Listing of the Week: A Fairy Tale Castle in LA

Address: 3598 Alta Mesa Drive, Studio City, California
Listing Agents: Joyce Rey & Timothy Di Prizito
Brokerage: Coldwell Banker
Asking: $4,950,000

Marmont. Greystone. Hefner. As far as iconic mansions go, Los Angeles is Mecca. There’s no place on earth that even comes close.

Sadly, when it comes to recapturing that essence, developers in LA dropped the ball long ago. Sure, they crank out ever more opulent glass boxes with floor plans to rival shopping malls, but they all just seem so… soulless. Cold. Tacky. Take your pick.

Don’t get me wrong, having walls of glass that whirr open with the wave of a hand and invisible fireplaces is pretty damn cool. I get it, I do. But let’s face it, these places are about as charming as last year’s iphone. Worse, they’re going to start looking dated and sad just as quickly.

Enter former Guess Who rocker Burton Cummings and his wife Cheryl and this week’s entry for listing of the week; Cummings Castle in Studio City.

Nestled on an almost impossibly gorgeous (for LA) forested hilltop in Studio City, Cumming’s mountaintop estate boasts truly jaw dropping views, a fittingly imposing stone facade, and something so many Los Angeles mansions seem to lack these days: soul.

Totally rebuilt and restored with rustic beamed ceilings, natural stone walls, and arched doorways, it’s easy to daydream about Mick and Keith hammering out a chorus in the great room, or Elton John stopping by to play a game of chess.. It’s just that kind of place.

Oh, by the way, can you imagine how epic your Game of Thrones premiere party would be here?! Remember. Winter is coming.