Matt Damon Is the Latest Celebrity to Buy an Estate in This Secluded Woodland Oasis 50 Minutes From NYC
Matt Damon is moving to Upstate New York. The Academy Award-winning actor, writer, and producer recently picked up a sprawling estate in Westchester County. And he’s not the only A-list celebrity to call the secluded woodland area home.
Matt Damon moves to Bedford, a town in Westchester County, New York
Damon is getting ready to call Bedford, NY, home (to one of his homes). The town is located in Westchester County and sits about 40 miles north of Manhattan. It encompasses the hamlets of Bedford Hills, Katonah, and Bedford Village.
In terms of landscape, Bedford is nothing like Hollywood or Los Angeles. It’s a woodsy Northeastern town adorned with pine forests, lakes, and rivers. And as of 2010, its population was approximately 17,335.
But there is one aspect of Bedford that’s similar to the LA area. According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s considered one of the richest communities in the country. Its appeal is that it’s about a 40-minute drive from Manhattan. And unlike the Hamptons — another New York area known for housing celebrities — it is not overly expensive and has very little traffic.
Damon bought a sprawling estate in Bedford
Damon is a Massachusetts native who moved to New York and then LA after the success of his Academy Award-winning film, Good Will Hunting. In 2012, he purchased a home in Pacific Palisades for $12 million. And in early 2021, he put the property up for sale for $21 million.
By September 2021, Damon picked up a $17 million two-story penthouse in Brooklyn. And he then moved back to New York City with his wife, Luciana, and three kids.
In July 2022, Damon purchased a sprawling 13.5-acre estate in Bedford Hills for $8.5 million. The stone and clapboard colonial boasts a designer kitchen, saltwater pool, gym, coffee bar, pond, and stream. It also features a tree house, greenhouse, barn, and tennis court.
“Constructed in 2004 and substantially renovated in 2021, the residence is quite simply stunning,” the Zillow listing for the property reads. “All the main level rooms open onto covered stone terraces.”
“An incredible network of woodland trails, handsome boardwalks, and rope bridges circumnavigate the entire property,” it continues. “A rare and special opportunity to enjoy country perfection.”
Damon hasn’t revealed why he bought a house in Bedford. But it may be because one of his good friends — college roommate Clark Petschek — has lived there for years. In July 2022, the actor got involved in Bedford politics when he endorsed Petschek in the town’s court justice race.
Lots of celebrities live in Westchester County
Damon isn’t the only Hollywood celebrity who’s trading in the glitz and glam of LA for Westchester County. A-listers like Glen Close, Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have called the area home.
