I lived a couple blocks away for several years from this famed place which has been keep (since going condo) in a truly wonderful condition in the neighborhood. It was cited in a prior comment about the Cardinal's residence being nearby. True it is physically on the east side of the same street - but three blocks north.

That Gold Coast area has changed a lot in the last decade with many lovely old, architecturally distinct, and timeless homes having been reclaimed from near death while other have been razed in lieu of soulless brownstones. (Not as bad however as the assorted streets between Lincoln Park and Old Town. The stuff of architectural nightmares!)

Next door to the Playboy Mansion used to be two lovely - but very run down - places which drifted down until being rented out in multiple cheap apartments. Both buildings were snatched up, razed and a massive bland as paste single but double-wide structure was built. It detracts from the lovely facade of the Playboy mansion if you do a compare and contrast.

A few homes down (going south on N. State Pkwy) is what had been the old Ambassador West hotel [it's sister, the Ambassador East, is still there and across the street, was used for Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 classic North by Northwest] was restored and converted to condos not too many years ago. Another couple blocks away is the huge and very regal McKim, Mead & White designed mansion for the McCormick family. That now too is a series of luxury condos.

Still its not hard to find many rundown residences - even across the street from the Playboy mansion which may surprise some who think the area exudes manicured perfection - which it doesn't. Price wise with the location, amenities, the history and compared to other prices in the area the place is well priced.

By the way the comment above regarding the irony if a lesbian would buy it isn't really worth giving a counterpoint. However suffice it to say that Hef wouldn't object and frankly would champion such a woman's decision to live her life that way. Hefner - like him or hate him - has been a civil rights proponent so the occupation of that former mansion by anyone gay isn't as ironic.

Irony would be said person purchased the John Birch Society headquarters.