At the upper end of the real estate market, top finishes, gyms, and five-car garages are now so common as to be something of a yawn. Many developers and builders are setting themselves apart by getting creative, however. They’re adding impressive features that would be special on their own, but become something even more as part of a residential building or standalone home. We’ve put together eight of our favorite over-the-top amenities that showcase how far imagination and unlimited budget can go toward elements that define the essence of luxury living.
A Private Music Venue Created by a Rock Star
Time to relinquish the karaoke machine. The Sound Lounge at The Kent on NYC’s Upper East Side is a music lover’s dream. Kravitz Design (as in Lenny Kravitz) created this handsome soundproof retreat complete with a full stage setup, dance floor, and myriad oversized screens. Access to all of it is included in the price of admission, which starts at $2.99 million for a two-bedroom condo.
Photo: Evan Joseph
Your Own Pro Golf Course
At Three Ponds Farm in the Hamptons, country clubs and crowds are a thing of the past. The $49 million estate comes with a USGA-rated 18-hole, par 70 course complete with a pro-shop/clubhouse and full-time superintendent. All of that on top of the 25,000-square-foot main residence means you’re essentially buying your own 58-acre golf resort where the only tee time on the schedule is yours.
Photo: William Billy Metzger
An Art Collector’s Gallery Space
This picture isn’t of a famous gallery or contemporary museum, it’s the two-story gallery space built into San Francisco’s Residence 950. The $45 million home (the city’s most expensive) includes a flexible area with pre-wiring for art hanging and air conditioning designed for preservation. As a blank canvas, it’s suited to display just about any work from any medium.
Photo: David Livingston
A Helipad
Why drive when you can fly right to your doorstep? 816 Glenmere Way in Los Angeles includes a helipad built for a personal drone helicopter (not included) so you can bypass traffic heading home into the hills above Brentwood. Should you not feel like leaving, the $11.995 million property also includes solar panels and two Tesla Powerwalls to keep things charged up at the homestead.
Photo: Courtesy of UMRO Realty
A High-Concept Wellness Center
Residents at the forthcoming 2000 Ocean will enjoy an unbelievable array of spa and gym options right in their own building. The fully integrated setup includes a Hammam steam bath, ice room, private massage therapy rooms, tranquility meditation garden and a café/juice bar managed by a top health & lifestyle consultancy. Entrance into this wellness paradise just north of Miami begins at $2.6 million for a three-bedroom, 3.5-bath half-floor residence. Construction is expected to wrap in 2020.
Photo: Courtesy of Levy PR
An Extraordinary Orchard
South of Santa Barbara, this 1914 Montecito estate comes with expansive gardens that include an orchard with 200 fruit trees and 500 rose bushes. More European than Southern Californian, the grounds are simply perfect for a lazy morning walk reveling in majestic 360-degree views and more than 100 years of history. The 11.2-acre residence is currently listed at $36.89 million.
Photo: Courtesy of UMRO Realty
A Five-Star Wine List, Whenever You Want It
Ever wanted your own wine bistro? Here’s your chance. This 1,000-bottle, refrigerated, brick cellar below ground includes an adjacent tasting room. While the $12.995 million home in Bradenton, Fla. includes an array of other amenities, you might find yourself spending most of your time enjoying Bordeaux or Pinot Noir in serenity.
Photo: Courtesy of Michael Saunders & Company
An Indoor Skatepark
For the kid (or kid at heart), Waterline Square’s 100,000-square-foot amenity space—in one of Manhattan’s top neighborhoods—is an adrenalin-fueled godsend. It includes a halfpipe and mini ramp, alongside a 30-foot rock climbing wall and indoor soccer field. The three-building complex was designed with offerings for just about every interest and age group, creating one of the premier family-focused residential buildings on the Upper West Side. Pricing begins at $1.825 million for a one-bedroom condo and continues upward to penthouses starting at $17.25 million.
The indoor skate ramps at Waterline Square in Manhattan. Noe & Associates with The Boundary
