Why Brad Pitt Left Hollywood for This Sleepy, Central Coast Town

Brad Pitt owns many properties around the nation, but there’s a main one he’s called home throughout most of his career.

When he became a star in 1994, Brad purchased a home in the Hollywood Hills.

It used to belong to Cassandra Peterson, best known as her alter ego Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark.

He expanded the estate, nicknamed the Craftsman, and turned it into the perfect family home for his six children.

It includes a skate park and multiple pools.

In March 2023, 7 years after his divorce from Angelina Jolie, he sold the home for $33 million.

He decided to leave the Hollywood Hills in favor of a calmer, more secluded place.

In the summer of 2022, Brad moved into his new, jaw-dropping cliffside home in Monterey, CA.

It’s located in the Carmel Highlands area, where Big Little Lies was set.

In fact, the home owned by Nicole Kidman’s character Celeste is located within a two-minute drive.

The Big Little Lies house was on sale last year for $29.6 million.

Brad’s new property was even more expensive than the home from the hit HBO series, purchased for $33 million.

Betty White owned a home in the area before her passing.

So did Doris Day.

Clint Eastwood became the town’s mayor in 1986 and still resides in the area.

Brad’s sprawling, seaside residence isn’t like other celebrity homes in Carmel Highlands, though.

Nicknamed “Seaward” and “The D.L. James House,” the castle-like mansion is fit for a king.

It has three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and breathtaking ocean views. It also features a caretaker’s cottage with one bedroom and bathroom, as well as a separate guest house.

Brad has a surprising personal connection to the home’s origins.

Its first owner was Daniel “D.L.” James, a businessman and playwright.

D.L. James was first cousins with infamous outlaw Jesse James, whom Brad portrayed in the 2007 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

The home was inherited by D.L. James’ son, D.L. James Jr.

Some of D.L. James Jr.’s famous friends included Charlie Chaplin, who was a house guest on various occasions.

After Jr.’s passing, the home was owned by financier Joe Ritchie, who purchased it in 1999.

Joe Ritchie passed away in Feb. 2022, which likely explains why the home was back on the market.

Brad had been enamored with the home long before becoming its owner.

While speaking with Extra in Aug. 22, he said, “It’s a place I have been in love with since the ’90s and it was a lovely owner… The opportunity came up, and I couldn’t pass it up.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, it’s one of the priciest homes to be sold in the Carmel area.

It’s not the only home Brad has purchased recently.

After heiress Aileen Getty purchased his former Hollywood Hills home this year, Brad bought her Los Feliz pad.

In addition to his main California homes, Brad has owned properties in other states.

In 2006, Brad and Angelina purchased a home in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

They sold it in 2016 for $4.9 million.

Additionally, Brad and Angelina bought a New York City residence in 2007 in Waldorf Towers, next to the Waldorf Hotel.

But none of his other properties are quite as breathtaking and special as his Big Sur home.