Timing, they say, is everything. Heather T. Roy and Learka Bosnak, the Douglas Elliman agents representing the house where tormented teen Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) lived in the 1984 horror classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” certainly subscribe to that principle! As the marketing materials for the newly-listed property note, interested parties have until midnight on Halloween to present offers! Even the MLS imagery embraces the home’s spooky cinematic history, with knife-fingered villain Freddy Krueger (played by Robert Englund in the film) pictured cheekily hanging out in various rooms throughout the property.
Located at 1428 N. Genesee Ave. in Hollywood’s historic Spaulding Square neighborhood, the residence is perhaps one of the best-known horror movie locations of all time. And while you really can’t put a price tag on such a distinction, the current owners are offering the place at $3.25 million. That’s a spine-tingling $1,092 per square foot! Bonus – the pad Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) called home in the flick can be found right across the street at 1419 N. Genesee. (Please remember these are private houses. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the properties in any way.)
Horror icon Wes Craven, who wrote and directed the film, has a penchant for setting macabre tales against idyllic suburban backdrops. Of choosing to shoot “Nightmare” in picturesque Spaulding Square, he told the documentarians behind “Never Sleep Again: The Making of ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,'” “There’s a wonderful little street called Genesee that when you pull onto it, it’s like you’re in the midwest. It just has beautiful overarching trees.” Hoping to evoke a feeling of “pure Americana,” Craven dubbed his fictional landscape “Elm Street,” a nod to both the main thoroughfare in Potsdam, New York where he taught before becoming a Hollywood mogul, as well as the Dallas, Texas road where President Kennedy was shot in 1963. Americana meets nightmares, indeed!
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Image Credit: New Line Cinema -
Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo At the center of the story is the charming Dutch Colonial where Nancy lives with her mother, the long-suffering Marge Thompson (Ronee Blakley). In real life, the two-story dwelling features three bedrooms and four baths in 2,700 square feet. Originally built in 1919, the structure was expanded and heavily renovated in 2007 by then-owner Angie Hill, who purchased the place the year prior. At the time, it was the stuff of nightmares! Hill told AOL’s Graham Wood, “It was horrible. It was the only house on the street that looked beaten up . . . the pool looked like it hadn’t been touched in 10 years – it was black.” After thoroughly saging the property (because of course), she began the extensive remodel, during which 90% of the residence was revamped and the entire floorplan redesigned. As detailed by the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” blog, “The year-long renovation completely gutted the old interior and rear of the house, leaving only the framework and a portion of the front outer shell intact.” Incredibly, despite the vast changes, the exterior still looks much the same as it did onscreen in “Nightmare.”
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo Today, the home’s interior is the stuff of dreams – a place where even a relentless terror like Freddy Krueger can relax, put his feet up and unwind.
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo Bright and open, the updated living spaces include a formal dining room, a family room and what the listing deems a “retro-modern kitchen,” each replete with walnut flooring, custom built-ins and dramatic archways.
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo The property also boasts an office, as well as “multiple work-from-home options” – definite selling points in the Covid age.
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo Brave souls who venture up to the second floor (beware the melting staircase!) will find the three bedrooms, all spacious, ensuite and seemingly serene, with no dream skills needed for a good night’s sleep in the lush confines.
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo The owners’ retreat is especially zen with large arched windows, a massive walk-in closet, and a radiant spa-like bath lined with floor-to-ceiling subway tiles and featuring a standalone tub and dual vanities. Hey, even a monster’s gotta practice self-care at some point – just be careful those blades don’t rust during your soak, Freddy!
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo The surrounding grounds seem leagues larger than their 0.15 acres with a rolling lawn, mature citrus trees and the once-black pool now a sparkling blue. There is also a detached guest house on the premises complete with a terrace, a full kitchen and a 3/4 bath.
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Image Credit: New Line Cinema -
Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo “A Nightmare on Elm Street” largely made use of the exterior of the residence. Aside from some footage involving Nancy’s bedroom, very little was shot inside the home. The vast majority of interior filming, including the terrifying segment involving Nancy’s seemingly bottomless bathtub, was lensed on a soundstage at Desilu Studios (which is now part of Paramount Pictures). In his book “Hollywood Monster,” Robert Englund ruminates about filming at the historic lot, saying “In one of those weird juxtapositions that makes Hollywood such a wonderful place to work, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ was shot at the old Desilu Studios, the very same Desilu Studios named for Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, the very same Desilu Studios that was home to ‘I Love Lucy’ and ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show.’ The irony of our horror flick being housed under the very same roof where television’s classic comedy sitcoms originated wasn’t lost on any of us. This same soundstage was also where ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ was filmed. I shudder to think what Freddy would have done to little Opie.”
The set, created by production designer Gregg Fonseca, was markedly different in design and layout than its real-life counterpart, as MLS images from 2006, which show the property pre-remodel, attest.
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Image Credit: New Line Cinema One of the most popular horror franchises in moviedom, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” went on to spawn an incredible seven sequels, as well as a 2010 reboot, all of which are currently streaming on HBO Max. The Spaulding Square property appeared in several of them, including “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.” and “New Nightmare” (though donning a crimson red front door instead of the cobalt blue featured in the original). But for the fourth installment, “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master,” a replica of the home was built elsewhere.
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Image Credit: Anthony Barcelo Interested parties can check the place out via an open house this Sunday, October 24 from 2 to 5 p.m. Just remember, no running in the hallway and whatever you do, don’t fall asleep while there!