The D.C. area's best celebrity homes of 2017

From Barack Obama’s new Kalorama home to Jackie Kennedy’s former childhood mansion, see what celebrity real estate was the best of the best this year

By Michelle Goldchain@goldchainam Dec 22, 2017, 2:32pm EST

When it comes to celebrity real estate, the general mantra tends to be bigger is better, and that’s true even in the D.C. area. This year, there were a wide variety of listings that were purchased for or sold by well-known individuals in politics, sports, the news, and—in one case—literature. Many of these were located in one D.C. neighborhood, Kalorama.

As this year comes to a close, see what marvelous mansions you should feast your eyes on, from Barack Obama’s new single-family home to Jackie Kennedy’s childhood residence to Alexander Graham Bell’s carriage house.

Interested in seeing more? Check out last year’s best celebrity homes in Curbed DC here.

Barack Obama

Looks like the Obamas are here to stay for the long haul. For $8.1 million, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama purchased a Kalorama single-family home that for many months they were renting. The property was previously owned by Bill Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart and his wife, Giovanna Gray Lockhart. Obama is the first president to stay in the District post-term since Woodrow Wilson in 1921.

Ivanka Trump

Down the street from Barack Obama’s single-family home, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, chose this single-family home, partially for its close location to The Shul at Chabad-Lubavitch Center.

The listing was built in 1923 and designed by Waddy Butler Wood, the same architect behind the Woodrow Wilson House and the Masonic Temple, which is now used as the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Award-winning D.C.-based architect Christian Zapatka renovated the property in 2014.

Jeff Bezos

Once again, in Kalorama, there’s another celebrity who has arrived to the neighborhood. Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was revealed to be the new owner of the former Textile Museum.

Waddy B. Wood and partners constructed the 16,000-square-foot structure at 2330 S Street NW in 1908. John Russell Pope, the same architect behind the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, designed the roughly 13,000-square-foot building at 2320 S Street NW as well as a nearby carriage house. In 1915, the two properties were joined.

Barnes Vanze Architects are expected to complete a renovation on the property with the carriage house restored. No photos of this renovation are available.

Kellyanne Conway

In April 2017, it was revealed that the Massachusetts Avenue Heights home once owned by former acting Prime Minister of Pakistan and former senior official at the World Bank Mooen A. Qureshi was sold to an anonymous buyer for $7,785,000. One month later, it was revealed that the buyer was none other than Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump.

The late Herbert Haft once lived next door to this listing, and Vernon Jordan Jr., a leading figure in the Civil Rights Movement and close advisor to President Bill Clinton, lives on the same block.

Jackie Kennedy

In 2017, there were two homes previously owned by or lived in by Jackie Kennedy that got Curbed DC’s attention. In McLean, Virginia (pictured above), this historic, nearly 100-year-old estate, known as Merrywood, landed on the market for $49.5 million. Along with once being the childhood home of Kennedy, it was also formerly owned by one of the co-founders of AOL, Steve Case.

Another recent mansion with Kennedy’s name on it is this Georgetown single-family home, which sold this year for $6.5 million. The former First Lady only lived in the mansion for one year before moving to New York. Later owners included New Republic publisher Michael Straight and American singer and beauty pageant titleholder Yolande Betbeze Fox. The identity of the new buyer is still unknown.

Ben Carson

For $1.22 million, Ben Carson, the Trump administration's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, closed on this Vienna, Virginia, single-family home. Highlights to this property include that it has a butler’s closet, finished lower level with an in-law suite, and a three-car garage. There’s also a two-story great room with a wet bar.

Rex Tillerson

United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson joined many of the aforementioned celebrities by becoming a homebuyer in Kalorama. This year, Tillerson purchased a single-family home in the neighborhood for $5.6 million. Former AOL executive Richard Hanlon was the previous owner of the home.

Tucker Carlson

Fox News host Tucker Carlson listed his Kent residence for $2,195,000. It spans roughly 4,800 square feet with a renovated kitchen, sunroom, and garage, according to the listing.

T.J. Oshie

Finally, a home local sports fans are sure to get excited for. This McLean, Virginia, home was sold to T.J. Oshie, the right winger for the Washington Capitals, for $5.2 million. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom property offers multiple fireplaces, a media room, private office, and an outdoor swimming pool.

Peggy Cooper Cafritz

Peggy Cooper Cafritz is a saloniste, arts patron, a former president of the Board of Education, and also the current owner of this two-story Dupont Circle penthouse. In July 2017, Cafritz listed her penthouse for $5.5 million with a private elevator, three parking spaces, and access to amenities like a rooftop pool.

Jake Tapper

Another notable journalist made headlines this year by selling his Forest Hills home for $1.4 million. That home was owned by CNN’s chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper, who is known as the host of “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and “State of the Union.”

Alexander Graham Bell

Time for something a little more historic. Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell once lived in this carriage house, which listed in Georgetown for $2,295,000. The historic residence was constructed in circa 1900. While old, it still seems new with stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, a rather pretty stone patio in the backyard, and built-ins throughout.

William Peter Blatty

Finally, in Bethesda, Maryland, the former home of William Peter Blatty, the author of the best-selling novel, “The Exorcist,” listed in October 2017 for $3,195,000. One of the major luxurious amenities inside is an “entertainment room” with a fireplace and a full bar that is adorned with wood paneling and stained glass. There is also a lower-level recreation room with a wet bar and a spa, sauna, and an indoor pool with an electric cover.

The D.C. area's best celebrity homes of 2017

Jackie Kennedy

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