West Hollywood

Subterms

    Latest story

    138 Shares140 Views

    Inside a $3.3 Million One-Bedroom Condo in L.A.’s Famed Sierra Towers

    by

    Sierra Towers, the 31-story condo skyscraper located at the bustling intersection of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and the Sunset Strip’s western end, has been a favored celebrity haunt since its completion in the 1960s. But while the midcentury modern landmark normally sees little turnover, the building has seen a glut of luxury listings and sales over the past couple of years.

    Courteney Cox recently sold her Sierra Towers perch, as did Sandra Bullock. Katy Perry recently bought a double-wide penthouse, and there are at least four other units currently on the market. The newest of those, an 17th-floor pied-a-terre, popped up for sale just a few days ago.

    Since its inception in the 1960s, Sierra Towers has been an iconic part of L.A.’s skyline and a favored celebrity haunt.

    Evan Ramzi

    Once one of L.A.’s only high-end condo skyscrapers, Sierra Towers has faced strong competition in recent years from a vast array of newer and glitzier buildings. A common criticism of Sierra Towers is that while unit prices and HOA dues are sky-high, residents must make do with the building’s low midcentury ceilings and dated interiors. But this particular condo addresses at least one of those complaints with its all-new, ultra-chic interiors that bring a heaping dash of contemporary flavor to the premises.

    The petite unit’s current owner is Amir Ensani, a prolific investor in high-end L.A. condos and a luxury new development specialist currently spearheading sales at the exclusive Beverly West Residences. Records show Ensani acquired the one-bedroom, 1.5-bath unit back in early 2022, paying about $1.7 million, and subsequently spent much of the past two years giving the interiors a total overhaul. The 1,300-square-foot residence now includes a masterful blend of wood, glass and stone, a sultry combination further enhanced by its magnificent north-facing views.

    Now priced at nearly $3.3 million, the home’s stylish centerpiece is undoubtedly its eat-in kitchen, which flaunts striking marble countertops and backsplash. The large center island has bar seating, and there’s also a more formal dining area with birds-eye views of the Bird Streets neighborhood. Top-of-the-line Miele appliances are seamlessly integrated into warm-toned hardwood cabinetry.

    The primary bathroom is slathered in imported marble, and an oval freestanding tub takes visual center stage.

    Evan Ramzi

    Just off the open living/kitchen area, the cozy bedroom features wood paneling. A showroom closet with custom built-ins and decadent backlighting stands between the marble bathroom, which offers a freestanding tub and roomy shower with a rainfall showerhead. For convenience, the unit is also equipped with a powder room, also marble-swaddled and ideal for guests.

    The lucky new homeowner, whether it’s a well-to-do bachelor, bachelorette or child-free power couple, will enjoy the new and fully integrated sound system and floor-to-ceiling glass Fleetwood doors throughout, which provide panoramic vistas of the Hollywood Hills, the Sunset Strip and occasionally snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains.

    Building amenities include a communal outdoor pool on one of the lower floors, 24/7 concierge, valet parking, private security guards and a state-of-the-art fitness facility, per the listing. For those services—and more—a buyer can expect to cough up a hefty $2,319 per month in HOA dues.

    Tomer Fridman of the Jones Fridman International group at Compass holds the listing.

    Click here for more photos of Amir Ensani’s Sierra Towers condo.

    Evan Ramzi More

    More stories

    • 113 Shares140 Views

      in Luxury

      Matt Damon Just Snagged an $8 Million L.A. Condo

      by

      Last fall, powerful Comcast CEO Brian Roberts shelled out nearly $9 million for a fifth-floor unit at 8899 Beverly, one of L.A.’s newest and most luxurious condo buildings. Now an arguably even bigger name has followed suit—records indicate an $8.6 million, fourth-floor unit at the same building was recently acquired by actor Matt Damon.

      The condo in question is a notably lavish pied-a-terre ideal for an out-of-state resident who occasionally works in Tinseltown, offering two bedrooms and two bathrooms in just under 2,900 square feet of living space. Brand new and first offered last summer at nearly $9 million, the residence offers walls of glass and north-facing views of the Hollywood Hills from nearly every year.

      Chief among the unit’s amenities is a 1,600-square-foot private outdoor terrace, which the listing notes is one of “the grandest and most expansive outdoor spaces available in the building.” Other bespoke touches include a handcrafted leather door handle leading to the gourmet kitchen, which offers top-of-the-line Sub-Zero, Miele and Gagganeau appliances. The primary bedroom suite, flaunting unobstructed views of the entirety of the Hollywood Hills, also includes dual walk-in closets and a lavish bathroom.

      Damon’s new residence is one of 40 ultra-luxe condos at the 8899 Beverly development.

      Getty Images

      Designed by prestigious architecture firm Olson Kundig, 8899 Beverly is the tallest residential building in West Hollywood, per marketing materials, and sits in a high-density area just blocks from Beverly Hills and a short walk to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Prices for the building’s 40 condo residences start at about $5 million and can essentially touch the sky from there—Robb Report has heard unconfirmed reports that a penthouse at the building may currently be in escrow for north of $20 million with a San Francisco-based tycoon, but that deal has yet to close.

