While he may have passed away in 2015 the name of Ernie Banks, aka “Mr Sunshine”, will go down in folklore amongst Chicago Cubs fans. Affectionately known as “Mr Sunshine” because of his warm and cheery disposition the Hall of Fame batsmen left a legacy few other sports people could follow. However, while Ernie Banks owned the property in question between 2000 and 2014 he had some rather famous neighbours in the Marina Del Rey, California compound in which he lived.
What do you get for $2.75 million?
In some ways it is a little surprising that the price is relatively low at $2.75 million when you bear in mind this is a three-storey, three-bedroom property overlooking the harbour. Over the years the private compound has been home to stars such as basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, singer Kesha and actress Florence Henderson to name but a few. So, aside from rich and famous neighbours what else is on offer?
The property itself offers 3237 ft.² of living space, a formal living room, dining room and a gourmet kitchen with the best in hardwood cabinets and granite countertops. As you would expect from a house by the harbour there are plenty of windows to encourage natural light and the property is an open plan design.
Marble floors and pillars
When you first look into the open plan property every room seems to melt into the other. There are exquisite marble floors, eye-catching pillars and even the quickest glimpse confirms that the furniture is high-class and very expensive. The decor is extremely light in colour which works perfectly well with the large windows and natural light – giving an airy and spacious feel to each room. The walls and ceilings are covered in ornate furniture and while very different in style they do seem to come together.
Beautiful kitchen
As we touched on above, the kitchen is dominated by dark wood storage facilities and the latest in kitchenware. The obligatory kitchen island/breakfast bar is about as classy as they come with comfortable chairs and plenty of space to enjoy your breakfast/brunch. This area combines perfectly with a more formal dining space where we can see a drinks cabinet and ornate furniture with an extremely expensive granite fireplace.
Bedrooms
As you might expect each of the bedrooms is extremely spacious, have an eye-catching fireplace and an ensuite bathroom. There is a ceiling fan for those hot nights although the array of large windows will also help to keep the room cool. It is difficult to appreciate how large the bed is because the room itself is so large.
As you would expect, the bathrooms incorporate both a large tub as well as perhaps the largest shower area we have ever seen. Plenty of space, light and facilities to pamper yourself before a night out.
Relaxing outside
As is obligatory for homes in the sun there is a large seating area where you can relax in the sunshine and what we guess is a high end barbecue for those party days. Thankfully there is significant privacy due to the foliage and trees surrounding the property and especially the outside seating area.
Stylish just like Ernie Banks
This is very much a stylish, no expense spared property which has an array of eye-catching and very different memorabilia and decorations on the walls. The area is outstanding, the compound offers a high degree of privacy and the property is breathtaking to say the least. While some celebrity homes have seen a significant reduction in their initial asking price it is difficult to see his property going any lower.