OMG, I Want This House: San Clemente, CA
The Daily Beast presents a look at one of the most insane houses in the world.
FDR had the Little White House in Georgia, George W. Bush had Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, and Trump has the now infamous Mar-A-Lago. These are just a few of the members of a vaunted club of presidents who haven’t been content to repair to Camp David when in need of a little R&R. Richard Nixon was among them. When the 37th President of the United States felt the call of the ocean, he jetted off on Air Force One to his home in San Clemente, California, nicknamed the “West Coast White House.” Now, for just shy of $60 million, you can follow in his footsteps—though we recommend not all of them—and pretend that you spend your workdays in the Oval Office.
We don’t mean to make you nervous about your new home, but according to the listing agent, “This is the most significant and private oceanfront estate in Southern California.” We hope you write that $60 million check with the appropriate gravitas.
This scene-setting crystal chandelier has sparkled over the likes of Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Billy Graham, and Lyndon B. Johnson, all while Nixon was in residence. Not to put you on the spot, but who’s coming to your next dinner party?
The estate was built in 1926 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style (Manhattan real estate agents would call that a pre-war mansion), but it’s had a few little nips and tucks over the decades. Coastal mansions are like society doyennes—they prefer to age backwards.
“Grounds” is the only word with the appropriate reverence to describe the 5.45 acres of neon green that surround this property.
When you get tired of doing your best dolphin impersonation in the pool, challenge your greatest political nemesis to a round of tennis or a few swings on the putting green. La Casa Pacifica, the name Nixon preferred for his California gem, is like living in your own private country club.
Oh, this little thing? It’s just a gorgeous home that has graced the pages of Architectural Digest on three separate occasions. How’s your house doing?
The only downside of living in such famous quarters is that simply everyone will want to have a look (she says with a rich and beleaguered sigh worthy of Grace Kelly in High Society). But never fear, you have purchased a walled compound which means unobstructed views of the ocean for you, and a day of profound frustration for any wannabe Peeping Toms.
Securing a top-notch gardener is a must when you have an impressive coastal garden to maintain. But when it comes to your delicate orchids and culinary greens, feel free to make full use of the resident greenhouse.
When you’re living in a piece of history, you’re bound to have a few visitors, which makes it all the more delightful that there are nine bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms at your disposal. And that’s not even taking into account the guest house and the staff quarters.
When you’re a star in the Age of Instagram, it’s important to know your best angle. Sunset is definitely this beauty’s best side. With 450 feet of beachfront, you won’t miss a single nuance of each evening’s work of art.
You know a bench has seen some things when it has developed a wise patina of moss. Now, if only we can coerce it into giving up its secrets…
You may have broken your poor mother’s heart by not becoming president, but there’s hope for you yet. Working in the Oval Office may no longer be in the cards, but there’s no reason you can’t buy your way into a little presidential power. Just snap up Nixon’s former house and brag to all your friends that you’re now living in the West Coast White House.
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