Diane Sawyer | House Tour | $4.6 Million New York Mansion & More

One of the world's most famous news anchors and television journalists of all time is none other than Diane Sawyer. After joining CBS in the late 70s, by 1981, she'd already become the co-anchor of CBS Morning News. From there, she'd go on to host series as 2020 and Good Morning America, while interviewing everyone from former US presidents to Saddam Hussein, as well as celebrities like Michael J. Fox and Michael Jackson. She even recently sat down with Jeremy Renner to discuss his life-threatening accident from last Christmas. During the period of time in which Diane Sawyer was well on her way to making a name for herself in the American media, she met and fell in love with famed film director Mike Nichols. Two got married in 1988, and their marriage would last right up until Nichols' death in 2014. Together, this power couple put down roots in a French-style stone house situated in the New York Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. When you imagine how gorgeous a French-style home might look, you're probably conjuring up images of ivy running down the sides of buildings partnered with some unbeatable views. And Diane Sawyer's former house checks off all of those boxes. Of course, the best part is that in order to see this place, you don't actually have to travel all the way to France. Instead, you can just drive about 25 minutes outside of Manhattan to find yourself standing in front of Diane's cottage, originally constructed back in 1925. This 2,708 square foot property, that was recently valued at $4.6 million, has been built directly into the cliffs of the Palisades, and looks out across the Hudson River. This must've provided Diane with some of the most serene views of all time. Even better, as pristine as those sight lines are, the inside of this place isn't too shabby either. Brick is the builder's material of choice, while wide plank pine lines the floors, with hand-hewn beams up top that provide the interiors of this home with a lot of rustic charm. All in all, the property boasts three beds, three and a half baths, as well as living spaces like a formal dining room with a picture-perfect table and a brass chandelier, as well as a series of French doors leading out to the terrace. The kitchen here is tiny, compact, and maybe a little out of date, but has a giant ventilation system as well as everything else you'd need to cook a 5-star family meal. Just off the side of the kitchen is a breakfast room that doubles as a study and boasts built-ins as well as intricately carved wooded doors and flower patterns everywhere. Heading upstairs, there's a large den with vaulted beam ceilings. Bedroom wing is also located up here, including the primary suite with its attached bathroom. When you're done exploring the interior, you can head outdoors to the nearly two acres of lush land, surrounded by manicured gardens, walking paths, stone steps, a swimming pool, and a picture-perfect guest cottage constructed out of stone. It's not exactly clear when, but prior to his passing, Diane and Mike sold this property and headed back to New York City, where they lived out of a series of different homes. Before we check those out, however, first, we're going to take a look at their former summer home in Massachusetts. Another home of Diane Sawyer's is a piece of property located in Tisbury, Massachusetts, on the island of what's widely known as Martha's Vineyard. The common belief is that Diane purchased this property from novelist Leslie Glass, who is reported to have only paid around $500,000 for this home back in 1989. Diane and Mike bought the home together in 1995 for much more than that – $5.3 million, to be exact. For all that cash, they secured themselves a home originally built in 1950, along with the rights to all 17.5 acres of land that surrounds it. Outside of those details, there's not much else known about this vacay spot, although I will tell you this – if you ever plan on picking yourself up a home in the area, prepare to be living out of a box and paying through the nose for it. Three years ago, the home right next door to Diane's property sold for $915,000. Doesn't sound too bad for a piece of property in Martha's Vineyard, right? Well, that's because you don't know how small it is. At only 704 square feet with just two bedrooms and one bathroom, I'm pretty sure that Diane's next-door neighbors get jealous every time they look out their windows and see her gorgeous estate just sitting there. It's probably even more frustrating when it's left empty, which it probably often is considering how much time Diane spends living in New York City. Diane Sawyer is just one of the many news media and public figures that has taken up living in the Big Apple. More specifically in a residence known as the Brestford – an infamous luxury apartment building in New York City that overlooks Central Park, and was used as a setting for the finale of Ghostbusters back in 1984. While we don't know a whole lot about the unit Diane and Mike called home here, we do know this. In the 90s, these two were at war with their co-op board, which rejected a $7.5 million offer on their part to buy what was formerly the penthouse of fashion designer Calvin Klein. According to reports, the deal was personally struck between Diane, Mike, and Calvin on what was a 4,500-square-foot apartment with 11-foot-high ceilings, two fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a greenhouse on the roof, and one of the most enviable terraces in the entire city, thanks to an illegally installed hot tub that Klein put in years earlier. The plan was for Diane and Mike to combine that property with the one they already owned inside the Brestford right next door. Problem was, someone else wanted it more, and was willing to pay for it. After the deal had already been struck between the celebrities, the buildings board stepped in and informed