DENNIS TOWNSHIP — The well-established two-story home at 2701 N. Route 9 in the Ocean View section of Dennis Township is like a time capsule from the early days of seashore living.
Established in 1826 and comprised of eight small communities, the township was founded as a home to farmers and shipbuilders, thriving through the harvest of cedar from the swamps used for building materials and salt.
Perhaps its best selling point in the modern era is the slow, quiet lifestyle offered within close proximity to the most popular beach towns in southern New Jersey .
Just across Ludlam Bay from Strathmere — the island between Sea Isle City and Ocean City — and a short distance from the road to Sea Isle, the home provides easy access to all of the shore points, be it Villas on Delaware Bay, Wildwood and Cape May on the Atlantic Ocean of Cape May Point straddled between them.
The only thing separating the home from Ocean City, America’s Greatest Family Resort, is the coastal community of Upper Township, with its bridge leading to the 34th Street corridor.
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. There also is an award-winning downtown business district centered on Asbury Avenue and a watersports district around Third Street on Bay Avenue.
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, stretching from 16th to 23rd streets along Great Egg Harbor Bay, 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.
According to the Dennis Township Museum website, Ocean View is along the main roadway between the northern counties, Philadelphia and New York and the seaside resorts to the south.
Other communities in the township are Belleplain (home to the state forest), Clermont, Dennisville, Eldora, Northwest Dennis, South Dennis and South Seaville.
Located on the west side of Route 9, the home sits on a large lot (111 feet by 323 feet) with the potential for so many possibilities. There’s plenty of room for a new home set back farther from the road, an extensive swimming pool and hardscaping or maybe a barn for some horses.
The 1,700-square-foot single-family home has a living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, full bathroom and laundry room on the first floor and three bedrooms — one with an ensuite bath — on the second.
Entering off the covered front porch, a handsome staircase with a finely crafted banister and carpet inlay ascends along the right wall from the foyer.
A cozy living room with a wood-burning stove and original narrow-plank hardwood flooring is to the left, while the entrance to the large dining room is straight ahead alongside the stairs.
In the dining room, a second staircase leads directly to the primary suite, where another set of stairs rises to the stand-up attic offering plenty of storage space. There also is a side entrance off a small porch leading into the dining room.
Upgraded with modern cabinets featuring a granite countertop, the kitchen is in the rear. The breakfast nook is to the left, offering a view of the side and back yards, while the laundry room with a full bathroom are to the right.
The exterior features a large partially forested yard and various storage structures. It is being sold strictly as is.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
