Alex Ovechkin has new address
By Amy Rose Dobson, dc.curbed.com, Jan. 20, 2012 "Alex Ovechkin Expands His Real Estate Portfolio"
The Capitals captain and occasional Russian rapper has a new place to call home. At the beginning of the year he bought this McLean house for $4,275,000 and a quick glance through the listing photos shows the place is big. It's a newly-built 5 bed, 7.5 bath that measures just over 11,000 square feet. His agent managed to talk the seller down by about a hundred thousand since the original ask was $4,395,000.
Maria Kirilenko would be looking good standing on these stairs :-)
You can play street hockey here :-)
This is just 10 miles away from his old place, but it is a gated community, no stalkers allowed. So this won't happen again:
Finally Ovi can have a nap without being disturbed or doesn't have to buy candy for Halloween. :-)
Congrats!
From his interview back in 2010:
What have changed in your life over the last year? You haven't learn a waterboy game. I remember that you were planning to move to the new house...
I have not moved yet. Just can't find the right place.
And what doesn't suit with the old house?
A lot of hustle and bustle. The house is on the road. On the one hand this is not bad. But on the other, imagine, I get home after a workout and go to bed before the game. Suddenly the doorbell rings. You are half asleep, you thrust your feet into the slippers, drag yourself down the stairs. Angry as hell you think, "What the hell? Who this could be?". And there he is, a stranger smiling with all his 32 teeth and rejoicing, "Hello, Ovi! Can you sign the jersey?" Dog gone it, I was sleeping! How to react to this?
What a hard life of a Russian millionaire in America. You even have the cemetery next to your house.
It's not a cemetery, it's a family tomb in which ten people were buried.
Do you know your neighbors?
Of course. On the left and on the right of me live young families. But houses are not becoming friends here, not accepted. And in Russia this tradition had died long ago too. You can't show up without a call.
Is it good or bad?
Very bad. Nowadays people are not so friendly. They're all sitting in their corners, hoarding something.
Hope Ovi will hoard a Stanley Cup there one day. :-)
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17 comments:
Wow! It looks beautiful and huge! I wonder if he is going to keep the old house or sell it.
No more stalking pictures :(
Wait, I remember that he said that he was going to move out until he got a wife, kids and all... noooooooooo!
Let's hope he moves out with everyone including Ghera hahaha!
But then again I want a mini Ovi so yessssssssss!
The main problem with the house, it just doesn't seem "Ovi-like". I can't picture him in something that looks "junior partner, corporate America".
Never been a fan of gated communities either. There are less extreme ways he could have gone about having privacy at home.
And with the traffic in that area, he's going to have to wake up earlier. We know how he feels about early starts.
@O: I agree, Ovie's new house in a gated community doesn't seem like him. He used to be so accessible, or at least seemed that way when he showed more joy and passion playing hockey. Maybe his new address is symbolic of an overall attitude change, to retreat from public view and/or a desire to maintain distance from the media, the fans, and even his neighbors.
BTW, I recall you saying you didn't like his Arlington house either. What was it about the house you didn't like? And what kind of house would you pick for him to be more "Ovi-like"?
Is it true that Ovi lived next door to Semin at one point? I feel like I remember someone saying that in an article or a comment once, and I'm confused.
@BobbyG,
(PART 1)
I don't like modern construction in general unless the architect is doing something interesting, original, cutting edge (Lloyd Wright; Swedish modern minimalism).
The Arlington house is just a big bland block. It and its look alike next door replaced two houses (they were done by the same person, someone a friend of mine knows through work circles) that fit the look and feel of the neigborhood. Replacing serviceable houses is wasteful, and to replace them with something ugly and that doesn't fit the neighborhood is even worse. If you need more space renovate and expand the existing structures in an appropriate style.
And I agree, he seems to be getting away from himself in subtle ways and not just trying to carve out privacy.
