OCEAN CITY — The two-story single at 257 Ocean Road checks all of the boxes on a list of wants in a dream beach house — spacious, close to the beach with an ocean view in a terrific neighborhood.
The 1,746-square-foot Dutch Colonial offers a large living room, adjacent dining room, eat-in kitchen and bathroom on the first floor, as well as four bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor.
Its fantastic location — the second house from the beach as the gull flies — 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.
A bonus is the abundant off-street parking in the long concrete and grass drive, which leads to more space plus a two-car attached garage with a rooftop sundeck.
The oversized 7,000-square-foot lot includes a large side yard that provides opportunity for plenty of recreational activities and would be the perfect spot for a swimming pool.
The home’s handsome exterior features a barn-roof style front façade with upper and lower porches and windows off rooms on both sides of the second floor.
Listing agent Chris Monihan called it “well maintained throughout the years. It has remained in the same family for generations.”
Mulches beds with mature shrubs line the front porch and continue down the right alongside the driveway.
Brick steps lead up to a small porch where a door with leaded-glass windows opens into a cozy living room bathed in light. A sofa and three armchairs sit atop wall-to-wall carpeting and the stairs rise along the far wall.
A wide doorway to the right leads into a formal dining room, where a table and chairs sits inside an alcove with three windows. There is plenty of room for a china hutch and bureau, as well as a closet for storing useful items.
Off the dining room, the kitchen has a tile floor and abundant solid-wood cabinets. Appliances include a standard refrigerator/freezer, four-burner range/oven, microwave and dishwasher. To the side, a breakfast nook provides a place for a snack or the children’s table in case of large gatherings. The space includes solid-wood wainscoting and a door opening onto the backyard, so could be easily transformed into a place to change out of wet swim trunks.
Off to the right is a den with another sofa atop an area rug over original hardwood flooring. This space would work well as the fourth bedroom since there is full bathroom in this part of the house. It has custom tile on the floor and halfway up the walls, a vanity and fiberglass shower with a swinging glass door.
Finally, there is a laundry room with a full-size washer and dryer and utility sink and access to the garage.
Back in the living room, carpeted stairs rise to the second floor, where there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
On the right, the bedroom has twin beds, carpeting, a closet with double bi-fold doors and a door opening onto the open front porch, a great place to sit and take in some sun or have a cold drink after a long day on the beach.
The bathroom also has custom tile work like the first, with a tile floor, about 4 feet high on the walls and to the ceiling in the shower.
Across the hall, the next bedroom also has twin beds.
In the rear, the final bedroom has a full-size bed, full bathroom and door opening onto the spacious rooftop deck, which is a sensory pleasure zone where one can see the ocean, smell and taste its briny mist and hear the waves crashing against the shore in a never-ending battle with the beach.
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 Gardens is popular with many for its slow pace, huge beaches and winding, pedestrian-friendly streets. The Riviera is a boater’s paradise with many Mediterranean-style homes set right on inland lagoons. The Central neighborhood is bustling with business both downtown and on the boardwalk, while the Southend is narrow with fewer homes and room to stretch out. The Northend contains many of the island’s historic homes and Merion Park, in the south, features wetlands and wildlife along with wonderful sunset views. The Goldcoast has some of the best beachfront homes on the island, while Merion Park offers beautiful sunsets over the bay and
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 Bay 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.
The property is listed for $3.5 million with Chris Monihan of Monihan Realty. Call (609) 602-3336 or email cmonihan@monihan.com for more information or to set up an appointment to see this wonderful home.
