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

    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

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

    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