OCEAN CITY — The island has a lot going for it — an oceanfront boardwalk filled with hundreds of shopping, dining and entertainment venues; an award-winning old-school downtown; a bayfront watersports district — but the main attraction will always be the beach, and rightly so.
Those who want to be in the center of the action may be more comfortable in some of the island’s other neighborhoods, but true fans of the simple act of sitting in the sand and soaking up the sun as the waves crash perpetually onto the beach, gulls squawking overhead, will find paradise in the Southend second-floor condominium at 4835B Asbury Ave.
It’s like a vacation within a vacation. Everything the island has to offer is just a short drive or bike ride away, and when the fun is over a quiet home is waiting just blocks from the beach.
The spacious 1,288-square-foot home was designed with relaxation in mind, featuring a low-maintenance gravel yard with evergreen shrubs and vinyl siding, as well as its private composite steps with vinyl railings.
Atop the stairs, a door with a large oval leaded-glass window opens to reveal a spacious, open great room with a decidedly nautical motif.
The walls are a robin’s egg blue, as is the exposed beam in the white ceiling that slopes down from 12 feet on the right to 8 feet at the front wall, visually separating the two halves of the room. Four clerestory windows high up on the ocean side bath the great room in natural light.
A sofa and two love seats atop carpeting are arranged around a wood-burning fireplace with a wood mantel and large-screen television above in the sitting area to the left. An oversized sliding-glass door opens onto a covered porch the width of the house — the perfect place to enjoy a cold drink or two after a long day on the beach.
On the right, the dining area is in the corner, where an alcove of windows juts out onto the porch. A long table that seats eight sits atop laminate flooring beneath a lighted ceiling fan.
Just steps away, three more seats are at the Corian-topped Mouser center island in the kitchen. More Mouser cabinets with soft-close, self-close drawers and Corian counters run along two walls. Appliances include a dishwasher to the left of the sink, a four-burner range/oven with a microwave above and a GE refrigerator. The backsplash is a handsome tile.
The lofty cathedral ceiling creates plenty of décor space above the cabinets.
A carpeted hall leads back to two bedrooms, a hall bathroom, laundry and master suite with access to the rear sun porch.
On the left, the bathroom has a tile floor, vanity with a one-piece stone top and tub/shower with a curtain. There’s also a linen closet.
Across the hall, the first bedroom has twin beds, wall-to-wall carpeting and a closet with double sliding doors.
The laundry closet on the left, hidden behind double bi-fold doors, contains a full-size washer and dryer and shelves.
In the rear on the right, the second bedroom has three twins, so is plenty large for a queen or king if desired.
The master suite is in the back left. It features a king-size bed flanked by nightstands, a dresser and large closet with sliding doors. The private bathroom has a tile floor, vanity and fiberglass shower with a curtain.
Out back, there is plenty of off-street parking on the concrete pad as well as a space inside the garage. A shower is just around the side.
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 home is listed for $889,900 with Gray Haenn of Monihan Realty. Call (215) 421-7609 or email gray@monihan.com for more information or to set up an appointment to tour this wonderful home.
