Prime Real Estate in Oxnard: Celebrity Homes of The Rich, Famous + Influential

With mile-long stretches of sandy beaches, it’s no wonder celebrities have chosen to purchase coastal properties to escape Hollywood's hustle and bustle.

Oxnard has been a playground for the rich and famous for decades. With mile-long stretches of sandy beaches, it’s no wonder celebrities have chosen to purchase coastal properties to escape Hollywood's hustle and bustle.

Oxnard has also been the backdrop to some of your favorite movies and TV shows, including Clueless, Big Little Lies, and Back to the Future. In the 1920s, Hollywood flocked to Oxnard Beach to film The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino. Oxnard Beach became known as ‘Hollywood by the Sea,’ and in the 1990s, Melrose Place filmed scenes along Capri Way in Oxnard Shores.

From stars who were born here to those who chose to establish roots on the coast, here’s your guide to celebrity homes and famous people from Oxnard.

Did you know Sideways and Captain Marvel shot scenes in Oxnard? Check out Famous Film Locations in Oxnard to see what other movies were filmed here.

Celebrity Homes in Oxnard

Clark Gable – Actor

Touted as the former home of Hollywood screen legend, Clark Gable, this Hollywood Beach home features oceanfront views, cozy fireplaces in the living room and family room, and a breakfast nook that opens onto the deck. For under $450 per night, you can also live like “The King of Hollywood” and vacation at the “Windy Gables.” Not far from Channel Islands Harbor, enjoy a standup paddleboard session or an adventure at Channel Islands National Park during your visit to Oxnard.

Location: 3849 Ocean Drive, Oxnard, CA 93035

Dave Grohl – Musician

Mandalay Beach is one of Oxnard’s best-kept secrets, but Foo Fighters’ frontman and former Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl, once owned a three-story $2.9 million home here. Located right on the sand, the four-bedroom, four-bath home was built in 2005. The master bedroom is the highlight of this elegant beach home, featuring ocean views, a fireplace, and a private balcony.

Location: 965 Mandalay Beach Rd, Oxnard, CA 93035

Errol Flynn – Actor

The “Pagoda House” at the end of San Clemente Avenue is said to have been a brothel from 1927 to 1931. In 1931, golden age actor of worldwide fame, Errol Flynn, purchased the home, using it as a getaway until 1941. A waterfront property on the Channel Islands Harbor, the Pagoda features incredible views from every room in the house. New Orleans born music producer Philip Khoury purchased the home in 2015.

Location: 145 San Clemente Ave, Oxnard, CA 93035

Lyle Waggoner – Actor

Got an extra $4.4 million to your name? Live like a star and watch the sunset from the living room of the oceanfront property of the late actor Lyle Waggoner. Famous for appearing on “Wonder Woman,” “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Gunsmoke” Waggoner’s former Mandalay Beach home features five bedrooms, four ½ bathrooms, and a beachfront dining area. The 4,644-square-foot house was built in 2015 and is near Hollywood Beach and Channel Islands Harbor.

Location: 1409 Marine Way, Oxnard, CA 93035

Rudolph Valentino – Actor

Valentino lived in this Silver Strand beach house only briefly during the filming of the movie “The Sheik” (1921). Rumored to be haunted, it is now believed that the dark phantom wandering the veranda is Valentino, himself.

Location: 224 Cahuenga Street, Oxnard, CA 93035

Sonny & Cher – Entertainers

On your tour of celebrity homes in Oxnard, don’t miss Sonny and Cher’s former oceanfront dwelling. Although a storm uprooted the home in 1971, the 2,919 sq ft home boasts panoramic views of the ocean. The former celebrity-owned home was built in 1964 and is worth more than $2.2 million.

Location: 901 Mandalay Beach, Oxnard, CA 93035

Famous People Who Lived in Oxnard

Cesar Chavez – Activist

Farm labor rights leader Cesar Chavez lived in Oxnard’s La Colonia district in an old shed or small barn in 1939. The family lived on Garfield Avenue, but the structure was torn down years ago. Chavez returned to Oxnard in 1958 and lived on Wright Road in El Rio. He spent a year in town working to help form a community organization dedicated to registering voters and to organize field workers.

Location: 452 North Garfield, Oxnard, CA

Anderson Paak – Singer/Rapper

Multi-Grammy-award winner Anderson Paak pays homage to his roots with two albums – Oxnard and Ventura. “I feel like in my opinion, he’s putting Oxnard on the map to the world,” Dr. Dre said about the Oxnard born artist. Paak says the song “Saviers Road,” is named after the street where he used to ride the bus. He was born in St. John’s Regional Medical Center and lived in Oxnard until he was 8. In 2018, he was honored with a key to the city.

Lee Van Cleef – Actor

Known as the bad guy in spaghetti Westerns in the 1950s, Lee Van Cleef called Oxnard home before he died in 1989. He starred opposite Clint Eastwood in “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Van Cleef died of a heart attack at St. John’s Regional Medical Center when he was 64 years old.

Tim Curran – Surfer

Pro Surfer Tim Curran was raised in Silver Strand and still calls Ventura County home for its consistent waves. He’s known in surfing for pioneering aerial tricks on waves.

Want to surf in Oxnard? Oxnard Shores is renowned for its quality beach breaks. Silver Strand or “The Strand” has three breaks – the Jetty, the Bowl, and La Jenelle, and Hollywood Beach is a hidden gem, with beach-break waves that get over 16 feet high.

Conclusion

Why head to LA or Santa Barbara, when you can enjoy the same beaches where many of these oceanfront homes are located? Enjoy world-class waves, empty beaches, and treat your taste buds to some of the best Mexican food in Southern California.

Need some tips on where to stay in Oxnard? Check out these ultimate getaway guides on where to stay, dine, and play

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