Famous Residents Of Carmel

Carmel California is a small city, but it attracts visitors from near and far. Its beautiful scenery and many things to do have made it one of the most popular vacation spots in the world. Perhaps all the beauty and fun is what also attracts celebrities. Through history and still today, numerous famous faces have made Carmel their home. The stunning natural landscapes and high-class shopping have made Carmel into the ideal home for artists and actors alike.

Among such famous names in history that found homes in Carmel are Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upton Sinclair, George Sterling, Francis Whitaker, and Henry Miller. Carmel also received frequent visits from author John Steinbeck who was raised in nearby Salinas. Two of Carmel's more well known celebrities graced the silver screen and television for many years, Doris Day and Clint Eastwood . . . in fact Clint Eastwood is still producing and starring in feature films. Doris Day started off her career as a big band singer and within short order became one of Hollywood's leading actresses. She starred in numerous movies alongside famous actors the likes of Rock Hudson, James Stewart, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, James Cagney, Cary Grant, and even one of our past presidents, Ronald Reagan.

After a long and industrious entertaining and acting career Doris Day retired to Carmel where she bacame an inn owner and social activist. Along with her partner Dennis LeVitt. they operate The Cypress Inn, where not only human guests are welcome but their animal friends as well. As a result of her love for animals Doris founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation dedicated to creating caring communities by acknowledging the significant interrelationship between animal welfare and human development.

While Doris Day brought the love of animals to Carmel, Clint Eastwood brought change, progress, and innovation to the small city. Clint Eastwood made his first investment in Carmel by establishing a pub and restaurant called Hog's Breath Inn in 1971. In 1986 he sought to expand the restaurant but faced resistance from the local government. With an upcoming mayoral election, he quickly decided to run for the office of mayor. He received much support in the election and received over 72 percent of the votes.

Eastwood's success as mayor included easing the property regulations that limited construction and remodeling, building a tourist parking lot and beach walkways, and adding a children's annex onto the library. Perhaps his most lasting decision that is still significant today was to purchase the Mission Ranch.

In 1986 after being elected as mayor of Carmel, Eastwood decided to purchase Mission Ranch so that its beauty would not be lost and converted into condominiums. With more leverage in regard to building regulations, he renovated the Mission Ranch Inn and Restaurant. Though his term as mayor lasted only two years without the motivation to be re-elected, Eastwood still owns Mission Ranch and keeps it in top condition.

As an avid golfer, Eastwood made further investment in Carmel in 1997 when he established Tehama Golf Club in the beautiful Carmel Valley. Tehama is an exclusive membership-based golf club that gains members by invitation only. He also continually invests in Pebble Beach Golf Links nearby Carmel.

Carmel has become prime real estate among the wealthy and the privileged locals. A few of the Hollywood faces with homes in Carmel include Betty White, Jennifer Aniston, and Craig Kilborn. Among the business world with homes in Carmel are elite businessmen Rupert Murdoch and Charles Schwab. In the international aspect, Dutch Olympian Ben Pon chose Carmel to establish his home and Bernardus Winery. The investments in Carmel continue to grow as more and more elite individuals realize the beauty of exquisite Carmel.