A smokin’ pad: Chong’s West Van home up for sale
After four decades of enjoying his joint on West Vancouver’s waterfront, cannabis legend Tommy Chong is ready to pass it on.
Chong and wife Shelby have listed their home at 4488 Ross Cres. for $6,999,000. The 4,022-squarefoot, two-level house has four bedrooms and five bathrooms, and is shrouded by trees on a secluded, 9,741-square-foot property with views of Burrard Inlet.
“I’d call it a very eclectic home,” said listing agent Stephanie Orr of Century 21 in Town Realty and City & Shore Realty Group. “In real estate, the old saying is, ‘Location, location, location,’ and that’s really what this property is about.”
Chong — a comedian, actor, musician, businessman and activist — is one half of the comedic duo Cheech & Chong with Richard (Cheech) Marin. The pair first met in Vancouver in the late 1960s.
Property records show that Chong and his wife bought the West Vancouver pad in 1979 for $230,000.
The listing describes the property as allowing its next owner to live close to nature and “connect” with their “soul” in a space with perennial gardens and a tranquil path leading to the ocean.
“With the wood-burning fireplace as the centrepiece of the open-concept living room, it is ideal for entertaining,” the listing says. “Stairs wind to a large master bedroom with an alcove perfect for a sitting room with views of the water. Feel right at home in a welcoming kitchen and family area overlooking the gardens.”
Orr said the ocean view is stunning and the home, built in 1937, is bathed in natural light from its floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights. The layout allows for some privacy within the home, with plenty of distance between the master bedroom and other bedrooms, Orr said.
She said the house has gained a “fair bit” of interest. She said she imagines the buyer might be someone who wants the privacy and location of the “trophy property,” but who wants to renovate it to make it their own.
“It’s incredibly private, like you wouldn’t know it was there, you’d have to go look for it,” she said. “But when you walk in, it’s just magical.”
She said that Chong, 81, and his family used to live in the home “more full time,” but have recently been rooted in Los Angeles and have been travelling. Still, one might wonder whether the aroma of cannabis lingers in the property’s flooring, ceiling and walls.
“No, it doesn’t,” Orr said, with a laugh.
The home’s 2019 assessed value was $5,343,000, down from $6,266,000 in 2018. Property taxes last year were $20,835.09.