OCEAN CITY — Quality craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident around every corner in the fantastic home at 851A Park Place in America’s Greatest Family Resort.
The impeccably maintained and fully furnished first-floor duplex unit is just a short walk away from the beach, boardwalk and ocean in the island’s Northend neighborhood.
While the location is terrific, what really stands out is the custom millwork that puts the finishing touches on the 1,580-square-foot home.
“This beautifully furnished home offers exceptional quality throughout,” listing agent Ken Cooper said. “Crown molding, classic white wood chair rails and wainscoting on the stairs and upstairs hallway showcase the home’s craftsmanship.”
Built in 2009, the home features four bedrooms and three bathrooms on two levels.
Out front, the grassy yard is split by a paver path to the wide composite steps rising to the spacious covered front porch. A mulched bed with hydrangeas and crepe myrtle bushes pops with color in the spring, signaling that summer is on its way.
“The tastefully furnished front porch features awnings and seating for more than 10 guests,” Cooper said.
Square river rock-faced corner pillars coupled with the cedar-impression siding add character, while the tall white front door with leaded glass and side panels raises the style bar.
Inside, the great room opens up before one’s eyes, immediately showcasing its finer points such as the real narrow-plank hardwood flooring and 9-foot ceilings.
The sitting area is to the left, where a sofa, love seat and chair are arranged around the gas fireplace with a flat-screen television above. Surround sound speakers are located in the ceiling and walls, as well as out on the porch.
Set in the front corner, the dining area features a long wood table inside a triple window, which provides abundant natural light and a wonderful sea breeze.
Just steps away, more seating is available at the large center island beneath three pendant lights. Topped by granite countertops, white Century cabinets run along two walls with a tile backsplash.
Stainless steel GE Profile appliances include a two-door refrigerator with bottom freezer drawer, a four-burner gas range/oven with a microwave above and a dishwasher to the right of the two-basin sink. There’s also a beverage refrigerator in the island.
A door to the side entrance is just at the base of the stairs — where the wainscoting begins — leading up to the bedrooms.
Upstairs are four bedrooms: a primary suite and junior suite, each with a private full bath, plus two additional bedrooms sharing a center hall bath.
The hall bathroom is conveniently located just atop the stairs, allowing guests to freshen up without wandering through the more private spaces. It has a tile floor, granite-topped vanity and fiberglass tub/shower.
Across the hall, double bi-fold doors open to reveal a full-size washer and dryer.
Back on the right, the first bedroom is set up for children, featuring a single and bunkbeds atop wall-to-wall carpeting.
The second bedroom, the junior suite, is on the left. It sports a double bed between two west-facing windows and a full bathroom with a corner shower and granite-topped vanity.
Located in the rear left corner, the third bedroom does not have a private bathroom but it does have a sliding glass door opening onto a private covered deck, offering a place to get away and enjoy a quiet moment after a long day at the beach and boardwalk.
The primary bedroom in the back right features both a private bathroom and private rear porch, making it the creme de la creme. It has a king-size bed beneath a triple clerestory window, dual closets and a sliding glass door opening onto the back porch. The bathroom has a tile floor, dual-sink vanity and tiled shower with sliding glass doors.
Back outside, a steppingstone path down the left side leads to the sheltered side entrance, an enclosed outside shower and the alley, which provides access to the paver and concrete parking pad outside the one-car garage with extra storage for bikes and beach gear.
Park Place is one of Ocean City’s widest streets and offers alley access on both sides, making parking more convenient.
Ocean City is one of the most popular shore resorts on the East Coast, featuring an oceanfront boardwalk filled with hundreds of shopping, dining and entertainment venues, as well as miles and miles of pristine beaches.
A great location doesn’t only mean beachfront or bayfront on this 8-mile-long island — there are 10 distinct neighborhoods, each with its own characteristics.
The beach and boardwalk — 2.5 miles of oceanfront entertainment, restaurants, thrill rides and souvenir shops — get most of the attention in this seaside resort, but the island has much more to offer.
An award-winning downtown stretches from Sixth to 14th streets along Asbury Avenue and has expanded onto other nearby streets, offering more than 100 shops and cafes.
There’s also the popular watersports district around Third Street on Bay Avenue, where the brave can rent powerboats, go parasailing, join the crew of a pirate ship and take a kayak tour of the back bays. Private and party boat fishing tours are also available.
The Northend contains many of the island’s historic homes. It’s heavily residential but there are many mom-and-pop shops and corner cafes that are traditional stops for families for generations.
Extending from North Street to Sixth Street, the Northend is an eclectic blend of single-family, duplex and triplex properties. The boardwalk begins its 2½-mile span here.
The 14-story Gardens Plaza, the tallest structure on the island, sits on the boardwalk in the very center of the Northend. In addition, it contains the Historic District, from Third to Eighth streets and Ocean Avenue to Central Avenue. Designated as such by Ocean City’s Historic Preservation Commission, the district seeks to maintain the look and feel of classic island architecture.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