The new house: Why would he need a foyer (more like a lobby) that pretentious? The staircases are pretty and the front windows impressive. But you have a huge unusable area only suitable for passing through. If you are going to throw lots of fancy cocktail parties, that space works as a status symbol and a way to have flow through the public rooms, but it is wasted space in daily living.
Those tall windows are also wasted, just a frame for the staircase. When I saw the outside photo I thought thouse windows would be a perfect frame for a dramatic but inviting dinning room or living room/office/library. Nope. Their potential was wasted.
The problem with all these McMansions, aside from poor layout and land use, is that they over emphasize formal space (what part of Ovi is formal?) and under provide comfortable, livable space. Yes, there seems to be a basement level probably with a gameroom and more casual rooms, but why should the comfortable rooms stashed in the lowest level?
That foyer would be better as a simpler entry way. The reclaimed space, especially for the 2nd floor, could yield another bedroom or two or places to hangout with friends, family, or private spaces for his parents.
With his parents living with him in the US and the number of visitors from Russia who tend to stay at least a month at a time, 5 bedrooms doesn't sound nearly enough. 2-3 bedrooms are all that are available. And a house of that size could easily have more bedrooms if it had been designed less for entertaining and more for living.
@BobbyG,
(PART 2)
I am opposed to gated communities for many reasons. Does he realize he is going to be as locked in as the general public is locked out? Caged. He's caging himself. Us vs them and isolation is what a gated community says to me.
Those communities aren't neighborhoods. If people in them get together it usually strikes me as dictated and false, no organically organized cookouts and block parties that exist in true neighborhoods. (Yes, there are plenty of places still like that in the US, even in his area of VA and in DC.) Ovi belongs in a neighborhood setting with mixed families and children playing outside, people saying hello and helping out when you need it. I think he focused on house size, visual impact and privacy instead of FEEL, the feel of the house, the feel of the neighborhood, the feel of the people.
With his parents and all those visitors, wouldn't it be better to live within walking distance of shops, transportation, restaurants and entertainment? I can't tell how close this place is to amenities, but many gated commuinities aren't near activity spots.
As I've said twice before on this board, there are more ways Ovi can have privacy at home without going to the extreme of living in a gated community. 1) Have a doorbell that can be turned off 2) Have a house set far, far back from the street 3) Have lots of tall trees and shrubs in front so that the house isn't easily seen from the road 4) long driveways, especially if they curve deter people 5) find a house whose front door doesn't face the street, side facing doors are less noticeable 6) tall shubs or a stone fence fronting the sidewalk also hides the house and limits the approach to the door or driveway, can limit visitors to only one pathway that is easily gated 7) Have a gate whose latch is difficult to figure out or can be locked 8) Live on streets farther from main and secondary roads, that are narrow, twisty or hilly (his current place is really easy to get to from Kettler and I think that is one reason why so many people stop by) 9) Live on a street where street parking is nearly impossible (he'd be bothered less in DC because there is no place to park in most neighborhoods and most of these drop-in offenders seem to be from VA to begin with) 10) A sign that says Private (too subtle for most, but will make some thoughtful people rethink and stop their actions)
Putting up different levels of deterrent are an effective way of reducing the chances of people, especially strangers,rudely dropping in. You can make it difficult and confusing to get to your house without going to the extreme measure of living in a gated community.
I'm curious how much other high profile NHLers are bothered at home and how they handle it. And if Ovi has even discussed it with them.
@BobbyG,
(PART 3) (Ok I forgot to put this in PART 2)
Buy a house through private sale, unlised sales, directly from the homeowner, or set up a third-person/business entity whose name goes on the public documentation.
If you want more privacy, publicity about your purchase, your name on the deed makes you easy to find in the internet age.
Investigating the house further, thanks Google Maps!, it doesn't look like a gated community, so hopefully it isn't.
My comments on the house still stand though and it still isn't located near anything useful or interesting.
Horrible commute too, especially to DC.
