Naples’ Lido Lane is by almost any measure the primest of prime real estate in Long Beach.
The stretch of Lido on a bit of a promontory on the Alamitos Bay waterfront from The Toledo near Overlook Park to Appian Way is called, quite fittingly, the Gold Coast, or, if you prefer, the more Italianate Corso di Oro.
The highly desirable land was vacant until it was opened up for development in the 1960s. Early plans called for the construction of a 14-floor luxury resort hotel with a few adjacent garden-style apartments, a plan scrapped in favor of a few dozen high-end duplexes planned to be priced at $90,000 a copy, along the 3.5-acre stretch of land.
That plan, too, was shot down by nearby residents who argued against housing density, claiming it would detract from the charm of the neighborhood and clog the already difficult-to-navigate streets.
And, so, it was sectioned of into 37 large lots and transformed into an opulent and extravagant stretch of the already-pricey neighborhood. The lots sold quickly starting at $150,000 and palaces sprung up beginning in the 1970s.
Today, three of the homes on Lido Lane are on the market. The “cheapest” is listed at a couple bucks shy of $6 million; the next a million dollars more and at the high end of the trio—the Papa Bear model that’s too hot for most pocketbooks, other than an inordinately wealthy Angelino who may be stunned to learn that you can buy a four-bedroom, four bath, 4,000-square-foot home right on the water along with a 50-foot private dock—being offered for a mere $7.25 million.
The four-level residence at 6086 Lido Lane sold just three years ago for $4.1 million, so I asked listing agent David Steinberg what the current owners did to the property to boost the price by more than $3 million.
“Boy, what haven’t they done?” said Steinberg. “Stripped it down to the studs and improved every aspect.”
Thoroughly exploiting the water view was the installation of 39 Fleetwood retractable floor-to-ceiling windows that when open virtually thrust the entire house outdoors.
A subterranean garage has room for five cars (or fewer if you want to make room for a workshop). The ground level features a soaring formal foyer, a family room with a wet bar, fireplace, white oak floors and large bay view patio. Two of the four bedrooms are also on the ground level along with two full bathrooms and laundry room.
The galley-style kitchen is on the second level, along with a living room with fireplace and, as is always the case almost everywhere in the house, spectacular views. There’s a dining area as well as a separate sitting area with a bar and a kitchenette with bench seating, plus a third bedroom on the second level.
The third floor is given over to a large primary suite with a spacious sitting room with a fireplace and a private balcony. The adjoining bathroom has dual vanities a walk-in steam shower, a jetted tub and plenty of closet space.
Assuming that you’ve got a couple of yachts, you can park them both in your deep-water 50-foot U-shaped dock.
With a house this large with so many levels, you should have no trouble getting in your Centers for Disease Control’s recommended 10,000 daily steps just by walking around from room to room. But if you need help or don’t feel like a hike, the house has a pneumatic elevator to take you from the garage to the top.
The house is being shown by appointment only. Call listing agent David Steinberg at 562-972-3283.