Marlena Maidof’s listing at 2203 N. Beachwood Drive is featured on Dirt.
During her 36 years on earth, Marilyn Monroe never managed to stay in any one place for too long — the first, last and only home the star would ever own was the 1920s Spanish hacienda in Brentwood where she met her demise. Consequently, Los Angeles is riddled with addresses that claim connection to the blonde icon. One of those residences is the French Normandy-style complex known as Chateau Beachwood.
Located a few blocks south of the historic stone gates heralding the entry to the neighborhood originally known as Hollywoodland but that nowadays goes by Beachwood Canyon, the ten-unit Chateau was designed by architect Walter C. King in 1936. Long-standing legend has it that the fanciful period revival apartment complex was erected by Warner Bros. Studios to house their starlets, but in actual fact, it was one of a number of income properties built by newsstand owner S.J. Steinberg. This doesn’t mean that Chateau Beachwood didn’t shelter a fair share of notable residents; as proprietor of the famed Universal Newsstand, Steinberg crossed paths with just about every major player in Hollywood on a regular basis, and it’s not much of a stretch to imagine that position lending itself to providing a steady source of Tinseltown tenants. So, while concrete evidence that Monroe actually lived in the unit currently being marketed as her former townhome is hard to come by, it also doesn’t seem entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Though far from the most impressive of the myriad places Marilyn was purported to have bunked, the turreted townhouse is certainly not lacking in charms. On its lower level, the 1,200-square-foot unit features a sun-drenched living room, formal dining room, half-bath, kitchen equipped with a Bertazzoni stove and microwave, wine fridge, and Fisher and Paykel dishwasher, and a laundry room with stacked washer and dryer.
A kelly-green magnesite staircase ascends to the top floor, which holds two bright bedrooms, both featuring “wedding cake” relief plasterwork and casement windows, and a bathroom adorned with colorful Deco tile and original tub, sink, and toilet in matching seafoam green. Other period details include oak floors, dentilated crown molding, built-in hutches, and French doors, while updates include new central HVAC and new 125 amp sub panel. The unit also comes with one dedicated garage parking space.
Last sold in 2019 for $785,000, the townhouse is now on the market with an asking price of $899,000. Marlena Maidhof of ACME Real Estate holds the listing.
Los Angeles CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale