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A river runs through the entire homeToday's luxury homes feature lazy rivers, reef aquariums and water slides.
Subterranean spaces of the superrichSome wealthy homeowners hide parts of their manses underground.
McMansion makeundersThe rich makes homes appear modest by burrowing below.
Peek inside a modern Portland homeThis house was designed with change in mind after its owner's divorce.
The anti-ski houseMany homeowners shun the traditional chalet for a modern alternative.
Off-the-grid mansionsThese often-spectacular homes are self-sustaining.
Fabulous built-in fish tanksWho needs an aquarium when you have one of these in your home?
Inside a real-life spy lairThe world's foremost collector of spy memorabilia shows off his house.
The kitchen that ate the houseAs floor plans open, food-prep areas are creeping into other rooms.
Kenilworth, Ill., left, and Naples, Fla., include the most expensive blocks in their respective states. // © Ralf-Finn Hestoft/CORBIS, Ilene MacDonald/Alamy
© Radius/SuperStock
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© Ilene MacDonald/Alamy
© Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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© BERT V. GOULAIT/The Washington Times /Landov
© Ralf-Finn Hestoft/CORBIS
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America's most expensive blocks
By Venessa Wong of Bloomberg Businessweek
Between which streets in what neighborhoods are the most expensive homes in your state?
Across the country, high-end homes typically are on roads along the water, on hills and bordering parks and country clubs — but which ones? Real-estate website NeighborhoodScout.com identified the most expensive neighborhood in each state for Businessweek.com based on third-quarter 2010 home values. NeighborhoodScout analyzed about 62,000 census tracts, which are statistical subdivisions of a county.
For many of us, Beverly Hills, Calif., 90210, comes to mind, but NeighborhoodScout Chief Executive Andrew Schiller says, "ZIP codes can have as many as 14 distinctly different census tracts contained within them," so analyzing ZIP codes can give a false sense of an area. Census tracts in places with high population density, such as New York City, are small and include only a few streets. In sparsely populated areas, such as Sun Valley, Idaho, census tracts can cover many miles and encompass geographic areas such as state parks and mountains.
Only areas with populations of more than 800 and with at least one-fourth of properties occupied by owners, rather than renters, were included in this ranking. In many states, the most expensive neighborhoods are primary-home markets, but in states such as Rhode Island and Nevada, the priciest streets are filled with vacation homes. Whether for residence or respite, these areas include some of the most prestigious addresses in the country.
Here's a look at the top 10.
View the most expensive block in each of the 50 states at Businessweek.com.
Read: Where the richest people live
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America's most expensive blocks
Beverly Hills, Calif.
- Where: North Whittier Drive to North Beverly Drive
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $3,07 million
- Median household income: $167,583
Bordered on the west by the Los Angeles Country Club, this area has the highest median home values in the Beverly Hills area, according to NeighborhoodScout. Cliff Nichols, general manager at the brokerage Hilton & Hyland, says Lexington Road is one of the area's most expensive streets. Among the priciest homes for sale: the Pickfair Estate — home of silent-movie stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks — at 1143 Summit Drive, which is listed for $60 million.
View listings for homes for sale in this part of Beverly Hills
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America's most expensive blocks
Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York
- Where: 70th Street to 77th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $2.8 million
- Median household income: $229,632
These streets east of Central Park along Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue are lined with historic townhouses and co-ops built at the turn of the 20th century and in the 1930s. Many homes along Fifth Avenue have park views. Museums, shopping and dining are a few blocks away.
(Note: Some other expensive neighborhoods in New York were not included because they did not meet the minimum population requirement for this ranking.)
View listings for homes for sale on the Upper East Side of Manhattan
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America's most expensive blocks
Port Royal, Naples, Fla.
- Where: Gulf Shore Boulevard to the tip of Port Royal
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $2.7 million
- Median household income: $139,250
Waterfront properties are abundant in Port Royal, on the southern tip of Naples between the Gulf of Mexico and Naples Bay. Water views and private docking in the canals make it one of the country’s most exclusive communities. Naples real-estate agent John Tsiskakis says some of the most expensive streets include Gulf Shore Boulevard, Gordon Drive, Galleon Drive, Rum Row and Fort Charles Drive.
