In 1998, at the height of her fame, actress Sharon Stone purchased a home in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighbourhood with her then-husband, journalist Phil Bronstein.
The mansion measuring 8,500 square feet originally cost the couple $6 million. Following their contentious divorce in 2005, they sold it for $13 million and it is now back on the market for $39 million, making it the Bay Area’s most expensive listing. The property at No 1, 25th Avenue, Sea Cliff has only had four owners in its long history.
The key details
This was the first home to be built in Sea Cliff. It was constructed in 1908, after the deadly 1906 San Francisco earthquake caused the original residents to flee the city.
Close to the Lincoln Park Golf Course, Golden Gate Park and Legion of Honour Museum, Sea Cliff is situated in north-western San Francisco and is known for its large, oceanfront properties. It has long been popular with celebrity residents, including George Soros, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, actor Eugene Levy and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett.
Classic and elegant, Stone’s former home has been updated with all the latest amenities ― including Viking and Wolf appliances in the kitchen ― but retains its Old World charm. It is designed in Italianate-Victorian style, with interiors that feature high ceilings, carefully preserved dark wood floors, towering doors and custom-built fireplaces. Picture windows in various rooms offer expansive views of the sea and San Francisco’s famed Golden Gate Bridge. The U-shaped property wraps around a sunny interior courtyard.
Formal living and dining rooms connect to more casual, intimate spaces, including a den with a fireplace and a reading room. The kitchen has been upgraded and leads on to a family dining area. This is flanked by a large north-facing terrace and deck that look out over the Pacific Ocean.
A wooden stairway leads down to another sun deck and provides private access to Baker Beach, which forms part of the Presidio National Park.
What's the story?
Currently listed by Neal Ward Properties, the historic mansion has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, including a primary suite that is characterised by its turn-of-the-century details and handcrafted mouldings. The suite also offers an office, walk-in closet, two dressing rooms and his-and-hers baths.
Two of the other bedrooms feature Juliet balconies, while another has its own sun terrace that looks out over a courtyard. The top floor is home to an activity room and a guest suite with two terraces.
All the gates and entry doors have secure electronic keyless access, while an integrated surround-sound system serves the first and second levels, as well as the garden.
The broker says...
"The scale and volume of these spaces is something you don't often find today and is evident the minute you step from the dramatic foyer into the living room, where large picture windows boasting jaw-dropping Golden Gate, Marin Headland and ocean views command your attention," reads the listing on the Neal Ward Properties website.
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Spec%20sheet
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
