Mostly interested in Major European Metropolis (London/Paris/Geneva/Rome) or Mediterranean coast. Not absolutely limited to this, so we would consider unusual areas we hadn't considered.
United Kingdom spring
France spring
Switzerland spring
The Home
Our beach house in Malibu has been featured in numerous magazines and on TV shows. It is somewhat eclectic in it's art and features. It sits right on the beach (the ocean crashes beneath the front deck) . It has a pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym as well as the requisite surfboards, boogie boards, windsurfers and kayaks (12) . It's garden has over 200 fruit trees (banana, orange, lemon, lime, avocado, peach, plum, mango, papaya, Fuji apple, cheramoya, pepper, kumquat among others) and provides for fresh herbs of many types daily (basil, cilantro, rosemary, etc. ) . The house is 5 minutes drive from the center of Malibu (for shopping, etc. ) . There are numerous beautiful biking and hiking trails in the mountains behind (and 5 mountain bikes to choose from) . There is small full court basketball set up (with professional baskets) . There is a Guest Master (the Master is off limits) bedroom with 60 inch HDTV with Tivo, balcony overlooking the ocean, jacuzzi tub, double sinks, etc. (the house was built by the movie director Robert Altman and bought from the actress Dyan Canon) . There is a small secondary guest room with its own bathroom and a third child's room that shares the Guest Master's bathroom. And there is also a small satellite office/bedroom/poolroom with its own bathroom. The house has 3 maids and a handyman on call. There is the possibility of car exchange (Lexus LH600, Jeep Wrangler, Lexus 430SC, Accura MDX SUV) . It comes with an incredibly well trained and loveable black labrador-retriever who loves to swim and surf and is great with kids (and we just added a new less well behaved white labrador puppy). Five doors down my sister has 2 houses one of which has been converted into a full time kid's playhouse (with requisite trampoline, spin art, video games, battery cars, scooters, kites, air hockey, foosball, professional ping-pong set, etc. ) which might be accessible for families with young kids. There is a 24 hour security guard at the entrance to the short street which is necessary for the celebrities like William Shatner, Bruce Willis and other stars who have or had homes here on the street but merely convenient for the rest of us. There is a also a state-of-the-art audio/video security system installed on the premises. Access to an "association" tennis court at the entrance to the street can be arranged. Wireless highspeed internet throughout the house.
I own this property.
HOME TYPE:
Single Family
The Neighborhood
Half of the 45 or so homes on the street are second homes. Our house lies a hundred yards away from a terrific surf spot, one of the few that isn't crowded because public access is difficult. Stroll 2 miles down the beach to Paradise Cove, the setting for numerous Hollywood films including American Pie 2 and TV shows like Baywatch. There you can have lunch/dinner or continue on underneath the cliffs of Point Dume where many a celebrity (like Johnny Carson and Barbara Streisand) have homes. Behind the house lies the Backbone Ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains with numerous hiking and biking trails. In fact, follow the street across Pacific Coast Highway and you can follow the canyon, cut up by many horse riding trails, up to a waterfall. In the center of Malibu you can order sushi and watch the stars at Nobu or hang with the locals at Marmalade or a number of other great restaurants in every price range. There are several very good Italian restaurants but for hoopla everyone goes to Taverna Tony (Greek) . Shop for beachwear, visit the Adam's House (where Malibu's first business, tile manufacturing, was located) , stroll over to the famous Surfrider beach and the nearby Hollywood heavy-hitter laden Malibu Colony. Informal eats at Howdy's Mexican Cafe are terrific. And on the right day you can visit the art fair or farmer's market. Malibu has it's own movie theater complex but bigger ones are just 15 minutes away either in Calabassas or Santa Monica. And in Santa Monica you have the touristy but fun and always crowded 3rd Street Promenade (with a zillion restaurants nearby including the rather well known Ivy By The Shore) . If you don't feel like driving you can walk 5 minutes to the nearby cliff top Geoffrey's Restaurant with its commanding ocean views can be quite the romantic setting. Impressive kelp forests in front of the house make for fascinating scuba diving or snorkelling. The atmosphere everywhere is very laid back. Dress is always very casual even at the best restaurants. People in suits are shot (though there's a quota, and ONLY in season WITH a permit) . Though in reality you're more likely to be shot by accident by a paparazzi who mistakes you for one of the many celebrities who make Malibu their home (they look quite different when not on the screen) .
ATTRACTIONS:
Restaurants
Shopping
Galleries/Museums
Theaters
Health Club
Forests
Ocean
Mountains
Tennis
Biking
Surfing
Diving
Hiking
Boating
Other Information
Absolutely NO cigarette smokers (we're very sensitive to cigarette smoke, other smokes might be OK) . We have a number of cars that might be made available for use if there is a quid pro quo. Our black and white labrador-retreivers would stay with the house so it might not be a good choice for those who are canine averse (though one is incredibly friendly and well behaved and the other is just an enthusiastic puppy but can be tamed) . The house is great for entertaining but we don't want to trade with anyone who might throw constant or large parties (too much wear and tear) . Pool is heated and has multiple swim jets for those who like to swim on a "treadmill". There is a part time chef (from Spago's) that can continue to provide meals for those who so wish (for a fee) . The house has some rather unique and expensive art, which while mostly insured, would have to be covered in some sort of side agreement (at least up to the deductible) .
amenities:
Exceptional View
Computer
Garden
HotTub/Jacuzzi
Internet Access
Private Pool
Washer/Dryer
FAX
Fireplace
Security System
Patio/Outdoor Dining
TV/Cable
Stereo/HiFi
Balcony/Deck
CONDITIONS:
No Smoking
Child OK
Auto Possible
No Pets
No Plant Care
The Dates
WE ARE NOT, repeat NOT, interested in an exchange during the summer. June and late September are good for test weeks. April-May-June or September-October-November of '09 or '10. This is a first home but we have others, so a non-simultaneous exchange is possible. The beach house is NOT available during July or August as it is always being used by the family during that period. NOTE!!!! WE DO NOT TRAVEL IN THE SUMMER (July through Mid September)!!! So please don't ask for a summer rental (though we might start considering a week or two during that time frame once our kids reach public school age (after 2010). We do often use our house in Aspen in early June and would consider an asyncronous exchange for THAT time period.
The Destination
Mostly interested in Major European Metropolis (London/Paris/Geneva/Rome) or Mediterranean coast. Not absolutely limited to this, so we would consider unusual areas we hadn't considered.
The People
We have a three year old son and and a newborn. We'd love to exchange with a family with a nice place either in a major European metropolis or on the Mediterranean coast. Though we would only need 4 bedrooms for ourselves, more would be appreciated so friends could visit. Though we might be interested in a one or two week trial exchange, we are most interested to try a 2-3 month exchange either for the Spring or Fall (of '09-'10) . Our black lab is very much a "beta" dog (deferrential to all other dogs and people) but a terrific swimmer though our white lab puppy can be a bit more to handle with his enthusiasm and alpha tendencies. My name is Eric and I'm into photography, unusual art, travelling, wine, eating and exercising (so I can eat more) .
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