View listings for homes for sale in the Port Royal area
- On our blog, 'Listed': In America's most expensive town, a trailer is $599,000
America's most expensive blocks
Alpine, N.J.
- Where: Anderson Avenue to Hudson River
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout):$2.44 million
- Median household income: $167,917
Many celebrities and executives, such as Russell Simmons and Eddie Murphy, have lived in Alpine, an exclusive community with large, private estates. Among the most expensive properties for sale is a mansion listed for $68 million, according to Realtor.com.
View listings for homes for sale in this part of Alpine
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America's most expensive blocks
Greenwich, Conn.
- Where: Golden Triangle
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $2.21 million
- Median household income: More than $250,000
The Golden Triangle section of Fairfield County’s affluent community of Greenwich includes the Greenwich Country Club. Barbara Wells, a real-estate agent for Prudential CT Realty, says Meadowcroft Lane is the most expensive street in the area.
View listings for homes for sale in the Golden Triangle area
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America's most expensive blocks
Honolulu
- Where: Around the Diamond Head State Monument
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $1.91 million
- Median household income: $95,625
The Diamond Head community is a short walk from the main shopping and restaurant area of Waikiki. One street known for luxury real estate is Kahala Avenue, says Mike Bates, a real-estate associate for Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties. Along Diamond Head Road, a street that wraps around the peak, are beachfront properties and hillside homes on streets such as Noela Street and Diamond Head Circle.
Find listings for homes for sale in the Diamond Head area
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America's most expensive blocks
Afton Oaks/River Oaks, Houston
- Where: Buffalo Bayou to San Felipe Street
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $1.72 million
- Median household income: More than $250,000
Streets around the River Oaks Country Club, such as Inwood Drive and Lazy Lane, have some of the most expensive estates in this section of Houston, according to estimates on Zillow.com.
River Oaks is also near the Menil Collection, a museum created by Schlumberger oil-drilling heiress Dominique de Menil and her husband, Jean. The building, featuring designs by Louis Kahn and Renzo Piano, houses nearly 16,000 works, including antiquities and Byzantine, African and modern art. One of the highlights is its Mark Rothko chapel.
View listings for homes near the River Oaks Country Club
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America's most expensive blocks
Town Center, Great Falls, Va.
- Where: Seneca Road to Georgetown Pike
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $1.72 million
- Median household income: $193,214
This upscale neighborhood is named after the Potomac River's Great Falls, which drops 75 feet over a two-mile distance. Home prices start in the mid-$400,000s and exceed $8 million for large estates in areas such as Clarks Branch, Potomac Ridge Estates, Falcon Ridge and Rossmore, according to greatfalls-realestate.com.
View listings for homes for sale in the Town Center area of Great Falls
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America's most expensive blocks
Chevy Chase Village, Md.
- Where: Chevy Chase Country Club to Western Avenue
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout):$1.68 million
- Median household income: More than $250,000
Chevy Chase Village, on the border of Maryland and Washington, D.C., is one of the most expensive real-estate markets in the country. The area is known for Victorian and Colonial-style homes, according to theestridgegroup.com.
View listings for homes for sale in Chevy Chase Village
- On our blog, 'Listed': In America's most expensive town, a trailer is $599,000
America's most expensive blocks
Kenilworth, Ill.
- Where: Ridge Road to Lake Michigan
- Median home value (NeighborhoodScout): $1.61 million
- Median household income: $247,000
Kenilworth, one of the most affluent towns in the country, is the most expensive neighborhood in which to buy a home in Illinois. Homes near Lake Michigan can cost several million dollars. For example, a seven-bedroom home at 245 Sheridan Road is listed for $6.5 million.
View listings for homes for sale in Kenilworth
View the most expensive block in each of the 50 states at Businessweek.com.
Read: Where the richest people live
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