OCEAN CITY — The charming bungalow at 204 28th St. is the perfect spot to drop your bags and head out to explore America’s Greatest Family Resort.
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 learn to wakesurf in the back bays. Private and party boat fishing tours are also available.
The home is just a clam shell’s toss from the Stainton Wildlife Refuge, which stretches from 25th to 29th streets between Bay and Haven Avenues, as well as a narrower section on either end.
The freshwater marsh is well situated as a roost area for many wading birds and shorebirds. Visitors enjoy close-up views of many from an easily accessible viewing platform. In spring and summer, endangered least tern and black skimmer hunt there. The refuge also attracts a number of migrating shorebirds in spring and fall.
The Haven Avenue Bike Boulevard runs adjacent to the refuge on its journey from 34th Street north to 9th Street, where it connects with the Route 52 causeway with a path across the bridge to Somers Point.
The one-story home is more than just a three-bedroom, two-bathroom oasis on a popular Jersey shore barrier island. It includes two distinct living areas inside, along with an enclosed front porch and rear deck with a gazebo, so there is plenty of space for family and friends to stretch out.
“Whether you’re looking for a summer getaway, investment property or to build a new beach home, this move-in-ready bungalow offers the perfect blend of charm, comfort and coastal living,” listing agent Mark Grimes said.
Set on the corner of the alley, the home receives abundant natural light.
It is lined by mature shrubs in mulched beds the stretch from the grassy right side of the yard left to an area of gravel and stone along the alley.
In the rear, the concrete parking pad can accommodate three cars but street parking is rarely in demand in this section of the island.
There’s also an enclosed beach shower and the deck with the gazebo.
Back out front, a couple of steps ascend to the enclosed front porch, which has windows on three sides and a glass door on the fourth, allowing for a cooling breeze to blow throughout the home even on the hottest days.
A striped awning keeps the windows cool even when the morning light is shining and horizontal blinds offer privacy.
A wood door with five horizontal panes opens into the living room, where the narrow-plank hardwood flooring is original and stretches throughout most of the space.
A couple of sofas are arranged around a wall-mounted TV in the front living room, where millwork includes baseboard, crown molding and trim — something found in nearly every room in the house.
A hallway leads toward the rear and straight into the primary bedrooms. A second bedroom, nearly the same size, is to the right, alongside the hall bathroom.
Back out front, the dining room is in the front corner, where multiple windows welcome the sun.
“This classic cottage offers bright and inviting living and dining rooms with beautiful hardwood floors,” Grimes said.
A couple of knee walls — a common feature in homes of this era — flank the walkway into the adjacent kitchen, which has dark solid-wood Showplace cabinets on each side with stainless steel appliances.
A pantry closet provides storage space in the rear, where the laundry room is one step down to the left.
Through a door is the surprise second living area, which includes a living room, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom just inside the rear door. It is perfect for guests, in-laws or fledgling adults who have yet to leave the nest.
The 57.5-foot by 90-foot property has been meticulously maintained and can be enjoyed as is, but its large size also provides the option of building a single-family home with a pool in a quiet neighborhood off the beaten path.
Other features include a sizable shed and hard surface for a barbecue just steps away from the gazebo, which is sure to be a popular outdoor dining venue.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
