New England land owned by Paul Simon, then Richard Gere hits the market

The land where the former Connecticut estate of Paul Simon and then Richard Gere sat is for sale — controversially.

“Pretty Woman” and “Chicago” star Richard Gere bought the New Canaan estate from the Simon & Garfunkel singer in 2022 for $10.8 million, according to CT Insider.

In July, Paul Simon’s daughter, Lulu, wrote, “Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere — I do,” in a since-deleted Instagram story, according to CT Insider. “He bought my childhood home. [He] promised he would take care of the land as condition of his purchase. [He] proceeded to never actually move in and just sold it to a developer as nine separate plots.”

Simon and his wife Edie Brickwell lived in the New Canaan home for 20 years prior to selling it to Gere. Gere and his wife, Alejandra Silva, initially wanted to partially convert the land into a farm, according to the New Canaan Advertiser.

In 2023, the couple said they did not want to add additional homes or subdivide the property at a New Canaan Planning and Zoning meeting. Ultimately, Gere was looking to establish a farm for mushrooms, honey, and his seven goats.

The Planning and Zoning Board met Gere’s proposal with some hesitation regarding the goats, but he said the goats were a future plan, according to the New Canaan Advertiser.

In April 2024, Gere told Vanity Fair Spain he was moving to Spain to be closer to his wife’s family, seemingly abandoning the Connecticut property. However, Gere said the couple plans to move back to the U.S. in a few years, according to People.

Gere sold the property for $10.75 million in Oct. 2024, according to Mansion Global.

Then, the New Canaan Inland Wetlands and Planning and Zoning Commission announced its plan to convert the land into nine lots, the town’s largest subdivision since 2007, according to CT Insider. Each lot is connected by the Brookwood Road cul-de-sac, as shown in a real estate rendering of the property.

In September, the property’s main home was demolished ahead of the subdivision, according to CT Insider.

Prior to the demolition, pieces of the home were saved for resale, according to an Instagram post by the architectural preservation company Hudson Valley House Parts. The comments on the post were flooded with widespread disapproval of the demolition.

On Nov. 10, two of the nine subdivided plots went on the market. The properties at 48 and 122 Brookwood Lane are listed for $2.95 million and $2.495 million, respectively.

The property at 48 Brookwood includes a 1940s 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 1,483 square foot “historical cottage” on 4.01 acres while the property at 122 Brookwood is a 2.16 acre open lot.

It is not known when the other seven lots, ranging from approximately 2.5 to 4.8 acres, will be on the market.

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