OCEAN CITY — The next-best thing to a beachfront home is one that is part of a beachfront complex, as is the case with the Mediterranean-style villa at 615 16th St.
Offering beach and ocean views along with high-end amenities and easy access to the beach and boardwalk, the first-floor condominium features four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The complex known as Santa Rosa, which was built in 2007, contains two single-family units and a duplex surrounding a central courtyard with pavers and wrought-iron fencing behind a restricted-access gate just off the city’s world-famous boardwalk.
The homes immediately evoke images of Italy, with their terracotta roof tiles, stucco and brick exteriors and wrought-iron flower boxes and porch railings. Brick walls, private paver walkways to each unit with hanging lantern-style lights and solid-wood garage doors with arched tops complete the picture.
The duplex is set to the west of the two singles and features ground-floor garages with arched mahogany doors, a feature that is repeated throughout the home.
“The unit provides amazing boardwalk, beach, and ocean views from the living room, dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom,” listing agent Peter Madden said.
A gate to the left of the driveway opens to a veranda where a door opens into the foyer and another to the common area with access to the one-car garage.
In the foyer, the home is accessed by a common spiral stair tower featuring handcrafted railings or by elevator.
A landing outside the entrance provides a spot for decor and placing packages while unlocking the door, which opens to reveal a wall of windows with multiple Juliette balconies offering abundant light and cooling sea breezes.
Dark medium-plank hardwood flooring flows throughout the home.
The kitchen is to the right and features a two-level granite countertop with room for four stools on two sides. Light wood cabinets wrap around the space, which includes a five-burner Wolf range top set in the counter, a two-basin porcelain sink beneath a rustic tile backsplash, Wolf wall-mounted standard and microwave ovens and a Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer with two doors. Two Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers are to the right of the sink.
The sitting area is in the front left, where two cozy sofas and several chairs are arranged around a gas fireplace with an ornate wood mantel. A set of stained glass windows above hire the television nook.
A wide arched opening leads to the dining area in the front right, where a long wood table that seats eight sits just inside a triple window overlooking 16th Street and the boardwalk ramp.
A set of glass-front cabinets holds dishes and glasses for easy access.
Back at the entrance, a long hallway leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The laundry is artfully hidden behind double arched swinging doors that open to reveal a full-size washer and dryer topped by a counter for folding and ironing, along with cabinets for storage.
The hall opens up into a central hub with six spokes, with doors opening into each bedrooms plus a hall bath.
Starting from the left, the first bedroom features two sets of bunk beds, a dresser and closet with double swinging doors.
Next is the bathroom, which has a two-sink vanity with a granite top and dual mirrors. Custom tile work covers the floor, halfway up the walls and up to and including the ceiling in the tub/shower.
The second bedroom again offers bunk beds and a dresser with a smaller closet — put the boys in this room.
Featuring a queen-size four-poster bed, the next room is clearly designed for adults.
The primary bedroom suite is the final stop on this tour. It sports a walk-in closet and standard closet to each side of the entry hall and a large, square bedchamber with a low coffered ceiling.
A sliding glass door with a Juliette balcony provides an ocean view from the king-size bed, which is just steps away from the spa-like bathroom.
Featuring marble tile flooring, the bath has a sunken Jacuzzi-style tub with a tile surround and two windows, plus a vanity with two sinks and a long mirror and a tile shower with a swinging glass door.
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 Bay 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.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff