When people ask where did OJ live, they usually aren't looking for a simple zip code. They’re looking for the geography of a tragedy. You’ve seen the aerial footage of the white Bronco, right? That slow-motion chase wasn't just a pursuit; it was a guided tour of the most expensive real estate in Los Angeles, ending at a gate that became a permanent fixture on the evening news.
O.J. Simpson’s life was defined by the walls he lived behind. From the housing projects of San Francisco to the sun-drenched estates of Brentwood and the humid suburbs of Florida, his addresses tracked his rise, his fall, and his long, strange aftermath.
The Brentwood Fortress: 360 North Rockingham Avenue
If there is one place that defines the Simpson saga, it’s Rockingham. This wasn't just a house. It was a five-bedroom, six-bathroom Tudor-style mansion in the heart of Brentwood’s "flats." Simpson bought it in 1977 for roughly $650,000, which sounds like a steal today but was a massive statement of wealth for a pro athlete at the time.
Rockingham was where the "Juice" persona lived. It featured a pool, a tennis court, and a guest house where Brian "Kato" Kaelin famously stayed. Honestly, the layout of this property became as familiar to the American public as their own living rooms. During the "Trial of the Century," jurors even took a field trip there. They walked the grounds, looking at the spot where the infamous bloody glove was found by Detective Mark Fuhrman.
The house is gone now.
After the civil trial in 1997, Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. To cover that debt, the Rockingham estate was auctioned off. It sold for $4 million to an investment banker named Kenneth Abdalla, who didn't want the baggage. He razed the house to the ground in 1998. If you drive by today, you’ll see a massive, Mediterranean-style villa that looks nothing like the Tudor mansion from the news. The address itself was even changed to deter tourists who still, decades later, try to find where the Bronco pulled into the driveway.
✨ Don't miss: Mia Khalifa New Sex Research: Why Everyone Is Still Obsessed With Her 2014 Career
875 South Bundy Drive: The Scene of the Crime
You can't talk about where did OJ live without talking about where he didn't live, but where his life changed forever. Nicole Brown Simpson lived at 875 South Bundy Drive. It was a Mediterranean-style townhouse just a few minutes away from the Rockingham estate.
Nicole moved there after her divorce from O.J., seeking a fresh start. It was a beautiful, three-level home, but it lacked the sprawling security of Rockingham. This is where the murders of Nicole and Ron Goldman occurred on the night of June 12, 1994.
The Bundy residence became a macabre landmark. People would drive by just to stare at the gated walkway where the bodies were found. Eventually, the property sold in 1997 for about $595,000—a significantly lower price than it should have commanded, largely due to its history. Like Rockingham, the owners eventually changed the street number. It’s now officially listed under a different address to give the residents some semblance of privacy from the true-crime enthusiasts who still haunt the sidewalk.
The Florida Exile: Kendall and Pinecrest
Once the civil verdict hit, O.J. Simpson was essentially a pariah in Los Angeles. He needed a place where his NFL pension couldn't be seized by the Goldman family. Florida law is famously protective of primary residences and pensions, making it the perfect destination for someone in deep legal debt.
In 2000, he bought a four-bedroom house in the Kendall area, specifically at 12429 SW 112th Terrace in Miami.
🔗 Read more: Is Randy Parton Still Alive? What Really Happened to Dolly’s Brother
It was a nice house, but a far cry from the Brentwood heights. It was a suburban, ranch-style home with a pool and a lot of palm trees. He lived there for years, mostly playing golf and trying to maintain a "normal" life while the media continued to track his every move. Locals in Miami got used to seeing him at the grocery store or the local bars. He was a local curiosity, a ghost of a former superstar.
This Florida home was eventually lost to foreclosure in 2012. By that time, Simpson was already behind bars in Nevada for the botched sports memorabilia heist at the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas.
The Post-Prison Life in Las Vegas
After being paroled in 2017, O.J. didn't return to Florida immediately. He stayed in Las Vegas. If you were wondering where did OJ live in his final years, the answer was a 5,000-square-foot mansion in a gated community near the Rhodes Ranch Golf Club.
He didn't own this house. It was owned by a friend.
The property featured five bedrooms, a massive kitchen, and, of course, proximity to the golf course. Simpson became a frequent fixture on social media during this time, often filming videos from his backyard or his golf cart. He seemed to embrace the "Twitter Grandpa" persona, commenting on NFL games and fantasy football while the world largely moved on.
💡 You might also like: Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper: The Affair That Nearly Broke Hollywood
He lived in this Las Vegas residence until his death in April 2024.
The Early Years: Potrero Hill
To understand the man, you have to look at the beginning. Before the mansions and the courtrooms, O.J. Simpson lived in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco. He grew up in the 1100 block of Connecticut Street, in a public housing project.
The neighborhood was tough. O.J. often spoke about his time in a street gang called the Persian Warriors and his brief stint in a juvenile detention center. It’s a stark contrast to the manicured lawns of Brentwood. The move from the projects of San Francisco to the elite enclaves of Los Angeles was the ultimate American success story—until it wasn't.
Why These Locations Matter for SEO and History
When researching where did OJ live, the addresses serve as more than just locations. They are markers of status. In the 90s, the geography of the trial was a character in itself. The distance between Bundy and Rockingham—a mere five-minute drive—was a central point of the prosecution's timeline.
- Rockingham: Represented his peak wealth and the site of the evidence collection.
- Bundy: The site of the tragedy and the shift in his public image.
- Florida: His legal sanctuary from civil judgments.
- Las Vegas: His final chapter of quiet notoriety.
What to Do if You Are Visiting These Locations
If you find yourself in Los Angeles or Las Vegas and want to see these sites, there are a few things to keep in mind. Honestly, there isn't much to see at the original spots anymore.
- Respect the Current Residents: People live in these homes. The Rockingham estate is a completely different building. Don't trespass or block driveways.
- Check the Address Changes: If you’re looking for 875 South Bundy, you might get confused. Look for the physical markers of the building rather than the numbers on the curb.
- Understand the History: Read the trial transcripts or watch the documentaries like O.J.: Made in America before you go. It provides context that a simple Google Map pin can't give you.
- Visit the Museums: If you want to see the actual white Bronco, it’s not at any of his former homes. It has been displayed at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Understanding the locations of O.J. Simpson’s life helps piece together the narrative of a man who lived at the extremes of the American experience. From the bottom of the social ladder to the very top, and then to a very public, very complicated middle ground.
To explore more about the legal intricacies of the Simpson civil suit and how it affected his living situation in Florida, research the Florida Homestead Exemption laws which played a pivotal role in his ability to maintain a lifestyle despite the millions he owed. For those interested in the architectural history, archives of Los Angeles real estate from the late 70s provide a glimpse into the original state of the Rockingham Tudor before its demolition.