OCEAN CITY — Owning any home on the island in America’s Greatest Family Resort is a wonderful thing, as evidenced by the overwhelming demand for real estate.
Ocean City is one of the most popular shore resorts on the East Coast, featuring a 2.5-mile-long oceanfront boardwalk filled with hundreds of shopping, dining and entertainment venues, as well as miles and miles of pristine beaches.
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, stretching from Second to Fourth streets 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.
We know all of this; that’s why we’re here.
But let’s face it — some homes are just terrific while others are more terrific and still others even more terrific than that. There are levels of terrific-ness, and location is the key reason why.
The general theory is the closer to the water the better. With apologies to boaters and other bay rats, closer to the beach is the best.
But that’s not the apex, the pinnacle, the capstone of terrific. Some terrific homes have a simple view of the dunes, gently sloping strand and constantly crashing waves, here and there a sea gull flying by to break up the monotony.
The truly fortunate, though, those with the most terrific homes of all, are those with a view of the constantly changing world of Ocean City vacation — one described by the real estate agent for this private listing as “the queen’s necklace.”
From the oceanfront deck or inside the spacious great room of Unit 507, a corner property at Gardens Plaza, 921 Park Place, the scene unfolding daily includes walkers, joggers, runners and bikers passing by on the boardwalk, others carting chairs, children and towels down the short path to the beach. On the sand, boys and girls bounce balls, sunbathers lie beneath or beside colorful umbrellas and surfers wax up their boards to hit the waves, a delight to the eyes and ears as they crash ashore.
Farther out, kayaks and sailboats pass by speedboats towing parasailers as fishing fleets make their way out to sea.
The terrific-ness of the view from the approximately 750-square-foot condominium cannot be overstated. Its location offers more than a 90-degree backdrop stretching east to Europe and south to Miami and the Caribbean Sea.
The home is among the winding, pedestrian-friendly streets of the Gardens, which is a destination rather than a thoroughfare, but close enough to the boardwalk attractions that the scent of caramel popcorn, pizza and other treats wafts by on the gentle breeze.
Gardens Plaza, a 183-unit condominium tower with homes on 11 floors, offers maintenance-free living right on the boardwalk at Park Place. There are two secured entrances manned 24 hours a day, a fitness center, lounge and banquet room, as well as a heated, guarded oceanfront swimming pool. Each unit gets one designated parking spot.
The one-bedroom Unit 507 is just seven steps from the elevator. Its door opens to reveal a panoramic view of the ocean through a sliding glass door opening onto a private deck.
Even on a brisk winter day, the salty sea breeze was welcoming.
A recent renovation included the installation of wide-plank engineered hardwood flooring throughout the home.
The gallery-style kitchen to the right includes new high-end solid-wood cabinets with quartz countertops. Stainless-steel Samsung appliances include a five-burner electric range/oven with a microwave above, a dishwasher to the right of the stainless-steel sink and a standard refrigerator freezer. A corner closet contains a stacked clothes washer and dryer.
The great room is the center of activity in the home, a wide-open space that includes a living room with a long sectional sofa arranged around a wall-mounted television as well as a dining area in the corner, where a table that seats six rests beneath a five-globe chandelier.
Also recently renovated, the upscale bath has custom tile work on every wall surface, with a fantastic strip of glass accents to boost its terrific level up a bit. The porcelain tub has sliding glass doors and the quartz-top vanity sits beneath a lighted mirror.
Taking advantage of the location, the bedroom is in the corner, offering a beach view through a tall window overlooking the boardwalk. It has a queen-size bed and large closet with double bi-fold doors.
The home is listed for $725,000 with John Walton of Keller Williams Jersey Shore. Call (609) 338-7667 or email john@johnwaltonrealestate.com for more information or to set up an appointment to see this wonderful home.
