Cal-Italian restaurant and cafe operated by James Beard Award nominee Matthew Accarrino, occupies 2,640 square feet on the first floor, while the second floor hosts an attached one-car garage and an entrance to the living quarters that’s accessible from the rear of the property. From there, a wood staircase heads up to the third floor, where the 3,760-square-foot residential layout features updated interiors adorned throughout with light narrow-plank hardwood floors, soaring exposed concrete-beam ceilings, and several sizable skylights.

      The kitchen’s commercial-grade appliances are hidden away from public view.

      Open Homes Photography

      Especially standing out is a combined living and dining area that connects to a wraparound kitchen designed and built by Phan himself and outfitted with an expansive stone-topped island and commercial-grade appliances. Other highlights include a library/media room, as well as two guest bedrooms that each have their own loft space and share a bath, plus a spacious primary suite displaying a wall of steel-framed windows, a seating area, a walk-in closet, and a spa-inspired bath equipped with a dual vanities and a glass-encased shower.

      Topping it all off is a bonus room with a bath that opens via sliding glass doors to a large south-facing roof deck that’s ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining.

      Vietnam-born Phan, 62, is a Food Network alum best known for founding his Slanted Door restaurant on San Francisco’s Valencia Street in 1995. He’s since opened several more establishments, with the most recent making their debut in the Napa Valley, where Phan has owned a home since the late ’90s, and internationally in Burgundy, France. The two-time James Beard Award-winning chef—widely acclaimed as the inventor of modern Vietnamese cuisine in America—also has penned the cookbooks Vietnamese Home Cooking and The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food.

      Click here for more photos of Charles Phan’s live-work loft.

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      A California Beach House With a Guitar-Shaped Pool Just Listed for $15 Million

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      Good news, music fans! A beach house in Northern California with serious rock ‘n’ roll connections just hit the market. 

      Built in 1920, the storied property in the unincorporated township of Bolinas, a notoriously insular beach town about 30 miles north of San Francisco, is the former abode of Grace Slick, lead singer of Jefferson Airplane. In addition, the oceanfront hideaway has hosted fellow musical legends, including David Crosby and the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. The 4,074-square-foot spread sits on nearly an acre of land with roughly 400 feet of picturesque beachfrontage along the Pacific Ocean. Most oceanfront homes in Bolinas are perched on high bluffs. Slick’s former hideaway, however, is one of only two properties sited directly on the beach; the other is owned by Marc Pincus, founder of the social gaming powerhouse Zynga.

      On the market for just shy of $15 million, the home has been owned for over 25 years by Mark Talucci, chairman and co-founder of the Sak Group, one of the country’s largest lifestyle accessory companies. Along with its rock star past, the seafront spread was once used as a gathering place for affluent visitors who would arrive from San Francisco by boat, Mansion Global reported, and the dwelling also served at various times as a hotel, a tea house, a bathhouse, and a casino.

      The rock star retreat is one of only two properties in Bolinas with direct beachfrontage.

      Tom Rohrer, Open Homes Photography

      “I couldn’t find anything with this much beachfront property,” Talucci told the listing site. “It’s practically in the ocean and built on a seawall.” The area itself, which is made up of about 1,600 people, offers tons of privacy and has long been a sanctuary for artists and creatives, including actress Frances McDormand, chef Alice Waters, and Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins. 

      “Bolinas is known for being exclusive and reclusive in that it’s only accessible via unmarked roads, so before the days of GPS, locals would tear down signs on the state route to keep outsiders from finding it,” Kara Warrin of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty told Mansion Global. 

      The kitchen and dining area have unimpeded ocean and coastline views.

      Tom Rohrer, Open Homes Photography

      Altogether, the home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Talucci and his wife have painstakingly restored the interiors while keeping the traditional and low-key Northern California beach house look. Think wood shingles, exposed beams, and lots of shiplap. In the kitchen, the couple even went as far as to preserve the home’s original Douglas fir floors. Additional highlights include a main-level primary suite with an outdoor shower and patio, a recreation room with a built-in wet bar, and a sauna. Out back, a nod to the home’s musical pedigree, there’s even a guitar-shaped swimming pool that Slick designed herself in the ‘70s. 

      “The spacious family room was the home of the practice stage where members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and other legendary musicians crafted songs and jammed late into the evening,” notes the listing. “Like those timeless classics, this home is indeed one for the ages.” 

      Click here to see more photos of 99 Brighton Avenue.

