While showman Cary Grant may have passed away in 1986 his legacy still goes on, with his name plastered all over sales literature for his former Palm Springs haunt. This property is in an area known as Old Las Palmas which boasts the largest number of celebrity homes in the region. So, what kind of home do you get for $13 million and what is it about Old Las Palmas with seems to attract celebrity real estate investors?
Cary Grant’s old haunt
To say this is a picturesque property is an understatement it has everything from palm trees to a perfectly manicured garden, from luxury homes to an array of bedrooms and bathrooms for guests and family. The development itself is located on 4 acres of prime property with a pool guesthouse which was specifically built for Cary Grant’s. Overall there are eight bedrooms and 14 bathrooms and the property was nicknamed “Villa Paradiso” by the famous actor himself.
The history of “Villa Paradiso” goes back to 1928 when then owner Charlie Rich, a Las Vegas casino executive, decided to set up home in Palm Springs. He was very close friends with Cary Grant and it was he who gave the instructions to build a pool house for the man himself. When you bear in mind the size of the development, the history and the riches associated with the area, it will be no surprise to learn that there are four separate homes on the land.
Enormous living space
The main property boasts 7500 ft.² of living space and across the four homes there is a total of 15,000 ft.² of living space. The sales literature also confirms there is a caretaker’s house and a large four car garage which is “climate controlled”. The compound is private and secure, something which was mentioned when Jennifer Grant, Cary Grant’s daughter, published her memoirs – highlighting the 17 inch thick walls in the compound!
There was also talk of driving golf carts on the large lawn and learning how to play putt-putt in years gone by. The gardens themselves are immaculate with trees, shrubbery and flowers aplenty offering some beautiful views from the four homes. It seems almost inevitable, bearing in mind the celebrity neighbourhood, that the property will be snapped up relatively quickly and begin a new chapter under a new owner.
Old Las Palmas
This is an area of Palms Springs which boasts more than its fair share of celebrity links including the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Goldie Hawn, Elizabeth Taylor, Donna Reed, Debbie Reynolds, Jack Warner and Clark Gable to name but a few. While areas such as the Hollywood Hills have been a little overshadowed by their local neighbourhoods of late, Old Las Palmas has managed to maintain an air of style and glamour.
Cary Grant’s former hangout is an extremely desirable property and while he never actually owned the compound he spent much time there. However, from the sales literature you might have been forgiven for assuming that he owned the place!