American civil rights activist and former football player Colin Kaepernick played six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers — does he live in San Francisco?
Colin Kaepernick lives in New York City in the TriBeCa neighborhood. Before his NYC move, Colin Kaepernick resided in San Jose, which is a short drive from San Francisco, where he played for the 49ers football team.
Colin Kaepernick’s move to the big apple was precedented by his leaving the San Francisco 49ers after facing backlash for protesting racial injustice, oppression, and systemic injustice in the country by taking a knee during the national anthem.
New York City Condominium
Colin Kaepernick chose to leave the West coast for the hustle and bustle of New York City when he purchased a condominium in NYC and listed his former San Jose mansion for sale.
He purchased the new condo in 2016, and although it is a fraction of the size of his former mansion, the luxurious amenities available on-site more than likely make up for the lack of space.
Mansion Global reports that Colin Kaepernick quietly purchased the NYC condo at One York for $3.21 million in July. The two-bedroom apartment features tons of high-end appliances.
The building provides many amenities, including an around-the-clock concierge service, an outdoor swimming pool, and a private garage for his unit.
Inside the unit itself, the apartment features a whirlpool tub and a gourmet kitchen within its 1,733 square feet.
Colin Kaepernick’s purchase of a condo in NYC confirmed for many that he would be opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers after garnering attention in the form of both massive support and backlash for his protests against racial injustice.
The sale of his mansion in San Jose, near San Francisco, seemed to add fuel to these rumors, and it was later confirmed that Colin Kaepernick would indeed be leaving the 49ers.
Former San Jose Home
Colin Kaepernick previously lived in a mansion in San Jose, California, a short drive away from San Francisco, where he played football with the San Francisco 49ers.
The mansion was in San Jose’s elite Silver Creek neighborhood and featured four bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. Of course, the mansion also had all the expected extras that one would expect a star football player to have, such as a media room, a waterfall swimming pool with a jacuzzi, and a wall aquarium.
Colin Kaepernick’s former mansion was 4,569 square feet, much larger than his new condo. He listed the mansion for $2.895 million, citing a $300,000 renovation in the price point.
He originally purchased the mansion at a $2.7 million price point in 2014, two years before listing it for sale in 2016.
Colin Kaepernick’s departure from California came after a time of turbulency when he faced immense backlash for protesting racial inequality and injustice.
Leaving the San Francisco 49ers
Colin Kaepernick played for the San Francisco 49ers for six seasons in the National Football League.
The New York Times reports that Colin Kaepernick has not played for the NFL since January 2017, as no team would sign him after his departure from the 49ers due to the nonviolent protests that he organized with teammate Eric Reid.
He would kneel during the national anthem in protest of the ongoing systemic oppression and violence that black people and people of color faced in the country.
The New York Times quotes Chad Williams from Brandeis University, saying, “Kneeling is both an act of defiance and resistance, but also of reverence, of mourning, but also honoring lives lost […] It is also simple and clear. Its simplicity gave it symbolic power, and as we see now, its power persists.”
However, a backlash spurned by then-president Donald Trump, who notably called a kneeling player a “son of a bitch,” ensued, as others claimed that kneeling during the national anthem was unpatriotic. The simple gesture of protest became fraught with contention.
Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid eventually settled grievances claiming that they were blackballed by the league due to their protests, with Colin Kaepernick filing in 2017, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Although the grievance claim was settled, it remains unclear if Colin Kaepernick will ever be able to return to the field.