Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

A 5295-square-foot ocean view estate in Del Mar

A “masterpiece” that “offers the very best indoor/outdoor living year-round.”

Amazingly, this home was built before Miami Vice even premiered.
Amazingly, this home was built before Miami Vice even premiered.

It may seem like we spend a lot of time here at Unreal roaming the same few neighborhoods. La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar — lather, rinse, repeat. But that’s because we’re here to gawk at rich people’s houses, and by and large, those are the places toward which our wealthiest fellow San Diegans gravitate. As of this writing, there are 46 homes for sale in the county with an asking price topping $10 million, and 33 of those are concentrated in the three primary ZIP codes for the aforementioned cities. So this week, we’re headed back up I-5, to where the turf meets the surf, for a peek at 1616 Camino Del Mar, a 5295-square-foot ocean view estate, set on just under a half-acre, that was originally built in 1982.

“With panoramic ocean views spanning the coastline & located walking distance to the beach, restaurants, shops, L’Auberge Hotel & the world-famous Del Mar Racetrack, this exquisite estate is a one-of-a-kind opportunity!” Or so the home’s Zillow listing promises, going on to describe a “masterpiece” that “offers the very best indoor/outdoor living year-round.” Let’s have a look for ourselves.

Sponsored
Sponsored

We start in the backyard, where the “extraordinary pool with jacuzzi” seems to be flanked on three sides by the home’s exterior walls and on the fourth by some terraced artificial grass. There are a couple of second-floor balconies that appear to face west (the correct direction, given our location), and a confusing series of stairs and passageways that lead from them to the pool deck below. Above the pool, a glass-covered walkway runs from one side of the house to the other.

The logistically confusing covered walkway above the pool. The ‘80s were a weird time, okay?

Next we get a few shots of a kitchen that appears to have been recently upgraded and features a full suite of commercial appliances, including a built-in fridge, oversized range, heavy-duty restaurant vent hood, and even a flat-top griddle. For some reason, the oven doors are painted orange, and I like how the countertop from the center island has been extended out to include something more akin to a built-in dining table than the typical bar seating we’ve seen so many times before. A sunny living room features plenty of windows, through which we’re able to get a peek at the promised views of the ocean, less than a quarter-mile from the edge of the property. And it looks like we’d enjoy that view even more from a dining set outside on the square balcony. Next we’re into what I’m assuming is the main bedroom suite, which opens to the rounded balcony we saw on the other side of the pool before we came inside. This is fine, really — there are dual vanities in the bath separated by a little makeup desk, and the daybed on the deck is certainly inviting. All standard rich folk fare, I suppose.

It’s when we get to the glass-topped walkways above the pool that I become confused. It looks like this side of the pool is partially enclosed like an atrium, but also this may be the only way to get from the kitchen/living room to the bedrooms? If it’s raining or cold, would you have to walk through this open space to get a late night snack? Can the neighbors see you up there? Also, a staircase leads down into a room with a pool table and what looks like a bed adjacent to the pool deck. Is this a game room or a bedroom? I’m not even sure if this room is fully enclosed, but there are no walls anywhere, just glass. I hope this isn’t a bedroom.

Our tour of the inside finishes with a few more pictures of bedrooms and bathrooms, all of which seem luxurious enough if not remarkable, save for an interesting semicircular bathroom with stone tile from floor to ceiling. Then we’re back outside for some aerial shots and stops at some of the other patios and balconies we only glanced at from inside. There is indeed a great view from the top level, but hedges and walls in the lower yard seem like they’d obscure some of the vista, cramping the view in the name of privacy. A twilight photo shows that elevated glass hallway again; this time there’s a spot in the middle that glows neon purple, despite there being no visible light source. I am still confused about the logistics of this space.

Public records list Lee and June Stein — whose website mentions the home as a summer retreat and collaborative workspace — as owners of the Camino Del Mar estate. Last sold in 2000 for a reported $3.25 million, it’s back on the market for the first time in over 20 years as of March 1 – the list price of $16,500,000 remains unchanged to date.

1616 Camino Del Mar| Del Mar, 92014

Current owner: Stein Family | Listing price: $16,500,000 | Beds: 5 | Baths: 6 | house size: 5295

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Big kited bluefin on the Red Rooster III

Lake fishing heating up as the weather cools
Next Article

Bringing Order to the Christmas Chaos

There is a sense of grandeur in Messiah that period performance mavens miss.
Amazingly, this home was built before Miami Vice even premiered.
Amazingly, this home was built before Miami Vice even premiered.

