Lady Gaga has come a long way from her very first apartment in New York. With a hugely successful career spanning 17 years, it's no surprise that the superstar has built up quite a property portfolio, as well as renting some amazing luxury homes over the years. Take a sneak peek into the life of Lady Gaga and her amazing collection of luxury properties...
Born and raised in New York City, Lady Gaga has accumulated an incredible roster of high-end real estate. From her mega-mansion in Malibu to beautiful New York penthouses, the star's property portfolio is a stark contrast to her humble beginnings.
Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on 28 March 1986, and grew up in Yonkers, New York with her parents Cynthia and Joseph Germanotta, and her younger sister, Natali. From a young age, Gaga displayed a creative edge, and learned to play the piano at just four years old.
When she was still a young child, the Germanotta family moved to the Upper East Side in New York City, buying an apartment in a historic condominium block known as The Pythian. One of the city's most interesting buildings, it was designed by Thomas W. Lamb in 1927 as a meeting place for the Knights of Pythias; a secular fraternity that still exists to this day. The building's beautiful exterior is decorated in brightly coloured, glazed terracotta and many of the original features were kept in place when it was converted into apartments in 1983.
The Pythian consists of 84 apartments, with four offices on the ground floor. Lady Gaga gave fans a sneak peek inside her childhood home when she was interviewed alongside her mother by Oprah in 2012. The cosy living room features ornate décor and Gaga's piano, which she received as a gift for her 11th birthday.
At just 11 years old, Gaga was accepted into the Juilliard School of music, but instead decided to study at a private Catholic school in the city. Nevertheless, her passion for music grew and grew, and at the age of 13 she wrote her first song, giving her first public performance a year later, in a New York nightclub.
In 2003, aged 17 and still known as Stefani Germanotta, Gaga was admitted to Collaborative Arts Project 21, a theatre school at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She studied music and lived in an NYU dorm, but left in 2005, to focus on her music career. To make ends meet, she took up a number of jobs, including spending time as a gogo dancer, which helped hone her performance skills.
In 2007, at just 20 years old, Gaga began working at Interscope Records as a songwriter for Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls and many other notable artists. She was eventually discovered by R&B artist Akon while performing at her burlesque show and was signed to Kon Live, an umbrella arm of Interscope. She released her first single 'Just Dance' in 2008, which was nominated for a Grammy Award, on featured on her debut album, The Fame, released earlier that year.
During the time she was writing her debut album, Gaga rented a small apartment in the Lower East Side of New York at 176 Stanton Street. Located in a hip neighbourhood just a stone's throw away from bars and clubs, the apartment was situated in this pre-war building.
The star lived in the one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment for three years, according to the Miami Herald, before her album shot her to stardom, reportedly paying $1,100 (£824) per month in rent. Located on the fourth floor, the apartment has 10-foot-high ceilings and was previously let out for a monthly sum of $2,000 (£1,497).
In typical New York style, the small apartment features a small joint kitchen and living room space with a tiny window, as well as a single bedroom that's accessed through French doors.
While the small unit goes without luxury amenities such as a lift or washing machine, it does have a bathroom with a bathtub, which is a rarity in New York. Maybe that's why the budding star decided to stay for three years!
At the age of 24, with her career reaching new heights, Gaga left New York for California, where she shelled out a reported $25,000 (£19k) a month to lease this incredible house in 2010. Estimated to be worth $8.2 million (£6.2m) today, and located in the celebrity hotspot of Bel Air, it would've been the perfect pad for the young pop star looking to make her mark on the entertainment industry.
While she was travelling the globe on her worldwide Monster Ball tour, which finished in May 2011, the star rented the home out, or sometimes left it unoccupied. The high-walled and gated property, known as Villa Savona, sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and has just over 6,000 square feet of luxurious living space.
With a double-height entry that boasts marble floors and a sweeping staircase, the Mediterranean-style home also features a two-storey living room with a carved stone fireplace and French doors that lead outside. Elsewhere, there's a family room with a second fireplace and an office with built-in shelving and doors that open to the expansive outdoor area.
The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion is also home to this bright and airy kitchen. With a separate breakfast bar and an adjacent alfresco eating area, it would have been ideal for Gaga to host some of her new famous acquaintances.
Outside, the one-acre plot includes a huge swimming pool and stunning views across Hollywood and out to the ocean. The perfect place to relax and unwind, there's also a covered patio space and balconies on the first floor that look out over the grounds below.
By June 2013, just as she was about to release her third studio album Artpop, Gaga headed back to New York and rented out a small but swanky apartment at 40 Central Park South for around $22,000 (£16.5k) a month.
With just under 2,000 square feet of space, the apartment comes with a wood-burning fireplace, a marble bathroom and stunning views over Central Park. Not just home to Gaga, the apartment block has also played host to many other famous faces, including Liza Minnelli and Lance Armstrong.
Offering renters two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the apartment was last on the market for $22,500 (£16.8k) a month in 2019. Despite its relatively compact size, it comes with a whole host of luxury amenities, including a private staircase entrance, two balconies and a walk-in wardrobe.
