CAPE MAY POINT — A classic beach cottage in the magical surroundings of Cape May Point, the tidy home at 323 Alexander Ave. has so much to boast about, but somehow stays modest and demure.
To start with, the perfect house vibes are a smokescreen for convenience, simplicity, comfort and a well-nigh-unbeatable location at the northern corner of the borough. From there, one is closer to the concrete ship than to the crowds of Cape May, more conveniently close to fishing and a casual lunch at Sunset Beach than to the valet-led scrum for fine dining on Washington Street.
Cape May is still right in the DNA, however, in the amenities and charm of this seemingly compact shingled frame house that cleverly hides 1,650 square feet of space.
It all begins with a spacious driveway and a simple brick path to the welcoming, wide front porch. Cream siding and deep blue shingles at the peak of the roof remind one that this is a nautical kind of place — at midmorning the waves can still be heard over bird calls.
Once the front door opens, the first impression is entirely devoted to a wood staircase with open risers soaring up like the stairway to heaven and neatly bisecting the home’s front room.
A tiled entry leads to the living room on the left and the kitchen and dining area on the right.
Cream paint and custom window treatments provide a bright contrast to the floors, cabinets, staircase and dining set — which is part of the partial furnishings being offered — and it’s easy to see why.
There’s a certain craftsman vibe to the combinations of colors and textures in this clean, spare style that belies its circa-2000 construction, when it was built by Hawthorne Davis for the family selling it.
The bright living room is filled with dappled western light, leaving the kitchen to pick up the morning rays and cool down during the afternoon. This is a simple workspace lent a little elegance by the wood cabinets and kept light by the larger-than-usual subway tile that gleams on the backsplash.
It’s sturdy, clean and ready to help with a true work triangle that won’t exhaust the chef after a day of beachcombing or catching the main course.
The dining area is large enough to host a big family and squeeze in a few neighbors, but this is a home made for getting away from crowds, not attracting more.
Behind the main living space is the home’s secret compartment: two bedrooms on the ground floor and a full bath with shower and tub, all found down a long hallway that also holds the laundry room and utility closet.
Everything is hidden behind louvered doors of that same deep toned wood. The hallway ends in a door that leads to the backyard of this 50 x 110 foot lot, where mature trees, butterfly-attracting native plants and a tidy outdoor shower await.
The bedrooms are comfortably spacious, decorated in an old-fashioned style that brings back memories of what Cape May used to look like back in the heyday of sweet vintage rooms and laid-back summers.
It’s been a long time since anyone has last seen the wood tones of twin beds and closet doors so carefully matched, but it tips over the old memory box to see it again.
That flying, ship-like staircase is still waiting, and the upstairs of the home at is full of surprises. A loft area over the front of the house is waiting to be used in whatever way the next residents see fit: currently, it’s adding a few beds to the total that this house has been offering as a rental, bringing the number of sleepers up to nine.
It could be an office, media room, studio, playroom or hobby room; or it could go on just as it is, offering space to attract rentals up to $3,500 a week during the height of the season.
Behind it is another full bath with a tub and shower, bringing the total to two; and behind that is the largest bedroom of the house.
Two closets with double doors, carpeting, skylights and windows facing due south mean this room offers quiet nights and bright mornings all year long, in a comfy eyrie that feels just removed enough from the rest of the house to be the calmest spot.
As always, the most important part of the home is the location, and Cape May Point is a truly enviable spot to call home. The nearest beach entrance is barely a block from the door, the neighborhood itself is full of inducements and some might say enchantments: local beauty spots such as Lake Lily, Higbee Beach, multiple bird sanctuaries, the Cape May Lighthouse and State Park, the World War II tower on Sunset Boulevard and, best of all, the sea itself.
People still launch sailboats from the curve of the island’s western edge, and the deep blue water, while treacherous at times, is always compelling. The Point was like a siren’s call to artists for much of the 20th century and it’s easy to see why.
