OCEAN CITY — The immaculately kept first-floor condo at 2337 Simpson Ave. is snuggled up in a two-block section of the street just east of Bay Avenue.
The quiet little pocket of residential homes is also amid the more passive neighborhoods on the island, with easy access to all of the things that make Ocean City America’s Greatest Family Resort.
Due to those factors, the only traffic is the neighbors waving as they slowly roll by on their way to the beach.
The two-story home is on the ocean side of the street, oriented so as to catch the best of the sunsets from the large, welcoming front porch.
One who prefers the finer things, the current owner pointed out the many upgrades during a recent tour.
Professionally landscaped, the home has a manicured front lawn split down the middle by a concrete path. A walkway leads down the right side, bordered by an aluminum fence, past the enclosed beach shower and to the rear drive off the alley.
Back out front, wide composite steps rise between mulched beds bursting with mature shrubs to the front porch, where Chippendale-style railings are gated to keep small children and pets from wandering off. The porch is made of maintenance-free synthetic decking.
Two sets of three Anderson 400 series windows flank the central door, which has side panels and a transom to let additional natural light fill the space.
The duplex was built in 2009 and includes many of the amenities for which today’s savvy homeowners are looking.
Inside, Brazilian cherry engineered hardwood flooring steals the show — sorry, granite-topped 42-inch-tall solid-wood cabinets.
Split in half, the great room features the sitting area on the right, where there is plenty of room for a large sofa and several chairs arranged around the gas fireplace. It has a tile hearth and wood mantel with a large-screen television above.
The dining area is in the front left, where a chandelier hangs above a table just inside the triple window on that side.
Just steps away, the kitchen island has a table-height bar with room for two stools in case overflow seating is necessary.
Abundant cabinets with soft-close, self-close hinges and granite countertops stretch along two walls, where there is a tile backsplash with a glass-tile accent strip. Numerous recessed lights fill the ceiling overhead and under-cabinet lighting does the job down lower.
Black GE Profile appliances include a dishwasher to the left of the two-basin stainless-steel sink, a four-burner gas range/oven with a microwave above and a two-door refrigerator with a freezer drawer below.
There’s also a pantry closet just alongside the carpeted stairs rising to the second floor. Like all of the rooms, it has a Santa Fe-style solid-core wood door with brushed nickel hardware, creating a crisp, consistent look.
At the top, a coat closet is to the left, across from a rare feature in a first-floor unit — the powder room. That means guests have access to a washroom without venturing into the private home space, where there are four carpeted bedrooms and two tiled bathrooms.
The primary bedroom is in the back left and includes a private bathroom with a tiled shower and dual-sink vanity.
Bonuses include crawl space storage, an irrigation system and landscape lighting.
“Every aspect of this home and grounds are in excellent shape,” listing agent Scott Kirkpatrick said.
Simpson Avenue is only two blocks long in this part of the island, bookended by The Shores a United Methodist Community to the north and a nature reserve to the south.
It’s just a pitch shot away from the municipal golf course and airport, where a multimillion-dollar terminal renovation is in the works.
Parking is never a problem as there are two spots on the concrete pad out back and another in the garage. In addition, the 40-foot-wide lot means there is more curb space and fewer houses than in other areas of the resort.
The Humane Society of Ocean City is nearby, as well as city sports fields and the boat launch at the end of Tennessee Avenue.
In the other direction, toward the island’s miles of pristine beaches, the boardwalk’s southern entrance is right at 23rd Street, providing a safe route along the 2.5-mile-long oceanfront promenade filled with hundreds of shopping, dining and entertainment venues.
The city also also has an award-winning downtown business district stretching from Sixth to 14th streets along Asbury Avenue and on 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.