      Tom Rohrer, Open Homes Photography

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      Annie Leibovitz Lists a Century-Old Northern California Ranch For $9 Million

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      Photographer Annie Leibovitz, whose work has appeared on the glossy pages of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair for decades, is parting ways with her historic Northern California ranch, now on the market for $8.995 million.

      Leibovitz, who has shot everyone from Richard Nixon to Queen Elizabeth to John Lennon and Yoko Ono and regularly shoots covers of Vogue, purchased the incredible 65-acre ranch in 2019. Located in the famously reclusive seaside community of Bolinas, a favorite, under-the-radar Northern California hideaway for artists, Hollywood types, and the Silicon Valley set, the hilltop ranch dates back to the 1800s, when the first settlers of the area called the ranch home.

      Known today as The Hideaway, the ranch brims with creative history. Photographer Ansel Adams famously shot images here that were part of a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, and later on, Warren Hellman, businessman and founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival, lived here. 

      The kitchen remodel is in keeping with the relaxed charm of the coastal ranch property.

      Jacob Elliott

      The rural coastal retreat is located where the Pacific Ocean meets Mount Tamalpais, and there are stunning views of the Bolinas Lagoon, Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais, and San Francisco, which is just an hour away. Several of the ranch’s many structures date back to the 1920s and ‘30s, and a few date back to the original settlers. After purchasing the property in 2019, Leibovitz spent nearly $2 million on renovations, which saw the addition of a new kitchen and major upgrades to the infrastructure. Still, the home retains its unassuming farmhouse charm. 

      In total, there are seven structures, four of which comprise the residential portion of the compound. The remodeled 1920s main residence has four light-filled bedrooms, a charming updated kitchen, and quaint living spaces. There is also a one-bedroom guesthouse, a caretaker’s residence, and a converted garage. Elsewhere on the property, a dairy barn includes a recording studio that was added during Hellman’s ownership, while the remaining structures, a hay barn and a seven-stall horse barn, are dedicated to equestrian facilities. There’s also a 100-foot x 200-foot year-round riding arena, additional horse and livestock stalls, and fenced pastures. 

      “The Hideaway at 605 Horseshoe Hill Road stands as a historic property with generations of notable stewardship,” said Alexander Lurie, a listing agent with Compass, who is co-listing the property with Nick Svenson, in a press statement. “During Hellman’s ownership, the agrarian and equestrian wonderland served as a gathering for musicians of his time. The site of many special events, concerts, and weddings over more than a century, The Hideaway has an indelible place in history—both for the San Francisco Bay Area and globally. This special space has served as a launching pad of creative inspiration for renowned musical and visual artists of international repute.”

      Millions have been spent to update infrastructure as well as the ranch’s seven humble structures.

      Jacob Elliott

      In addition to panoramic water and mountain views, the ranch property is filled with rolling hills, verdant forest, lush pastures, and nearby bird and seal sanctuaries.

      Leibovitz, currently serving as the first IKEA Artist in Residence, has been much in the real estate news lately. Though she still owns an equestrian property in New York’s Hudson Valley, she sold a duplex apartment in a distinguished building on New York City’s Central Park West earlier this year for $10.6 million—more than $600,000 less than she paid about 10 years ago—and her 3,200-square-foot live-work studio overlooking the Hudson River in the West Village was put up for sale in January and is now in contract with an asking price of $8.5 million.

      Click here for more photos of The Hideaway.

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      Third Eye Blind Frontman Stephan Jenkins’ San Francisco Home Lists for $3.6 Million

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      If you’re a fan of Italian Victorian houses, a new listing in San Francisco’s historic Liberty Hill neighborhood—once home to billionaire Mark Zuckerberg—could be for you. 

      Built in 1880, the residence at 76 Liberty Street is the home of Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins, who purchased it in 2013 for $2.35 million. The rocker is now offering up his Gilded Age pad for $3.6 million. The price tag affords you access to 2,300 square feet of living space. And the eclectic interiors behind the highly detailed facade just might have you questioning, “How’s It Going To Be” with a signing pen in hand. The house spans two floors with four bedrooms and two and a half baths. 

      The Victorian home is fronted by a small, gated garden.

      Open Homes Photography

      Attention to detail starts outside the home, where golden fleur-de-lis accent the wrought iron fencing and a graphic black-and-white tile design greets you at the entrance, alongside a door knob display that features a Gothic Revival-like engraving. The narrow foyer welcomes you into the home with dark, wood-polished floors that balance out its gray-and-white color scheme. 