Diane they had another buyer waiting in the wings. Steve Gottlieb, the owner of TVT Records, was willing to shell out $1 million more for the penthouse than Diane had offered. Diane and Mike fought back, but it was all for nothing. The board rejected their offer twice, so Diane and her hubby retreated to another one of their homes in New York City, a historic Upper East Side double-wide townhouse. Situated on the exact same block as Madonna's mega-mansion, this 40-foot-wide townhouse was first built in 1899, and comes complete with its own private garage. There's also a gorgeously landscaped garden located out here, with what's referred to in the listing as more than enough space for a soccer match, which is about as rare as it comes in New York City. As for the inside, it boasts 8 bedrooms, 5 fireplaces, including 4 gas and one that exclusively uses wood. There's also a mezzanine balcony accompanied by gorgeous details, like an English pine-paneled library that features floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. There's even a massive main bedroom suite situated on the top third floor with all the bells and whistles you'd no doubt expect from a home this size. There's a carpeted floor, sitting area, and a fireplace here. And walking into the nearby en-suite is sort of like stepping onto a cloud, with nearly every single surface decked out in white. Back downstairs on the main floor, you'll find a chef's kitchen that spared no expense when it came to appliances, and offers views of the outdoor garden. Speaking of the garden, even the grand living room manages to find a way to optimize its sightline so that you're always staring out towards the greenery, accompanied by the ambiance of epic 20-foot ceilings. Finishing the place off is a formal dining room that no doubt held a who's who of celebrity guests during the period of time which Diane and Mike lived here. According to reports, however, the couple eventually left the place in 1995, selling this one-of-a-kind property for $1.68 million at the time. Since then, Diane has continued to utilize her original apartment inside of the Brestford as her main location. Alright folks, that'll do it for this latest house tour. Thanks so much for joining us on Diane Sawyer's house tour, and before you head off, consider answering the following question. If you were an institution in your field like Diane Sawyer, would you eventually retire or continue working until you couldn't anymore? Well, it doesn't seem like Diane will be putting down her pencil and notepad anytime soon. But would you have the same level of stamina as she does at 77? Let me know in the comments below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss an episode. My name's Kira, the Vampire Slayer. Don't go anywhere quite yet, because coming up, I'm about to take you inside the homes of acting great Helen Mirren. After that, I'll see you all next time. Bye! In these videos, we don't reveal any addresses, and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. An actress? I like to say actress rather than actor. Helen Mirren is one of the entertainment industry's crown jewels. And no, I'm not just saying that because she once won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II. While living alongside her longtime husband, filmmaker Taylor Hackford, Helen has worked extensively on stage, film, and TV while being regarded as one of the industry's greatest talents. And for almost the whole time, she's primarily been based out of her longtime home located in the Hollywood Hills. Helen and Taylor first met in 1986, that very same year Hackford would buy a 6.6 acre property in the heart of Los Angeles that was originally built in 1911 for silent film star Dustin Farnham, the same man that Dustin Hoffman would one day be named after. From there, the property would go on to have a rare pedigree, boasting three further owners, all of whom were Hollywood luminaries. After Dustin came writer and producer Mark Hellinger, whose short story inspired the classic 1939 gangster picture The Roaring Twenties, starring Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. Next up came Gail Patrick, one of the first and most successful female TV producers of her time, who helped bring the hit series Perry Mason to life. Following Gail's passing, Helen's soon-to-be husband, Taylor Hackford, bought the property and shortly after, Helen moved in as well. While speaking about her history with the home, Helen would tell the Wall Street Journal in 2021, It was the first house that we lived together in. Although it's a big house, it doesn't feel like a big house. You don't feel like you're a little pea in a huge pod rattling around. I totally get what she's saying, to be honest. Perched on a hill near Runyon Canyon Park, Helen and Maren's ultra-private 6.5 acre property is comprised of a two-story main residence, as well as a three-bedroom guest cottage that shares its gorgeously landscaped surroundings with a pool, a five-car garage, and mature trees. On the inside, many of the home's old-world detailing has been maintained, like its terracotta-tiled floors in the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as the exposed brick fireplace that's used to warm the kitchen's dining area. All in all, there are five bedrooms spread throughout the main house, including a paneled library with a hidden wet bar and a generously proportioned formal living room that spills out through French doors to a city-view terrace above the home's pool. How amazing does that sound? In fact, the home's charming floor plan is arranged in a way that views of the surrounding area and city's skyline can be viewed from practically every room in the house. Elsewhere, you'll find the roomy and perfectly equipped eat-in kitchen that's only somewhat dated thanks to its less-than-contemporary finishes and fittings. Speaking of things that aren't exactly contemporary, a number of the home's