Woodside Estates Luxury homes for sale. Woodside Estates: luxury homes, real estate, gated estate communities, properties, and luxury homes real estate in Woodside Estates, McLean Virginia 22102 Fairfax County.
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Woodside+Estates%2C+virginia+gated%3F
Malkin also commented on Ovi's visitor that unlike Ovi he lives in gated community that won't let people to knock at his door.
Wow O, that's quite the opinion on Ovi's house. Personally I've driven past his Arlington house and thought it was nice. Sure it takes up the whole lot, but it's in a good location. I lived in Bethesda in a very similar neighborhood where older houses were knocked down and newer McMansions built, it's an interesting mix. I wouldn't consider his house soulless.
I think if Ovi wants his privacy, it's fine to live in a gated community. Why does he need to be accessible to people? Whenever he goes out fans are all over him. I can't blame him for wanting some privacy.
I used to live near McLean and thought it was a nice enough area. Really I don't think there is anything wrong with living somewhere more secluded so he has privacy. He doesn't need to be near shops and metro and all that. McLean is close to Tyson's Corner anyway which has plenty of stuff.
We don't know that Ovi is selling the Arlington house. I bet he keeps it for guests. It's in a good location, other than being on the same road as the hospital.
I personally liked his new house from the pics I saw.
One other thing, the commute downtown probably isn't bad, it's not that far from the GW Parkway which is an easy way to get downtown using various bridges.
Ok, I just saw another article on his house that gives the exact address, and I realized that it's in the part of McLean outside the beltway, not inside the beltway and close to GW parkway. So it's a bit longer of a commute.
@O: thank you for your detailed and thorough response to my questions. I appreciate the time and careful thought you give whenever I've asked your opinion.
Thanks also to the other posters who commented on this thread. Your insights and observations have also been very valuable.
I have mixed feelings about Ovie's new house. It does seem to be to me a bit over the top in appearance, with lots of space dedicated to functions that aren't his style. And while I respect his right to privacy, I think this house is more like an extravagent isolation chamber than a real home that should be a place to live in, and not a place to show off how big a house you can afford.
But if this new house is his choice for this stage of his life, so be it. I just wish he could have made his purchase more anonymously without broadcasting the exact address. If Ovie really wants privacy, a more discreet and subtle handling of the transaction would have served him better.
>_<
Guys, he bought the house because he liked it...
The house has a bunch of unnecessary windows. Maybe he likes to have a lot of light?
Too many unnecessary spaces. Maybe he wants space for dancing?
No a lot of rooms. Maybe he is going to keep the other house for visits?
And we still don't know if he is going change something.
@O
I live in a gated community and I talk to my neighbors and all. There are also a bunch of kids playing outside which is something you don't see that much in these days.
Wow ... I'm a huge fan of Ovi, and often read this blog (very good one, by the way!) without commenting, but this special topic made me react.
You've got all this discussion about Ovi's privacy, but where's privacy when people can know that easy where you live, and get some pics of your house ?
That's something I can't understand ... I mean, if Ovi really wanted privacy, why don't try first to let people unaware of his new place ?
I'm from France, and people are very attentive to their private life, and other's one. I don't know where my favourite actors and so on live, and I'd never try to know. And they usually don't share this kind of information, besides.
Don't see this message as a critic or so, but just a sharing of a way of life from another country (and please forgive my English mistakes).
Wow, that's awesome, we've got Ovi's fan from France. I once had an email from Ovi's fan from Scotland about my blog not showing up in IE, and she lives in a small town, not sure if they even have a skating rink there.
Anyhow, yes, Julie, it is shocking, but that's an internet era, everything is available. If you click on the link to the web site I cited, it has exact street address, etc. The pictures are from real estate site, and you have to post the pictures if you want to sell the house in US. I am pretty sure it's gotta be the same in any country.
But Ovi has fans all around the world ! I had a chance to watch him play at Germany's World Championship, that was great!
As for the pics needed to sale your house, yes, it's the same in France. Just not for the address.
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