Photograph by Todd Pierce
Home All-Stars: Inside Looking Out
January 1, 2006
Every one of the 4 million Americans who live in communities with security gates has a reason for buying inside. Celebrities in Beverly Park find solace in
knowing stalkers and the paparazzi cannot gain access to their homes, while
billionaire financial executives favor the lush and private Conyers Farm, with
its easy access to Manhattan. Traditional country club communities still reign,
but a new crop of gated communities is attracting a young, active crowd that
appreciates the preservation of open space. Whether used for a full-time
residence or as a vacation home, secure communities deliver the opportunity for
residents to mingle with others who share their lifestyle and their love of the
game, be it golf, tennis, polo or bridge. Here is a glimpse into nine of the
most sought-after gated places in the country.
Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek, Colo.
Nestled in a pristine bowl smattered with
aspens and lodgepole pines, Bachelor Gulch rests serenely on the slopes of
Beaver Creek Mountain, a ski resort with 1,600 acres of terrain and a reputation
for out-servicing its competitors. Beaver Creek itself is gated, but to get past
the second gate in Bachelor Gulch, you need to be a resident or a guest of the
cushy Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, the hotel that caters to the community’s 370
residences with amenities such as restaurants and a 21,000-square-foot spa.
Nearly all of the homes provide ski-in/ski-out access, the most coveted amenity
in the ski world. They also follow a strict architectural theme dubbed
“parkitecture,” a mix of styles inspired by the grand lodges found in Yosemite,
Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Glacier national parks. “This log-and-stone
architectural style is what people are looking for,” says Catherine Jones
Coburn, a realtor with local firm Slifer Smith & Frampton. “They also want
tranquil privacy.” The community is most attractive to CEOs, financiers and
young families.
Homeowners in Bachelor Gulch are offered membership to the Bachelor Gulch Club,
which delivers ski passes, the chance to avoid the on-mountain lunch rush at the
private Zach’s cabin, a slope-side members’ lounge for après-ski, and a
first-tracks program that puts members in the powder before everyone else. A
concierge assists with vacation planning, while social events such as moonlight
snowshoe excursions and wine tastings are designed to lure homeowners from their
hot tubs.
Bachelor Gulch buyers do not pay association fees, but they do have to pay a 2
percent transfer tax. Prices start at about $1.3 million for a two-bedroom condo
and run as high as $14.5 million for a 10,000-square-foot home on a lot that was
the number one pick in the original lottery. Although Slifer Smith &
Frampton is the designated realtor for Bachelor Gulch, the most expensive
listing is held by Suzi Apple at Gateway Land.
Bachelor Gulch Village, 888.677.8380, www.bachelorgulchvillage.com
Gateway Land, 888.278.9601, www.gatewayland.com
Birnam Wood Golf Club, Montecito, Calif.
Birnam wood appeals to people who
appreciate its historic and traditional elements. Set on 220 acres just outside
the upper village of Montecito, the community was once a sprawling lemon
orchard. The former lemon-packaging facility, a 100-year-old stone structure,
now serves as the community clubhouse and is adorned with historical photos from
its lemon-packing days.
Montecito has long attracted celebrities: Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier
married in Montecito, Jack and Jackie honeymooned at San Ysidro Ranch and Julia
Child spent her last years here. Today you might bump into Oprah Winfrey, Steve
Martin or Kirk Douglas. The main draw is the Mediterranean climate, which keeps
temperatures in the 70-degree range.
Birnam Wood offers a Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf course, clay- and hard-court
tennis and a professional croquet court. “Residents simply have to ask
themselves, ‘What do I want to do today?’ ” says local real estate agent Susan
Burns. Another popular hobby of residents is gardening, evident in the lush and
diverse landscaping seen throughout the community. “Some residents have olive
and orange trees, while others choose English gardens with roses and begonias,”
says Burns.
Birnam Wood boasts just 140 homes, some with views of both the Pacific and the
foothills. Recent listings include a James Morris—designed home on the 10th
fairway with a pool for $3.4 million, and a French château set on two acres for
$20 million.
Susan Burns, 805.565.8822, www.susanburns.com
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