Homes on the 10 most expensive streets in America
Photo courtesy of Zillow
When most people say "keeping up with the Joneses," it might mean mowing the lawn or buying a state-of-the-art grill.
When the residents of the most expensive streets in the U.S. say it, they're probably dropping a few million on a new tennis court or private golf course.
Of course, "Jones" isn't the only name influencing the residents of the multimillion-dollar palaces with the country's priciest addresses. According to "Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate," a book co-written by Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff and chief economist Stan Humphries, street names can also play a major role in high-end real estate sales: Named, rather than numbered, streets have a clear advantage. And it helps if a street's name describes something about its location.
Zillow compiled a list of the most expensive streets in the country, based on their median home value, and no 28th Streets or 3rd Avenues made the cut. Instead, it's full of names like "Strawberry Park Court" indicating scenic views, "Lazy Lane" hinting at luxury and relaxation and "Arvida Parkway" as a nod toward exotic sophistication.
These swanky locales cover a surprising geographic spectrum (that's to say, they're not all in California and Connecticut). Florida makes two appearances on the list, and Texas and Colorado are also represented.
Check out the U.S. streets where decorative fountains and wine cellars are as common as backyard sheds.
Cameldale Way
Photo courtesy of Redfin
City: Paradise Valley, Arizona
Median home value: $10.834 million*
Paradise Valley, Arizona, is located about 4 miles northwest of Scottsdale and has a population of over 12,000. Settlement in the rural town didn't ramp up until after World War II, when small homes sprouted on large swaths of land. Now, it's the wealthiest part of the state based on median household income, according to Business Insider, and homes have gotten a little larger. Paradise Valley's Cameldale Way came in at No. 11 on Zillow's list of most expensive streets and has eight lux estates with price tags in the millions.
*Source: Zillow data from April, 2015
Cameldale Way
Photo courtesy of Redfin
This one, a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home on over four acres of land, last sold for $5.5 million in May 2013. It provides views of the Camelback and Mummy Mountains, and has a six-car garage, pool, putting course, tennis court, observation deck, mother-in-law suite, large patio and several fireplaces.
Arvida Parkway
Photo courtesy of Zillow
City: Coral Gables, Florida
Median home value: $11.21 million
The Coral Gables area of Florida, located just southwest of downtown Miami, is an affluent planned community that took off in the 1920s. It features lush greenery and large homes designed in the Mediterranean Revival architectural style, 1,000 of which are on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places. The area's Arvida Parkway is the 10th most expensive street in the country, according to Zillow, providing stellar views of Biscayne Bay.
Arvida Parkway
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This five-bedroom, eight-bathroom,12,856-square-foot villa on Arvida Parkway sits on nearly two acres of land. It last sold for $16.75 million in April 2012, and has a media room, wine cellar, pool with "aqua bar," private beach and dock and an elevator.
Nimes Road
Photo courtesy of Trulia
City: Bel Air, Los Angeles, California
Median home value: $11.45 million
The Bel Air neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles is about six square miles of luxury and has become pop-culture shorthand for extreme excess (the Banks family on the '90s sitcom "Fresh Prince" being one of the more notable examples). Last year, it became home to the largest mansion in L.A. County, according to Curbed: a sprawling 85,000-square-foot compound above the Bel-Air Hotel on Airole Way. The nearby Nimes Road ranks No. 9 on Zillow's list of most expensive streets, and continuing with pop tradition, it's the location of the entrance to the real mansion from "The Beverly Hillbillies."
Nimes Road
Photo courtesy of Trulia
The Liongate Estate on Nimes Road has seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 13,582 square feet of space. It sits on about 1.6 acres of land at the end of a long gated driveway, and was originally the home of architect Paul Williams in 1938. The property last sold for a whopping $46.25 million in March of this year, and features seven fireplaces, a billiards room, home theater, wine room, pool, hot tub, sauna, tennis court, gym and outdoor glass elevator.
Coopers Neck Lane
Photo courtesy of Zillow
City: Southampton, New York
Median home value: $11.87 million
Southampton, New York, located on the eastern part of Long Island, is the oldest English settlement in the state, dating back to 1640. Since then, it has become a luxury summer spot for the rich and famous to see and be seen. Coopers Neck Lane, the eighth most expensive street in the U.S., is home to the popular and meticulously maintained Coopers Beach.
Coopers Neck Lane
Photo courtesy of Zillow
Famed architect Grosvenor Atterbury built the sprawling 11-bedroom, 13-bathroom, 14,000-square-foot Atterbury estate in 1910. It's currently on the market for just under $18 million and sits on three acres of land. It features nine fireplaces, French doors, several patios, a pool and pool house, mother-in-law suite, three-car garage, solarium, library and workshop.
Field Point Circle
Photo courtesy of Trulia
City: Greenwich, Connecticut
Median home value: $12.11 million
Greenwich, Connecticut, makes its second appearance on the list with the ultra-high-end Field Point Circle. Originally, it was designed to be a horse track, according to Greenwich Time, which is why it's round. The Field Point Park area where the street is located is full of early 20th-century homes, many built by European artisans and providing views of the local harbor.
