The comedian recently acquired an L.A. property but finds the city "weird" despite the great weather.
Chris Rock recently acquired a new home in Los Angeles, and the New York City-raised comedian already seems to have a “complicated” relationship with the locale.
“It’s weird,” the 61-year-old star said while speaking with Variety to promote his latest directorial project, “Misty Green," which he explained is a film about a fictional actress, but also about the city of L.A.
"L.A. has got very wonky priorities," Rock said. "There's a real estate office on the same street as The Ivy on Robertson, and in the window, there are houses for $30-$40 million. But there's a homeless guy sleeping right outside. The movie is about that crazy dichotomy."
While Rock has spent plenty of time in Los Angeles with his Hollywood ties, he's recently become much better acquainted with the city.
“I just bought a place there, so I winter in L.A.,” he said. “I love parts of it.”
Rock went on to question some of the things he’s observed since acquiring his new abode, primarily associated with fame and the film industry.
“The average movie studio, like Paramount, what’s in Paramount?” he asked hypothetically. “There’s cameras, sound equipment. But what are you gonna do with that? Can you really steal that stuff?”
The comedian recently opened up about his new life in Los Angeles, describing his "complicated" thoughts on the city. (Brianna Bryson/Getty Images) “There’s more value at the average Home Depot than at Paramount, but Paramount’s got armed guards,” he continued. “Why? Because they have dreams in there. And people will do anything to get to their dreams.”
Rock noted that throughout his decades-long career—in which he gained prominence as a member of “Saturday Night Live” in the early 1990s—he’s seen a “switch” regarding the concept of fame.
“It used to be that everybody wanted to be great—a great singer, great actor, great comedian,” he said. “Now it’s just game, and the greatness is almost assumed. I mean, you’re always gonna be outed at some point if you don’t have the goods. But L.A. is the mecca of that.”
“It can be beautiful. It’s got the best weather in the world,” Rock admitted. “But it also attracts an underbelly that people want to pretend doesn’t exist.”
The comic then offered his own philosophy on wealth management, and his decision to keep expenses modest despite his success. These themes are tackled in "Misty Green," as the characters are pressured to take on work they're less-than inspired by in order to maintain a lavish lifestyle.
"I've been lucky. I've made some money. I'm not swimming in it. I'm not on jets all the time. I don't own a boat," Rock explained. "How much are your monthly bills? Because if you can keep your monthly low enough, you can say no to things. I don't own a car."
"Yeah, I have a place in New York and L.A., but I don't even have a doorman," he continued. "I live on a normal block in both places. You can ring by bell. It doesn't say 'Rock' on the bell, but you can ring my bell. And I do this purposely, so I don't have to do things I don't want to do."
Rock, pictured with daughter Zahra Rock, has primarily resided in the affluent town of Alpine, NJ. ( Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) Although Rock may be keeping things affordable by Hollywood standards, he has spent decades living in the affluent neighborhood of Alpine, NJ—a mainstay on most-expensive-ZIP-code lists over time.
"Showbiz has been very, very good to me. In a world where we have trillionaires, I don't have that much money," he said.
The comic turned director purchased the 10,300-square-foot, Colonial-style home in 2001. It sits on more than 2 acres.
He’s made a handful of public comments about his Garden State home over the years, dedicating a bit in his 2008 special, “Kill the Messenger” to the town.
While Alpine is much more under the radar than L.A., it’s still home to plenty of celebrities.
In 2024, New Jersey Monthly dubbed it the “Beverly Hills” of the state, noting the ultraprivate neighborhood just 15 miles outside of Manhattan has attracted the likes of Stevie Wonder, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and fellow “Saturday Night Live” former cast member, Tracy Morgan.
Rock purchased his Alpine, NJ, property in 2001, and often incorporates the home into his comedy. (Google Earth) Perhaps the title was inspired by a comment Rock made in 2014, during an interview with Vulture, in which he said, “I’m in Alpine. That’s not Jersey. That’s like Beverly Hills with freaking snow.”
Rock seems to have a habit of holding onto real estate for the long haul.
In 2022, he offloaded his former Brooklyn apartment for $3.25 million. He had originally purchased the home in 1994, but moved out shortly after marrying his now ex-wife, Malaak Compton-Rock, in 1996.
The 3,7000-square-foot Clinton Hill carriage house was not your average pad. Built in 1899, the historical home boasted exposed ceiling beams and sturdy brick walls, and even included a two-car garage. For the nearly two decades he held onto it before selling, Rock offered the apartment as a rental, priced anywhere from $7,950 to $15,000.
Following his 2016 divorce from Compton-Rock, the comedian and his family continued to live in Alpine. The couple share two daughters—Lola Simone Rock, 24, and Zahra Savannah Rock, 22. According to the New York Post, he purchased another home in the neighborhood post-split, likely to stay close to his children.
"Chris is still on very good terms with Malaak," a source told The Post. "He loves his daughters and spends a lot of time with them."