Celebrities who eschew NY and LA to live elsewhere
Most celebrities call Los Angeles and New York City home. Like the rest of us, they probably want to live close to work and limit their commutes.
But a select few have abandoned Hollywood and the Big Apple in favor of places like Beantown. Daniel Day-Lewis wants to live a quiet life on a farm in Ireland, while John Travolta needed a home that would give him enough room to park his jet planes in the driveway. (Click here or on a photo to go to a slideshow of celebrity homes)
The list is small, but there’s a number of celebs that spend as much time as possible out of the limelight and in places more meaningful to them.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Paltrow, along with her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, and their two children Apple and Moses, live in an ever-expanding home on Parkhill Road in London. The couple has expanded their original pad, which they bought from Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet in 2004, by snapping up the two homes on either side, according to the Daily Mail.
Kevin Spacey
Spacey also calls London home, though his house is a little harder to find. The notoriously private actor is currently living in a flat in the Kennington neighborhood of South London while acting as artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London, a position that ends in 2015.
Taylor Swift
The country-pop singer apparently loves to flip houses. She recently purchased—and then quickly sold—homes in both Nashville and Massachusetts, and recently acquired a massive $17 million home in Rhode Island (which may be yet another flip). The one place she hasn’t yet let go of is her posh Adelicia condo in Nashville, where she spends time when she’s not working. (Click here or on a photo to go to a slideshow of celebrity homes)
John Cusack
The star of a slew of hit 80s and 90s movies, Cusack has a lot of pride for his hometown of Chicago. He’s frequently spotted throughout the city, enjoying restaurants and nightlife. Like most actors, the star spends time shooting films around the world. His heart, however, remains with Chicago—he’s kept his condo in the Chicago’s Fordham building, and has told the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s always overjoyed to return when he’s not working.
Robin Williams
It’s no surprise the quirky comedian and actor chose a quirky city to call home. Williams lives in the beautiful, yet frequently foggy, San Francisco neighborhood of Sea Cliff. He has close ties to the area: he recently married Bay Area graphic designer Susan Schneider and is in process of selling his gorgeous Napa Valley home.
Usher
The singer calls Atlanta home, and has bought and sold several properties in the area. Recently, he put the home he shared with ex-wife Tameka Raymond on the market for $3.2 million. But he still owns another property in the area, a nearly 8,000-square-foot home he bought in 2008, according to Zillow.(Click here or on a photo to go to a slideshow of celebrity homes)
John Travolta
Travolta’s home in Florida is well-known for its most unique feature: it functions as his own little airport. He lives in Jumbolair, an exclusive fly-in community located north of Ocala, Fla. It’s one of the few places that allows him park his Boeing 707 and Gulfstream on his property. He can apparently walk out of his plane, under a canopied walkway and straight into his home, according to Forbes.
Eminem
Despite all the economic turmoil Detroit has suffered over the years, Eminem has never left the city—not that he’s worried about crime or property values at his 5.7-acre estate in Rochester Hills, Mich. The home has six bedrooms, a full tennis/basketball court, a pond and an outdoor swimming pool.
Steven Tyler
The lead singer of Aerosmith and occasional American Idol judge is a native of Yonkers, NY, but his band got its start in Boston. With his close personal ties and the success he’s seen after his Boston start, it’s no wonder he continues to call the city home. Tyler’s mansion is currently tucked away on Summer Street in Marshfield, Mass., south of the city and near Cape Cod Bay. (Click here or on a photo to go to a slideshow of celebrity homes)
Daniel Day-Lewis
The vaunted Irish actor allegedly spends most of his off time in his Irish farm with his two children and his wife, director Rebecca Miller, who is the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller. In the U.S. however, they spend time in Connecticut where her father bought a studio in Roxbury in 1947. The pair apparently live in a home worth $1.3 million in the same area, according to the Danbury News Times.
Christian Slater
The actor recently bought a $2.21 million Spanish-style villa in Coconut Grove, Fla., named “Villa Dolce Far Niente.” He still owns a NYC condo, but he has sold his LA homes that he purchased with ex-wife Ryan Haddon, according to Zillow.
Elijah Wood
It appears the Wilfred star is stepping out of Los Angeles. He recently purchased a $1 million Victorian mansion in Austin, Tex. and ditched his Santa Monica, Calif. property for $1.75 million. The actor has been spotted in the city for years now.
Ilyce Glink is an award-winning, nationally syndicated real estate columnist, blogger and radio talk show host, and managing editor of the Equifax Finance Blog. Follow her on Twitter @Glink.
