jerry brown

Jerry Brown Chooses A Loft For His Governor's Residence

Filed under: Estates

Newly elected (and former) California Governor Jerry Brown has chosen his new Sacramento home. Brown and his wife Anne Gust own a five-level contemporary in Oakland Hills but needed a new nest in the California capital. The Sacramento Bee reports that Brown and Gust will live in a one-bedroom unit at 16th and J streets, near the Capitol and across from Memorial Auditorium.

The 1530 J St. building is a a renovated, one-time automobile dealership building which was constructed in the late 1920s. California is one of five states without a governor's mansion (Arizona, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island are also on that list). The former governor's mansion at 16th and H streets is now part of the California State Parks system and has been vacant since 1967.

The four-story building also known as the Elliot Building has two restaurants, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Mikuni Japanese Restaurant, on the ground floor. Brown lived in an apartment on N Street when he was first governor, from 1975 to 1983. There are 18 lofts in his new building ranging from 695 to 1,493 square feet. Rents in the building start at a modest $1,700 a month and the new units have modern kitchens with concrete counters, stainless steel appliances and plenty of light courtesy of large windows. Listings for the units say that they also have a washer and dryer in unit but Brown may have to pay extra for parking. It's a step up from his first governor's residence but doesn't hold a candle to the extravagance of Governor Schwarzenegger who refused to move to Sacramento and commuted from the Brentwood area of Los Angeles via private jet.

Tags: celebrity real estate, jerry brown, sacramento real estate, samsung

Whitman vs. Brown, The Battle Over Real Estate

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The battle for who will be the next governor is heating up. Jerry Brown has a history of service on his side while Meg Whitman has years of business experience. Brown offers a knowledge of government, Whitman, financial acumen. Brown paints a picture of frugality, while Whitman enjoys a $3 million house in pricey Atherton, California. But while Brown opted to live in a Sacramento rental instead of the governor's mansion during his first turn at the helm, he's got nicer digs now. The AP points out that Brown and his wife, former Gap executive Anne Gust enjoy a lovely five-level contemporary home in Oakland Hills. The Zen-inspired home is valued at $1.8 million and has bamboo floors, a sauna, a spiral staircase and views that stretch to the bay. A dumbwaiter services all the floors. Brown and Gust bought the home in 2007 when it was listed for $2.68 million.

This isn't the first cool home he has owned either. He also at one point owned a Pacific Heights converted firehouse that was listed for sale last year for $4.4 million. Brown does still live a frugal lifestyle, taking advantage of his senior discount in many instances. On the night he won the Democratic Party primary he touted his thrifty habits saying that he doesn't like to spend money whether it's his or the taxpayers'.

Meg Whitman also owns quite a bit of land in Colorado. The former CEO of eBay already owned Skyline Ranch near Telluride, Colorado (bought for around $20 million back in 2005) when, in February 2010 she picked up land near Alta Lakes, an approximately 800-acre swath of undeveloped high country land earmarked for development. She has no plans to develop the property. She bought it from Silver Mountain Industries which had planned to put a neighborhood of large and expensive houses on the land. It's not known exactly how many acres were sold or how much Whitman and her husband, neurosurgeon Griffith Harsh IV paid for the land.

Now there is no governor's mansion but the issue of personal frugality seems more important than ever to a state facing a $19 billion deficit. Whitman has said she's willing to pay $150 million of her own money to win the race but that she is a businesswoman who knows how balance a budget. Each candidate says that they are the one who will be more careful with the state's theadbare purse.

Tags: California Governor, California Governor Race, jerry brown, meg whitman

Pacific Heights Firehouse, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home is a bit of a San Francisco charmer stuffed with an art collector's unique collection. The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties column reports that this converted 1893 firehouse in Pacific Height was once owned by former California governor Jerry Brown. It is currently owned by entrepreneur John Traina who bought it from ad man Hal Riney. Traina was also married to author Danielle Steel and they raised seven children together.

Like any firehouse, this home has wide open spaces and a couple of cool fire poles. The first floor's great room connects with an upper living room that includes a pediment-topped custom bookcase which was built for the governor. The custom kitchen has stainless steel counters. The main residence has two bedrooms and an office and a guest cottage in the backyard offers another bedroom. The main home also includes an elevator and wine cellar. Traina's eclectic collection distracts a bit from the overall look of the home but if you can look past the stuffed zebra and the rhino, there's a really neat house here. It is listed at $4.4 million. More pictures are available at the property website.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Source

Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, jerry brown, JerryBrown, john traina, JohnTraina, pacific heights, PacificHeights

Continue reading “Pacific Heights Firehouse, Estate of the Day ”