Field Point Circle
Photo courtesy of Trulia
This five-bedroom, 11-bathroom manse sits on just over two acres of land. It last sold in a foreclosure auction in June 2011 for a steal: around $3.2 million. It features a billiards room, indoor pool, stained glass window, dock, balcony with a view of the water, marble entryway and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Strawberry Park Court
Photo courtesy of Trulia
City: Beaver Creek, Colorado
Median home value: $12.42 million
Beaver Creek, Colorado, about 120 miles west of Denver, is a top ski destination. The alpine village is also home to peaceful spas and golf courses, high-end restaurants, a performing arts center and even a few non-tourists. Strawberry Park Court, No. 6 on Zillow's list, is the most expensive street in the state by a long shot. The second-most expensive (oddly also named after a fruit) is Cherry Park Hills Drive in Cherry Hills Village with a median home value of about $9.4 million.
Strawberry Park Court
Photo courtesy of Trulia
This five-bedroom, six-bathroom luxury property on Strawberry Park Court has 8,631 square feet of space and sits on just over an acre of land. It last sold in April 2014 for about $8.4 million -- so, it was relatively inexpensive for the street. The home features a finished basement, three-car garage, spa-like bathrooms, a spiral staircase, home theater, fitness room and patio.
Conyers Farm Drive
Photo courtesy of Zillow
City: Greenwich, Connecticut
Median home value: $13.033 million
The town of Greenwich, Connecticut, is a short 40 miles from Wall Street and provides many wealthy financiers and celebrities with a greener-than-Manhattan home environment. The quaint area along the Long Island Sound has pristine beaches and a bevy of luxurious mansions, including elaborate architectural tributes to Britain's Warwick Castle and Versailles' Petit Trianon, according to Vanity Fair. Conyers Farm Drive, the fifth-most expensive street in America, is located on the enormous Conyers Farm Estate.
Conyers Farm Drive
Photo courtesy of Zillow
This seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom, 15,000-square-foot manse alone sits on nearly 22 acres of land. It was last listed in July 2014 for $13.4 million, but was taken off the market one month later, according to Zillow. It features a pool and pool house, tennis court, grand staircase, library, wine cellar, three-car garage and several dressing rooms, fireplaces and balconies.
Lazy Lane Boulevard
Photo courtesy of Trulia
City: Houston, Texas
Median home value: $15.42 million
Lazy Lane Boulevard, located in the swanky River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, comes in at No. 4 on the list. The area has lured wealthy residents with its large homes, historic movie theater, quaint boutiques and eclectic art galleries. However, Lazy Lane Boulevard became a symbol of Houston's rampant redevelopment in 2005 when former Enron trader John Arnold demolished the historic "Dogwoods" property -- one of the few the city had left, according to the Houston Chronicle -- in favor of a building a more modern (albeit still lux) house.
Lazy Lane Boulevard
Photo courtesy of Trulia
This five-bedroom home with six full and two partial bathrooms was built in 1930 and is relatively historic in its own right. It was last listed in June 2011 for $17.5 million but did not sell, according to Zillow. The house sits on nearly four acres of land and features decorative fountains, a spiral staircase, several antique chandeliers, hardwood flooring, a sun room, billiards room, pool and patio.
Beverly Park Circle/Beverly Park Terrace
Photo courtesy of Zillow
City: Beverly Hills, California
Median home value: $16.24 million/$15.81 million
Beverly Hills is one of the most notoriously posh areas in the U.S., but its Beverly Park Circle and Beverly Park Terrace, really one connected street despite its two names, kick the extravagance up a notch. Ranked the second- and third-most expensive streets in the U.S. respectively by Zillow, famous names like Denzel Washington and Eddie Murphy call them home.
Beverly Park Circle/Beverly Park Terrace
Photo courtesy of Zillow
This eight-bedroom, 10-bathroom,12,500-square-foot, Italian villa-style manse on Beverly Park Circle last sold in February for an astonishing $21 million. It was built in 1999, sits on more than an acre of land and features limestone flooring, private verandas, a library, guesthouse, gym, sauna, massage room, pool, twin staircase and several decorative fountains.
Indian Creek Island Road
Photo courtesy of Zillow
City: Indian Creek Village, Florida
Median home value: $21.48 million*
Indian Creek Village, located on Indian Creek Island in the Biscayne Bay about 8 miles north of Miami Beach, has earned the nickname "billionaire bunker." It's approximately 300 acres of pure money, developed by affluent families in the 1930s and currently occupied by ultra-wealthy residents like singer Julio Iglesias and ex-Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, according to the Miami Herald. It's exclusive enough to have its own police force. Jay Z and Beyoncé used to own property there.
Indian Creek Island Road
Photo courtesy of Zillow
This six-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate on Indian Creek Island Road -- the most expensive street in the country, according to Zillow, was on the market for $19.8 million last year and apparently never sold. It sits on an acre of land and features a marble fireplace, pool, twin staircase, 26-foot ceilings and lots of carved mahogany.