      The 8899 Beverly development also houses 15 affordable housing units on its first floor, where rental fees are capped by market rates, so potentially even non-millionaires can share the premises with rich and famous residents that include Damon and Roberts.

      As for HOA dues, Damon will shell out nearly $5,000 per month for the privilege of living at his luxe new building, where amenities include a 24-hour concierge, fitness center and yoga studio, private auto stable for two vehicles. Outside, an expansive open-air space hosts a pool and spa, fireplaces and a covered dining area. The brand-new, onsite Italian restaurant Stella West Hollywood is also located on the premises.

      Damon and his wife previously owned a tropically-themed mansion in Pacific Palisades that they bought in 2012 for $15 million and sold for $18 million in 2021 to its current owners, former Warner Bros CEO Ann Sarnoff and her husband, private equity guru Richard Sarnoff. For the last several years, the Damon family has primarily resided in New York, where they split their time between a $16 million townhouse in N.Y.C.’s trendy Brooklyn Heights neighborhood and an $8 million getaway estate in the upstate neighborhood of Bedford Hills. More

    • 113 Shares99 Views

      in Luxury

      Actress Miranda Otto Quickly Sells Her Chic SoCal Home

      by

      Back in winter 2017, Miranda Otto paid $2.2 million for a Spanish-style home on a prime street in the Beverly Grove/West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Now the Aussie actress—probably best known for her turn as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and most recently as a cult leader on the Disney+ drama series The Clearing—has decided to part ways with the place she’s owned for a little over six years, having already handed the keys over to the $2.7 million abode after a mere 10 days on the market.

      The sale might be due to a little something she revealed on a TV Reload podcast last spring, per the Daily Mail. Having missed spending time Down Under, Otto said she and her actor husband Peter O’Brien would like to return to their home land for a while now that their daughter has finished school in America.

      As for her L.A. premises, they were built in the late 1920s and have since been updated. The vine-covered structure has an eye-catching bright red front door and driveway tucked off to the side, and features three bedrooms and a matching number of bathrooms in just over 2,200 square feet of designer-done living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high ceilings, arched doorways, and French windows and doors. There also are indoor/outdoor speakers.

      Highlights include a fireside living room and formal dining room, plus a gourmet kitchen outfitted with top-tier Viking appliances and an adjacent breakfast nook/office space. There’s also a master retreat decked out with a fireplace and spacious walk-in closet, as well as a marble-clad bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower; and outdoors the private and landscaped grounds span less than a quarter-acre, and host a swimming pool nestled alongside an al fresco dining area sporting a built-in barbecue.

      A Brisbane native, the 56-year-old veteran film and TV actress comes from a showbiz family that includes her acting parents Barry and Lindsay Otto, and her paternal half-sister Gracie Otto. She began her career at age 18 in various independent and major studio films in Australia, and went on to get her first leading role in Emma’s War. She also has appeared in The Thin Red Line, What Lies Beneath, War of the Worlds, The Starter Wife, The Clearing and Wellmania. But her most well-known role was as Éowyn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movie series, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel of the same name.  

      The listing was held by Clifford Rowe and Pamela Rowe of Compass, with backup offers currently being accepted. More

    • 188 Shares129 Views

      in Luxury

       Comcast’s CEO Just Snagged a $9 Million Penthouse at One of L.A.’s Most Exclusive Buildings

      by

      Over the summer, Brian Roberts picked up a tidy sum of cash when he sold a John Elgin Woolf-designed home in Beverly Hills to art collectors Bill and Maria Bell—the couple who recently transferred their ocean-view Malibu mansion to Beyoncé and Jay-Z for a whopping $190 million.

      The off-market deal netted the chairman and CEO of Philadelphia-based Comcast just over $20 million. So, it’s not surprising that he’s decided to reinvest some of those profits into an upscale residence at the fairly new Olson Kundig-designed 8899 Beverly residential tower.

      Records show the 64-year-old media mogul doled out just under $9 million for the two-bedroom, four-bath condo, adding to an already hefty property portfolio that includes homes in Philadelphia, as well as on Martha’s Vineyard and in North Palm Beach, Fla. 

      The fifth-floor corner unit’s open-concept floor plan features almost 3,200 square feet of Gary Hutton-designed living space adorned throughout with imported wood floors, high ceilings and a custom lighting system. Victrocsa sliding glass walls also open to several terraces providing sweeping views of the surrounding hills and city lights.

      Other highlights include a light-filled great room holding a combination living and dining area, plus a gourmet kitchen outfitted with white oak-lined maple cabinetry, Calacatta Gold marble countertops, and top-tier Gaggenau, Miele and Sub-Zero appliances. There’s also a dedicated media room, and a grand master retreat boasting leather-upholstered walls, antique silver-leafed wallpaper, a built-in office space, dual walk-in closets and a luxe travertine-clad bath.

      As for the HOA dues, Roberts will pay a hefty $5,336 per month for the privilege of living at his new building, where amenities include a 24-hour concierge, fitness center and yoga studio, private auto stable for two vehicles, and an expansive outdoor space hosting a pool and spa, fireplaces and a covered dining area. The onsite Italian restaurant Stella West Hollywood also is scheduled to open this winter.

      The listing was held by Ginger Glass of Compass. More

    • 175 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

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

      by

      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