So long City of Angels!
Even though Hollywood has been known as the hotspot for celebrities to not only work, but play and live, it seems like some superstars from Matthew McConaughey to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson are actually choosing to live outside of Los Angeles.
Austin, Texas
James Van Der Beek recently announced that he and his family made the decision to leave their Beverly Hills home and move to a smaller city.
“Sometimes a fuller life begins with an empty house. Leaving Los Angeles incredibly grateful for all the friends and memories we’ve made here. Onto the next big adventure!” he shared on Instagram alongside a photo of his five children and wife kneeling beneath a tree.
The family enjoyed their road trip to their new home and the actor reflected on their past year and explained the reason behind their relocation.
“In the last ten months, we’ve had two late-term pregnancy losses, each of which put @vanderkimberly in the hospital, we spent Christmas break thinking she had a tumor (the doctor was wrong, thank god), a business colleague I hired hijacked the project and stabbed me in the back, I was prematurely booted off a reality dancing show I was favored to win in front of the whole world, and my mom died. And a shut-down. All of that led to some drastic changes in our lives, and dreams, and priorities… and landed us here. Overflowing with profound gratitude today,” he wrote.
But he’s not the only celeb who in recent years has vacated their expensive LA life for the calming comforts of the South!
Matthew McConaughey, a native Texan, moved back to Austin soon after marrying his wife, Brazilian-American model Camila Alves. In 2008, the McConaughey family purchased a $4M, 9-acre estate in the Lake Austin area, where they continue to raise three children outside of the spotlight.
McConaughey admitted in 2017 and again in an episode of “Cup of Joe” in 2020 that he chose to move back to Texas so that his children would grow up around family, explaining “part of the reason going back there was having kids,” adding, “I just feel at home there,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
Despite Austin being their main residence, the “The Gentleman” star still owned property in LA until August 2020 when they sold their Malibu home for $14.8M, according to Variety.
Some other celebs who own property in Austin include Elijah Wood, Justin Long, Sandra Bullock, and Willie Nelson.
Nashville, Tennessee
Besides being the country music capital of the world, Nashville is also home to some of the biggest names in the music genre. Taylor Swift, Jack White, and Sheryl Crow all call the suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee home.
Superstar couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have been living in Tennessee since 2008 where they raise their two daughters. Even though they own property in Los Angeles, New York and in Byron Bay, just outside of Sydney, Australia. Their main family home is located in the affluent gated community of Northumberland in Forest Hills, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. The actress and country crooner live in an 11,000-square-foot mansion called the ’The Queen of Northumberland,’ which they purchased in 2008 to the tune of $3.47M, according to Variety.
The Urban family were all quarantining in Tennessee until Nicole packed everyone up to relocate to their home in Byron Bay to film her upcoming series, “Nine Perfect Strangers.” Byron Bay is also home to famous Ozzie brothers Liam, Luke and Chris Hemsworth!
Some other celebs who own property in Nashville include Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, and Kristin Cavallari.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta is becoming a celebrity magnet! With T.I., Ludacris, Elton John, Jeff Foxworthy, Gucci Mane, NeNe Leaks, Shaquille O’Neal, André 3000, Mo’Nique and more all buying properties in the southern city.
Last year Cardi B and ex-husband Offset purchased an extravagant Atlanta mansion for $5.75M. The property spans nearly 6 acres and reportedly includes a gun range with steel walls and a wine cellar, according to TMZ. Cardi showed off her luxurious home during an Instagram tour in December.
Cardi and Offset also invested in a few metro Atlanta homes in 2019, reportedly spending $201,840 for five homes and $48,080 for the surrounding property, according to the Atlanta Jewish Constitution. With the pair’s recent split, however, it’s unclear what will happen to these properties since “Offset…is listed as the main buyer…” according to NPR’s Local Atlanta affiliate, WABE.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also made the move to Atlanta this past year. In late 2019, The Rock bought a $9M, 46-acre estate in the Atlanta suburb of Powder Springs. According to TMZ, The Rock paid for his new digs in cash and, when asked why he decided to make the move, said he “needed to go to a place where things can really slow down for me and I can just breathe.”
Billionaire filmmaker and Atlanta-native Tyler Perry is synonymous with the city. In addition to his Tyler Perry Studios that spans 330-acres, Perry is two years into construction on an epic new mega-mansion spanning 1,200 acres and 25,000 sq. ft. Once completed, the breathtaking estate will include a private airplane runway, an awe-inspiring entrance, and an expansive organic farm with horses and other animals, according to TMZ.
While celebrities seem to be leaving sunny Los Angeles for other low-key industry hotspots, Hollywood will always be the one true home for all things entertainment!
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