COLD SPRING — Follow the curve of New England Road at the far north end of Cape Island, putting the West Cape May bridge at Seashore Road in the rear-view mirror, and several magical things occur.
Lower Township reasserts itself on this side of the canal (historically speaking, the canal moved a bit, not the township) and the view along the right side becomes unlike anything else in CapeMay County.
Only those who know what private neighborhood they’re looking for know to turn onto Foster Avenue on its way to Shunpike Road — yes, Shunpike picks up again south of the canal.
There the roads form a shape like a bow whose invisible arrow points due north. This version of the upside-down is technically considered Cold Spring, although most locals have used the name Cold Spring to refer to the homes on the north bank. On the south bank, cozy lake house vibes meet the Intracoastal Waterway, and the 1974 split-level home at 711 Foster Ave. commands a view of the sunny mainland from high atop a bluff leading down to the waterline.
The home has been revamped, reimagined and redirected a few times in the years since it was built. The first view from Foster Avenue gives the impression of a smaller house tucked in between evergreens. It’s actually a 2,000-square-foot home with very spacious living areas and wide views, but it plays it close to the vest at first glance.
The manicured garden beds, yellow siding and bright white trim make a welcoming impression. A short flight of stairs leads to the arched front door, and another short flight from there leads to the living areas (as is typical with split-level houses of the era).
A front sitting room faces the street at the top of the entry stairs, but this is only a preamble, possibly a space to keep focused on the movie in a way that would be impossible if the television had to compete with the view out back.
A cutaway opens into the kitchen space, which makes the most of this intermission to offer tidy cabinet space and a feeling of order and simplicity before the dining area opens up, beginning with barstool seating at the counter.
Everything we’ve been taught to expect ends there, however, as the entire back of the home has been opened up with high ceilings and endless surprises.
Cathedral ceilings slope down to the glass doors joining the back deck. A huge circular chandelier drops from the height, casting some light but not competing with the views.
What is competing with the views is the mural painted on the walls and ceiling of both of these rooms. Subtle at the outset, it reaches new limits once one turns around to look back, with faux roses climbing over a faux balcony on a faux stone palace.
The painted garden is picked up now and again throughout; nothing too cluttered, just some hollyhocks on one wall, a few crackles above the shelves, a bright little border at the end of the streamlined kitchen cabinets.
It might not be everyone’s choice but there’s something joyful and open about it that can hardly cause any real offense, even to the most pedantic arbiters of taste.
A massive arched window looks over the side of the house, where a curved balcony leads to a staircase that is more or less the back door for the main part of the house. This also is where the driveway ends and the outdoor shower awaits.
The rest of the main floor is dedicated to bedrooms: two of the home’s four, including the primary suite. The suite has a large room with a private deck, a glass-enclosed bathroom with enviable views from the Jacuzzi-style tub and a little spiral staircase up to a private sitting room tucked into the angles of the roof like a loft.
The way the architect, and especially the subsequent renovations, have made the most of vertical space and views that might otherwise go to waste is astonishing. This loft area looks out, through and over the skylights and angled panes of the bathroom below and large windows to the west, filling the space with the glow of sunset and utilizing the home’s highest western point to catch every bit of natural beauty.
The remaining three bedrooms each has its own draw: the first room on the main floor looks out over the front yard and Foster Avenue, providing a lovely tree-lined view. The other two are on the ground floor, looking out at the back of the house through a protected three-season space that opens into the yard.
The meandering, liminal space between the yard and the house is filled with light from the surrounding windows; it offers built-in window seats, tiled floors for cleaning up muddy feet and natural wood ceilings.
Also within this space is a full mahogany bar for entertaining next to a little sitting room with comfy couches that opens up to the back, and from there to two more decks before finally reaching the backyard.
By the numbers, that’s four bedrooms, three living spaces, four huge decks, one massive back room for entertaining, three full bathrooms and the backyard that leads down to the rolling waves of the canal.
Also to be found in the backyard of this surprising home: a small outbuilding (part boat house and part log cabin) and steep, old, picturesque stairs to what used to be the boat slip right there on the canal.
Even among the new and most amenity-laden homes of the island, this is impressive. But by far the most enchanting quality of the home is how well it accomplishes the magic act of feeling like it’s miles away from the world, when in fact everything one could want to do on a gorgeous summer day (beach, Nature Center, sunset ceremony) or a fall day (farmers market, fine dining, sailing, nightlife) is only a short bike ride away. And if one must leave the island, New England Road is right there waiting to carry one back to the world.
The property is listed for $1,350,000 with Alexandra Quinn of Jersey Cape Realty. Call (609) 846-8022 or email [email protected]
