James Bond is a staple of pop culture. He is all over The Manual because of his impact on the style, spirits, and travel industries. That also means that there are suits he wears people emulate, there are cocktails he drinks people want to try, and there are destinations people want to experience. When I was in Monaco for the Formula 1 race, I was taken aback by how many people wanted to go to the “James Bond Casino,” where Brosnan’s Bond met Xenia Onatopp for the first time in Goldeneye.
Now, Bond is infiltrating the real estate market as the villa from the ending of Casino Royale is now somewhere you can live. When Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) returns home after the events of the film, he stands admiring the view of his (assumed) villa before getting a bullet in the knee. This is the moment when Craig’s Bond utters his famous line for the first time, “Bond, James Bond.” Now, the entire property on the Lake Como estate isn’t for sale, but you can buy an apartment with five rooms on the ground floor, with two bedrooms, a study, and two bathrooms spread across two levels. All you need is to contact Sotheby’s with a meager $1.5 million.
Not the only “James Bond” pad up for sale
Of course, if the lowly Mr. White isn’t the level of villainy you want to rise to, then you just need to relocate to just north of Miami. Senada Adžem of the Douglas Elliman Group has an estate listed inspired by James Bond. Villa Skyfall is the creation of designer Aldo Stark, featuring his inspiration drawn from his love of the 007 franchise. The 23,000-square-foot estate houses a museum-grade automotive gallery with an Aston Martin, of course, and a rainforest-inspired wellness center, a Parisian Cartier boutique-inspired salon, and a dramatic cocktail lounge with a towering illuminated back bar.
“Villa Skyfall is more than a residence – it is a private resort, a work of art and a legacy estate,” said Adžem. “Every element has been conceived to create a sense of discovery, from the spectacular wellness pavilion and automotive gallery to the concealed lounge, private theater and couture primary suite.”
It may be a bit austere for a James Bond home, but it would be the perfect place for Ernst Stavro Blofeld to lay his head. It only costs a cool $85 million in Delray Beach, Florida, Southern Florida’s “Billionaire’s Row.”
