There’s no arguing the fact that 10236 Charing Cross Road, in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, is one of the most famous addresses in the world; it’s the location of the Playboy Mansion, made infamous by Hugh Hefner, his legendary celebrity parties, and his even more legendary penchant for beautiful women.
The front of the Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion, designed in a Gothic-Tudor style, sits on an impressive 5.3 acres in one of the most prime real estate areas in the entire world near the Bel-Air Country Club and University of California, Los Angeles. Playboy acquired the residence in 1971 for just north of $1 million; today, with the money that has been poured into renovating it, not to mention inflation, it is valued at over $100 million. Boasting nearly 22,000 square feet, 22 rooms, a wine cellar, game room, private zoo and aviary, not to mention the infamous grotto where many a party has gotten far, far out of hand, it’s easy to see why a young, swinging bachelor like Hugh Hefner in the early 1970’s found the residence to his liking. In recent years, many features of the home have been frequently displayed on television; before that the house had long been a curiosity for those who imagined the variety of good times and debauchery that took place behind its secretive walls. With entertainment of guests being the primary goal of the residence, the Playboy Mansion’s game room features a vast array of pleasures including vintage and modern arcade games, pinball machines, a player piano, jukebox, flat-screen television and a surround sound stereo system. The mansion is said to have a number of secret rooms that have been kept out of the public eye, including the “Elvis Suite”, where the King himself once spent the night with a reported eight women. In 1996, Hefner purchased the property next door to the mansion and made it part of the Playboy Mansion estate; today, his ex-wife and children live there. Additionally, the Playboy Mansion has been utilized over the last several decades for many events and appearances including: the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar shoot; promotion of the first MMA Cage Fight in 2007 by Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker; and a 2008 wine and food tasting event called Hollywood and Vino, created by George Chung productions and Mediazone.com.
The famous Playboy Grotto
Mention the world-famous Playboy Mansion to almost anyone and certain indelible images will instantly pop into their heads. Perhaps more than any other single piece of real estate, it transcends its good design and great location with a sense of history and notoriety that will never be duplicated anywhere else.
The north side of the Playboy Mansion
