If you鈥檙e looking for a crash pad at the 鈥渉igh鈥� end of the market, you could do worse than Tommy Chong鈥檚 home in West Vancouver, which for a mellow $7 million.
That鈥檚 a lot of Acapulco gold.
Chong, a Canadian-American actor and performer, rose to fame in the 1970s, along with creative partner Richard 鈥淐heech鈥� Marin, with a series of weed-inspired Cheech & Chong comedy routines and movies, like the cult classic Up In Smoke.
Chong, who has roots in Vancouver, and is also known as a marijuana legalization activist, has owned the secluded home on West Vancouver鈥檚 Stearman Beach at 4488 Ross Crescent, since the 1970s.
In earlier decades, Chong and his family spent considerable time there, said real estate agent Stephanie Orr with Century 21 In Town Realty, but it hasn鈥檛 been their permanent home for some time.
Now that their family is older and Chong, 81, and his wife are on the road a lot when they aren鈥檛 in L.A., they鈥檝e decided it鈥檚 time to let the house go, she said.
Chong may be best known for embracing reefer madness, but his West Van joint hardly screams stoner chic.
Built originally in the 1930s and renovated, the 4,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bathroom home tucked away on one of West Vancouver鈥檚 most private and exclusive streets is elegant, bright and airy, with lots of windows to let in natural light.
A stream runs through the property, with perennial gardens, lush bamboo shoots and a path that leads to the ocean just outside the door.
听鈥淎ll of the windows and skylights just bring nature in,鈥� said Orr.
It鈥檚 more modernist understatement than showboat confection.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e looking for a big fancy, schmancy McMansion house, this is not the house,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is nothing mainstream about this house.鈥�
Granted, you鈥檒l probably still need a pretty big fancy schmancy bank account to consider putting in an offer. Property taxes alone will run you about $21,000 a year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a trophy property in a trophy location,鈥� said Orr. 鈥淚t鈥檚 for people in a certain income bracket who can be affording a house like that.鈥�
Orr said there has already been considerable interest in the property with Realtors calling her for information.
The buyers 鈥� besides having considerable means 鈥� will likely be people who value their privacy, she said.
Although knowledge of Chong鈥檚 waterfront home location has never been a secret in West Vancouver, it鈥檚 not the kind of place that鈥檚 attracted looky-loos. From the street, 鈥測ou wouldn鈥檛 even know the house was there,鈥� she said.
And no, said Orr, there is no lingering odour of Maui wowie in the elegant surroundings, although it鈥檚 a question she鈥檚 been asked a few times by the media.
鈥淚f you were using the wood-burning fireplace you鈥檇 have smoke,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 believe that鈥檚 what you鈥檙e referring to.鈥�
Property records show Chong and his wife bought the home in September 1979 for $230,000.
The property is currently.
听
听
