OCEAN CITY — Some of the fantastic homes on the island have outstanding views, some are in great locations and others feature terrific layouts and designs. The two-story single at 20 E. Newcastle Road has it all, including the sound of crashing surf just a clam shell’s throw away.
Located on the inside corner of Newcastle and Wesley roads, in the middle of the large north end beach overlooking Great Egg Harbor Inlet, the home is perfectly placed to take advantage of the daily light display at dawn from the wrap-around porches on each floor.
“The panoramic views of the inlet and ocean are breathtaking from this Gardens oasis,” listing agent Disston Vanderslice said.
The 3,244-square-foot home is set 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.
Featuring an upside-down design, the home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms on the expansive first floor and another two of each on the second floor, where the great room is located for a better view of the beach from the main living space.
Outside, the handsome home’s multiple peaked roofs — an attached one-car garage is to the right off the paver brick parking pad, another peak makes up the second floor of the central grand foyer and a third is above the wrap-around porches to the left — make for an interesting profile.
A grassy lawn stretches around the corner with a mulched flowerbed along the porch. Out back, a concrete walk includes an enclosed outside shower and storage shed.
A large paver parking pad leads up to the garage and continues to the porch, where the main entrance is located through a dark wood front door with 15 panes and side panels with five apiece.
Wood features prominently throughout the home. The porch decking is an exotic hardwood resembling ipe and ceiling on the porch looks like mahogany or Brazilian cherry. The vinyl railings also are topped by planks, adding a natural element there as well.
Inside, the home has narrow-plank hardwood flooring and white bead board wainscoting throughout the first floor. The magnificent foyer is like Grand Central Station, with a staircase rising along the left wall and wings leading off to the left and right in the back.
The home is designed well for multiple families, with three distinct sleeping areas of two bedrooms each.
Behind the stairs to the right, a door provides access to two bedrooms, a bathroom, the laundry and garage. One of the bedrooms has a king-size bed and dual closets while the other has twins. The shared bath has a tile floor, vanity and one-piece fiberglass tub with a sliding glass door. There also is tile on the walls around the toilet.
The garage has a sealed-sealed concrete floor, cabinets and a work area with a wall-mounted shelving system, with plenty of room for a car and beach gear, bikes and other necessities at the shore.
Back in the foyer, there is a closet under the stairs just outside a spacious sitting room. Two sofas sit atop an area rug over a tile floor, arranged around a brick-faced gas fireplace just inside multiple windows with plantation shutters. A slider opens onto the Wesley Road side of the porch. The room also features a wet bar with a wine refrigerator and built-in curio cabinet.
Two more bedrooms and a bath are located in the back left. Like those in the other wing, one has a king-size bed and the other has twins, perfect for a small family. The bathroom, which connects directly with one of the bedrooms, has a tile floor, Kountry Kraft vanity with a one-piece top and a fully tiled shower with a swinging glass door.
In addition to the bathroom access, the larger bedroom has a nursery attached large enough for a crib and changing table. It also could be used as a private breakfast nook or even workout space.
In the foyer again, the lofty cathedral ceiling with its exposed, trimmed beams can be seen from the ground floor. Atop the stairs it’s even more magnificent.
A large living room takes up the front half, providing space for a sofa and five chairs. Like below, multiple windows line two sides of the space, offering a view of the white-capped waves just beyond the protective dunes. Outside through a sliding glass door with a transom, the open deck has plenty of room for sun bathing, dining and other activities.
A two-sided brick fireplace separates the living room from the dining room and kitchen, which take up the back half of the space.
The dining room is along the outside wall, bathed in light by its numerous windows. Another slider opens on to the porch on the Wesley Road side of the home. A large round table with seating for eight rest beneath a bamboo-impression ceiling fan with lights.
A center island with a Marvel beverage refrigerator partially separates the dining room and kitchen, where a granite countertop provides more seating on six barstools.
There are abundant white cabinets with green granite counters and a white subway tile backsplash. Appliances include a stainless-steel Jenn-Air refrigerator with two doors and a freezer drawer, a built-in microwave, a dishwasher to the left of the two-basin stainless-steel sink, a six-burner Viking range top in the counter beneath a hood and a built-in double oven.
Near the top of the stairs, a hallway leads back to the final two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
One of the baths has a tub so is perfect for those with small children. There also is a vanity and a fully tiled shower with a swinging glass door.
Across the hall, the home’s fifth bedroom has a king-size bed and dual closets.
The final bedroom, the master suite, has a king-size bed and a love seat, dual closets with double swinging doors and an office area. Double doors open into the bathroom, which has a tile floor and three-sided vanity with his and hers sinks. The shower has tile to the ceiling and has a rain showerhead and a swinging glass door.
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 home is listed for $3.699 million with Disston Vanderslice of Grace Realty. Call (609) (609) 675-1575, or email disston@gracerealty.com, for more information or to set up an appointment to see this wonderful home. A video tour is available on YouTube.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
