The property at 3501 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in Studio City, California, has lived many lives.
First, there was the speakeasy tucked into a hillside that was a Hollywood hotspot in the early 1900s.
Then, the property belonged to Johnny Weismuller, an actor known for his role as the original Tarzan.
“He was there for decades,” real estate agent Brent Watson told Homes.com in an interview. It’s said that during Weissmuller’s tenure at the property, other stars visited the property, and there’s even word that both Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Temple learned how to swim in the property’s pool.
Eventually, Weissmuller sold the property to someone on his team – a stuntman or someone of the like, according to Watson. Since then, it has traded hands a few more times.
Now, it’s on the market again. This time, though, it has been revamped to include even more amenities. The seller is Raul Gasteazoro, a movie producer.
The property hit the market Monday with a nearly $5 million price tag. In all, there are six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and more than 4,500 square feet of living space across various structures, according to a listing on Homes.com.
Watson holds the listing alongside Marco Salari. Both agents are with The Beverly Hills Estates.
“It’s definitely a unicorn property,” Watson said. “And I think its location makes it very, very interesting and desirable.”
Marketing a retreat space to a variety of buyers
In addition to the property’s living spaces — including a two-bedroom pool house, one-bedroom speakeasy and two-bedroom carriage house — there’s also a studio, amphitheater, performance deck, and an authentic teepee.
Watson said Gasteazoro “uses it as a place for retreats.”
“He’s very involved with sort of the California serenity retreats, you know, that kind of thing,” he added. “He meditates a lot.”
Gasteazoro purchased the home in early 2016 for about $1.15 million, according to Homes.com data. Since then, Watson said he's invested nearly $2 million in upgrades and landscaping, including the addition of the teepee.
Now, though, Gasteazoro has purchased a new property in Ojai, so he’s looking to offload the Studio City space.
“Most people in Hollywood, they don’t stay stable for any length of time,” Watson explained. “Everybody’s always moving.”
As for the compound’s next life, Watson said he could see the space serving as a brand’s retreat spot, a studio space for an artist or an opportunity for an East Coast buyer to move out West.
“I’ve had calls from the East Coast, people that had left L.A. who are thinking of re-entering L.A., but not as a full-time thing,” he said, noting that a buyer could also add a single-family home to the property if they wanted. “They’re looking for something unique and interesting. This has a great pool. It’s a great entertaining space. And for somebody that doesn’t live here, that wants kind of like that vibe, it’s perfect.”