It may seem like we spend a lot of time here at Unreal roaming the same few neighborhoods. La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar — lather, rinse, repeat. But that’s because we’re here to gawk at rich people’s houses, and by and large, those are the places toward which our wealthiest fellow San Diegans gravitate. As of this writing, there are 46 homes for sale in the county with an asking price topping $10 million, and 33 of those are concentrated in the three primary ZIP codes for the aforementioned cities. So this week, we’re headed back up I-5, to where the turf meets the surf, for a peek at 1616 Camino Del Mar, a 5295-square-foot ocean view estate, set on just under a half-acre, that was originally built in 1982.

“With panoramic ocean views spanning the coastline & located walking distance to the beach, restaurants, shops, L’Auberge Hotel & the world-famous Del Mar Racetrack, this exquisite estate is a one-of-a-kind opportunity!” Or so the home’s Zillow listing promises, going on to describe a “masterpiece” that “offers the very best indoor/outdoor living year-round.” Let’s have a look for ourselves.

Sponsored
Sponsored

We start in the backyard, where the “extraordinary pool with jacuzzi” seems to be flanked on three sides by the home’s exterior walls and on the fourth by some terraced artificial grass. There are a couple of second-floor balconies that appear to face west (the correct direction, given our location), and a confusing series of stairs and passageways that lead from them to the pool deck below. Above the pool, a glass-covered walkway runs from one side of the house to the other.

The logistically confusing covered walkway above the pool. The ‘80s were a weird time, okay?

Next we get a few shots of a kitchen that appears to have been recently upgraded and features a full suite of commercial appliances, including a built-in fridge, oversized range, heavy-duty restaurant vent hood, and even a flat-top griddle. For some reason, the oven doors are painted orange, and I like how the countertop from the center island has been extended out to include something more akin to a built-in dining table than the typical bar seating we’ve seen so many times before. A sunny living room features plenty of windows, through which we’re able to get a peek at the promised views of the ocean, less than a quarter-mile from the edge of the property. And it looks like we’d enjoy that view even more from a dining set outside on the square balcony. Next we’re into what I’m assuming is the main bedroom suite, which opens to the rounded balcony we saw on the other side of the pool before we came inside. This is fine, really — there are dual vanities in the bath separated by a little makeup desk, and the daybed on the deck is certainly inviting. All standard rich folk fare, I suppose.

It’s when we get to the glass-topped walkways above the pool that I become confused. It looks like this side of the pool is partially enclosed like an atrium, but also this may be the only way to get from the kitchen/living room to the bedrooms? If it’s raining or cold, would you have to walk through this open space to get a late night snack? Can the neighbors see you up there? Also, a staircase leads down into a room with a pool table and what looks like a bed adjacent to the pool deck. Is this a game room or a bedroom? I’m not even sure if this room is fully enclosed, but there are no walls anywhere, just glass. I hope this isn’t a bedroom.

Our tour of the inside finishes with a few more pictures of bedrooms and bathrooms, all of which seem luxurious enough if not remarkable, save for an interesting semicircular bathroom with stone tile from floor to ceiling. Then we’re back outside for some aerial shots and stops at some of the other patios and balconies we only glanced at from inside. There is indeed a great view from the top level, but hedges and walls in the lower yard seem like they’d obscure some of the vista, cramping the view in the name of privacy. A twilight photo shows that elevated glass hallway again; this time there’s a spot in the middle that glows neon purple, despite there being no visible light source. I am still confused about the logistics of this space.

Public records list Lee and June Stein — whose website mentions the home as a summer retreat and collaborative workspace — as owners of the Camino Del Mar estate. Last sold in 2000 for a reported $3.25 million, it’s back on the market for the first time in over 20 years as of March 1 – the list price of $16,500,000 remains unchanged to date.

1616 Camino Del Mar| Del Mar, 92014

Current owner: Stein Family | Listing price: $16,500,000 | Beds: 5 | Baths: 6 | house size: 5295

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

East San Diego County has only one bike lane

So you can get out of town – from Santee to Tierrasanta
Next Article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 17, 2022
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader