13. Manalapan Residence – $195 Million
Protip—are we “pro” enough to hand out protips?. . maybe—any part of the world referred to as the “Gold Coast” isn’t going to be cheap to live in. The rental prices will measure in six digits, and the parking spaces will be traded with the sharp real estate negotiations we normally associate with commercial ventures. Florida’s Gold Coast is no exception: located between Palm Beach and Boca Raton, the beaches themselves are some of the most lovely in the nation, the weather is almost always perfect, and the people are about as wealthy as it gets. No great surprise, but it tells you what we’re in for.
The Manalapan Residence sits on 5 and a half acres with over 500 feet of beach-front access. The various listings describe it as an attempt to bring Old World elegance into a New World setting, which as we’ve learned can mean any number of things depending on the building. In the case of Manalapan, the estate draws its inspiration from Italy—particularly the Tuscan region. Tile roofs and stone patios abound, as do multiple swimming pools, bedrooms (14), bathrooms (24) and parking space—there’s an 18 car garage. There’s also an archery range, which we think is a first for this list.