bathrooms are also stuck in the 1980s, with some of them even featuring glass-block shower enclosures. While two of those areas in the home might not blow away any visiting guests, if Helen really wanted to make a good impression, she COULD invite her company to stop by the cozy and snug-looking music room that's been layered with rugs, a stylish sofa with pops of blue, and a gorgeous grand piano in the far corner that no doubt provides the perfect evening entertainment. Then again, I mean, if she was looking for something a little less formal, I'm pretty sure the lounge would do. Much like the music room, it's warm and inviting, but it has a slightly edgier style thanks to its use of velvet and gold textures. Last but not least, there's the estate's dining room, which is home to some of Helen's finest art. Banana leaf wallpaper, designer chairs, and a vintage-style rug that's sure to make this social space a major hit. Now out back, you'll find strands of lights overtop the terraced gardens that surround the nearby pool. The swimming area also boasts chic pink loungers, as well as green and white-striped umbrellas that are apparently a nod to the iconic pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel. After living in this home for close to 30 years, Helen and Taylor listed the property in 2021 for $18.5 million. When they didn't immediately find a buyer, they decided to rent it at a whopping rate of $45,000 a month. Two years later, the couple would relist the home once more, this time for $17 million. It's unclear if they've found a buyer quite yet, but regardless, Helen and her hubby have already moved on to one of their other spectacular homes, which is exactly what we're going to do next as well. Over the years of their relationship, Helen and Taylor have bought a number of homes to share, their absolute favorite of which is a Lakeview mountain retreat on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. When asked in the past to discuss her favorite place to be outside of a film set, Helen has always been quick to point to this remote location as her home away from home. But she barely got the chance to spend any time there until the pandemic hit at the beginning of this decade. When asked to discuss what it was like for her and Taylor to shelter in place in Nevada, Helen told The Independent, It's given me the opportunity to be with my husband in sort of a normal everyday way, which has been fantastic. It is actually the first time in all of our 30 years together that we've sat down at the table each night and had dinner together. Normally we're getting on planes, going here, there. So it's been fabulous just to be a normal person. As nice as it no doubt must have felt for Helen to be normal for a short period of time, that isn't to say that living life in the wild is always easy. And once she actually had to scare away a bear that was attempting to climb up her back port. When she's not intimidating the wildlife, Helen spends time in her garden or out by the water, which is right nearby. Of course, she keeps the interior of this home on the down low, but based on a few pics that she shared on social media, it's likely that her bedroom here boasts a wooden headboard with a bunch of framed personal photos decorating the surrounding walls. There's also what appears to be a neutral color scheme over in her living room with white walls and a gray blanket draped over her sofa, as well as a framed picture of a bird hanging on the wall. As nice as both of these properties are, sometimes the UK-born actress gets a little homesick and when she does, she hops on a plane and heads back home to Europe, where she owns two more remarkable homes. As of 2023, Helen and her husband own two properties in Europe, a four-story townhouse near the River Thames in London, as well as a restored 16th-century farmhouse near Tijano, Italy. Let's start by taking a look at the latter. Helen's vacation home here sits on a cliff with a sheer drop down to the water below. Situated in Italy's Apulia region, this historical farmhouse-style estate is surrounded by olive trees, gardens, and its very own vineyard. Helen spent nearly $350,000 restoring the 500-year-old property stone by stone, using old techniques and natural materials, turning it into the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the stunning scenery. About 12 years after buying this residence, Helen found another piece of property in the area 10 miles away that she scooped up and set about rebuilding. Unfortunately, that led to issues with her neighbors who complained that the renovation was not only illegal, but was disfiguring the natural beauty of the area. Helen had to abandon those plans as a result, but it's not like she doesn't have other places to stay while visiting Europe if they don't want her over in Italy. Like say, her London home, a 19th-century four-story Georgian townhouse situated directly on the Thames River. Much like with her Lake Tahoe retreat, not to mention her Italian getaway, Helen hasn't shared a whole lot of details about this place. But we do know that she and her husband moved here after previously living in the Battersea region because Hockford wanted to be closer to the East London art scene. As for which of these properties Helen spends the vast majority of her time at, well now that her Hollywood Hills home is up for sale, my guess is she'll be visiting Lake Tahoe more than ever since she claims it's her favorite spot of all. But being the bi-continental couple that she and Taylor are, I am sure they will spend almost as much time at home in London as well. Until Helen Marron throws open the front doors to her properties, that's going to bring today's house tour to a close. Thanks so much for watching and before you head out, consider answering the following question. If you came face to face with a bear climbing up your back steps, would you run into the house or try and scare it off?