      To the right, there’s a double parlor. A bay window fills the front room with natural light, while a fireplace adds ambiance to the rear parlor, a rocker’s paradise with suede-like charcoal gray-painted walls and contrasting wood accents. Jenkins outfitted the room with a funky fuzzy sofa and a collection of eye-catching contemporary artworks, but, of course, you get to factor in your own flavor.

      Stepping into the sleek Bulthaup-brand kitchen, complete with Gagganeau appliances, feels like a breath of fresh air. Its open floor plan also includes an integrated Sub-Zero fridge, as well as dishwasher drawers, a built-in espresso machine, and an induction cooker. A spacious viewing deck sits just beyond the kitchen’s cozy lounge area, ideal for enjoying morning coffee bathed in the warmth of the sun, or, this being San Francisco, the cool embrace of fog. Alternatively, you could take your tea in the dining room, which features aged, sepia-toned walls and an antique chandelier hanging from a silvery pressed-tin ceiling. 

      The modern kitchen flows out to a viewing deck.

      Open Homes Photography

      The primary bedroom offers a long wall of bespoke walnut built-ins for clothing, as well as direct access to a private balcony, while the bathroom mixes the old and the new with gold-toned fixtures, a two-sink marble vanity, and a single-cut marble shower space. Opaque glass in the oversized eight-pane sash windows provides privacy. The other three bedrooms, one with a fireplace, share an up-to-date vintage-style bath with a clawfoot tub.

      There is a basement with laundry (there are also laundry hookups in a closet on the top floor) and an undeveloped attic space for storage or future living space. There’s a jacuzzi and a sauna in the backyard, along with parking for three cars along the side of the house, where there’s an EV charger and an e-bike charging station.

      To stake your claim on Liberty Hill, contact Daria Saraf of Sotheby’s International Realty who holds the listing.

      Click here for more images of the property.

      Open Homes Photography

      Authors

      Demetrius Simms

      Demetrius Simms is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. After starting their career in PR, they transitioned to freelance writing in 2020. Their work has now appeared in lifestyle and culture…

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      76 Liberty Street in Photos

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      Published on March 19, 2024

      Open Homes Photography

      Authors

      Demetrius Simms

      Demetrius Simms is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. After starting their career in PR, they transitioned to freelance writing in 2020. Their work has now appeared in lifestyle and culture…

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      Julia Roberts Just Sold Her Charming San Francisco Home in a Flash

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      Back in the earliest days of 2020, just a month or two before the Covid-19 pandemic threw the entire world into chaos, Julia Roberts paid $8.3 million for a house in San Francisco, long one of her favorite haunts. Sited in the charming Presidio Heights neighborhood, the 1912 Victorian had languished on the market for nearly a full year, and endured a series of price chops before Roberts came calling.

      Nearly four years later, the Oscar-winning actress has sold the classically lovable house – and it appears she had the magic touch. After hitting the market in early October, the place sold in just 18 days for an impressive $11.3 million, about $500,000 under Roberts’ asking price but still $3 million more than she had paid. The all-cash buyer, shielded behind a mysterious LLC with a Silicon Valley address, has not yet been publicly identified.

      Behind gates, a brick walkway leads to the home’s column-ringed entry; inside are five full levels with a total of five bedrooms and five bathrooms in a generous 6,300 square feet of living space. Guests are greeted by a stately foyer with a grand staircase holding court near a light-flooded, fireplace-equipped living room.

      While the 111-year-old house has clearly been extensively modified over the years – and the interiors are distinctly contemporary, albeit in a relaxed and casual manner – the place is livable and unmistakably charming. And interesting or original features abound: the dining room features intricate coffered ceilings, there’s a nifty sunroom in one of the bedrooms, and the robin’s egg blue kitchen has stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, plus premium Sub-Zero appliances and a convenient wet bar.

      Four of the home’s bedrooms are located on the second floor, while the primary suite takes up nearly all of the structure’s top floor. There are also two semi-subterranean lower levels – a primary lower level that includes a media room, mud room and the attached two-car tandem garage, and a “lower lower” level with a big bonus room. 

      Both lower levels have direct access to the backyard garden, which is compact but includes serene olive trees, romantic sitting areas and what appears to be a covered hot tub.

      Roberts, 56, still maintains many other homes. Among them are a penthouse in New York City’s West Village, a sprawling New Mexico ranch and an estate on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. But for many years, her primary residence has been a blufftop mansion on Malibu’s Point Dume. More