OCEAN CITY — A coffered ceiling, shiplap accent walls, multiple decks and a stacked-stone foundation skirt are just some of the fantastic features of the condominium at 3728 Wesley Ave. in the Southend neighborhood of America’s Greatest Family Resort.
“Everything you could ask for is in this magnificent home,” listing agent Cliff Montgomery said, noting the home is 14 years old and shows like new.
With five bedrooms — each with a private deck — and five bathrooms, plus a spacious great room with amazing views of the ocean, the home is set to host a large family and friends for a shore getaway.
Sporting gray cedar shake siding and roofing, the handsome home stand out among its neighbors.
From the street, which is little more than an alley in this part of the island with little to no through-traffic, the home features off-street parking for two cars in the concrete parking pad outside the oversized two-car garage.
The quality of craftsmanship and materials is immediately evident in the stacked-stone foundation that warps around the home and the square pillars that flank the garage door.
A concrete walkway leads around the north side, where a small patio includes access to the garage and the home’s main entrance with a keypad lock.
Inside, the quality continues with 5-foot-tall wainscoting in the tiled foyer, where the elevator starts it three-stop trip.
Around the corner and to the left is a fantastic cabana room with doors opening onto the shady veranda overlooking the beach. It has wide-plank wood flooring, a sectional sofa, shiplap wall and a full bathroom with a barn door concealing the closet.
Back in the foyer, wood steps slowly wind their way up to the second level along a wall of windows, creating a light, bright space that hints at what’s to come.
The second level includes three well-appointed bedrooms, the first of which offers a beautiful view without having to get out of bed.
Like all of the bedrooms, it features 8-foot-tall solid-core wood doors with faux glass knobs and black hardware and a 9-foot ceiling. Unlike all of the bedrooms, it has a sweeping view of the ocean, gas fireplace and king-size bed beneath a coffered ceiling.
There also is a walk-in closet and full bathroom with a two-sink vanity. The step-in tiled shower is alongside a deep a flat-bottom free standing tub. Double sliding glass doors open onto the private waterfront deck.
Heading toward the back of the house, there are two more bedrooms linked by a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. As noted, each has a private deck but the one in the rear features multiple windows filling it with light.
Also on this level is a laundry room with a full-size washer and dryer, cabinets and a stainless-steel sink.
Atop another winding stairway is the great room, with a dining area to the right, kitchen in the middle and living room along the beach.
The kitchen, which could be described as a galley if that term did not connote smallness, has a wrap-around marble countertop creating barstool seating on the living room side of the space. It has Goebel cabinets with self-close, soft-close doors and drawers and a mini-tile backsplash.
Thermador appliances include a six-burner range/oven with a hood, side-by-side refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher and wall-mounted microwave.
Beneath a lofty cathedral ceiling with a lighthouse cupola and offering a panoramic view of the beach and ocean, the living room features a sectional sofa arranged around a gas fireplace with a television above on a shiplap wall. Double sliding glass doors open onto the sun porch.
Moving toward the rear of the house, the final two bedrooms are identical to those below.
Yet another set of stairs winds it way up to the top level, where a rooftop deck provides a 360-degree view of the island.
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 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.
The Southend neighborhood, from 34th to 59th streets, is narrow with fewer homes and businesses than the center of the island, which makes it the perfect getaway.
Everything needed for a beach vacation is located on the 34th Street business corridor or scattered throughout the neighborhood at mom-and-pop shops.
The Garden State Parkway provides access just across the bridge in Upper Township, so there is no need to schlep through downtown to get there, and all of the attractions that make Ocean City America’s Greatest Family Resort are just a couple of miles away on foot or bicycle.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