A secluded paradise, the master bedroom is accessed by a separate staircase and has a wood-burning fireplace, an ensuite bathroom and two terraces that total 750 square feet. The apartment also featured in the Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, which was released in 2017.
Overlooking the park, the balconies are a private oasis as the building has no neighbours, which is unusual for a New York apartment block. The building's further amenities include a 24-hour doorman, a fitness centre and a private keyed lift.
After years of renting, Gaga finally decided to put down roots and buy a home of her own. In September 2014 she bought this gated Malibu home for $22.5 million (£16.8m). The 10,000-square-foot mega-mansion has six acres of much sought-after land and includes access to Zuma Beach.
Inside, the home boasts rustic décor with wide-open living spaces, high ceilings, hardwood floors and exposed beams. Named the Gypsy Palace by the star, the mansion was the scene of her first meeting with Bradley Cooper, where he offered her the lead role of Ally Maine in the remake of A Star Is Born.
With striking interiors designed by Madeline Stuart, the spacious kitchen features a centre island and French doors that lead outside. The home is also featured in the documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, which shows the star cooking in the kitchen, giving a glimpse into her private life.
Thankfully for her fans, the 'Let’s Dance' songwriter loves to share intimate moments on social media, including shots from the inside of her home. Seen here, Lady Gaga’s living room faces the kitchen and provides an ideal space to entertain her many friends, with gorgeous views from the adjoining veranda.
The home has just three bedrooms, which is unusual for a mega-mansion of this size. According to Vogue, several of the bedrooms were converted into wardrobes to house Gaga's extensive fashion collection, including custom designs by Alexander McQueen and Gianni Versace. The master bedroom is one of the most glamorous spaces in the house, with two fireplaces, a private terrace, two bathrooms and a custom safe room.
Lady Gaga is known to be a fan of horses and the grounds boast a dressage ring and an eight-horse stable for the singer to keep her beloved pets. Trigger the horse is pictured here in this snap from the 'Chromatica' crooner's own Instagram account; Gaga purchased Trigger after sadly losing her previous horse, Arabella.
Within the grounds, there is also a saltwater infinity pool and a bocce ball court, for the star and celebrity pals to enjoy. Here we see the singer enjoying breakfast with a view across Zuma Beach from her enviable poolside. Gaga loves to share photographs with her fans, offering sneak peeks of her many healthy meal creations and home life.
Two years after snapping up her first mansion, Gaga decided to splash out on this historic home in Laurel Canyon for $5.25 million (£3.9m) in August 2016. She bought it just a few months before releasing her fifth studio album Joanna, and just after she scoped a Golden Globe for her role as The Countess in American Horror Story: Hotel. The property was once owned by avant garde rocker Frank Zappa.
The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home is ideal for an eccentric musician, having been designed by another musical icon. Frank Zappa first purchased the home in 1968 for just $75,000 (£54k) and went on to transform it into the treasure trove it is today.
Inside, the home boasts over 6,700 square feet of interior space filled with quirky rustic living areas. The kitchen features exposed wooden beams, a vaulted ceiling and a beautiful arched window overlooking the grounds. Elsewhere there are a number of one-of-a-kind features, including a dragon mural in the dining room and mosaic art.
With a recording studio, infamously named the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen and designed by Zappa himself, it was the perfect home for the singer to record her music; indeed, she's reported to have recorded segments of her 2020 album Chromatica here. Beneath the house there's also a secret room, which Zappa used as a vault, where he kept his private archives.
Outside, the garden is just as quirky as the interior, with a number of patios, gardens and small areas walled off by a mosaic that was made using porthole windows and doors salvaged from vintage submarines. There is also a rooftop tennis court and a swimming pool.
In November 2021, the House Of Gucci star decided to move on, reportedly selling the historic estate for $6.5 million (£5m) in an off-market deal to Lizzie Jagger, daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. Fortunately for the Rolling Stones royalty, Jagger will only need to move her belongings a mere five minutes up the road from her current home, according to Dirt.
Years after uprooting herself to Los Angeles, it seemed that by 2016 Gaga was ready to head back to home turf. The star reportedly rented out this New York City penthouse for $67,500 (£50k) a month, and was the only person ever to have stayed in the building.
Built in 2016, the glamourous home boasts five bedrooms and 12 bathrooms and was first listed for sale in 2016 at a whopping $36.8 million (£27.5m). In 2017 the price was reduced to $29.5 million (£21.2m), and in September 2020 the home finally sold to a mystery buyer.
The huge penthouse spans 11,000 square feet and is spread over six storeys, which doesn't include the 2,000 square foot of outdoor space. The grand kitchen has two marble islands, dual sinks, two wine fridges and a sparkling chandelier that hangs down from the floor above.
Other luxury additions include a 400-bottle wine cellar, two wet bars and several wine fridges. The garage, which sits on the first floor, is more like a showroom, with lighting and glass walls to showcase any flash cars, while the eight-seater theatre comes with vaulted ceilings and sound-proof walls.
The luxury apartment also has an indoor pool, a steam room sauna and a gym. The star is thought to have stopped renting the jaw-dropping home in 2018 after she revealed in an interview with Vogue that she had left New York. Currently reported to be staying in her Gypsy Palace, we can't wait to see what Lady Gaga does next!
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