CAPE MAY — The past is a slippery thing, often revealing more about our wishes and frustrations with the present and fears for the future than accurate recollections.
In a city such as Cape May, where so much of that past has become a commodity, we often run into choices made by those who wanted to remake or introduce one specific element they felt was lacking.
Driving south on Washington Street, leading to the very center of town and the heart of the Cape May experience, one passes a few later additions to the carousel vista of painted ladies and quaint cottages.
Among the faithfully maintained mansions and carefully reimagined Queen Anne, there’s a surprise French facade with a mansard roof that could only have come from the 1970s.
But after more than 50 years, it’s safe to say that the condos at 1001 Washington St. have earned their (theoretical) stripes: an elegant landmark at one of the central intersections of town offering bright units conveniently located for every need.
The pale brick and slate-blue shutters of this building are a little at odds with the usual facades of Cape May: there aren’t many brick houses on the island, even after multiple fires created tabula rasa for the whimsy of certain decades to dominate a neighborhood.
This building seems to have wandered in from a slightly more densely populated place, and its romantic little balconies bound in wrought iron were the only adornment at the start. This was seen as a modern take on a very old French style, an attempt to bring some dignity to a simple apartment building.
The year was 1970, and Cape May’s renaissance had not yet truly begun. Building the sort of apartments professional people might choose to call home, just like they would in any city in America, was actually wildly optimistic at the time.
It turned out these units are so convenient, comfortable and beloved that most people have never seen one listed for sale.
Available for the first time since it was built, Unit 5B has been carefully maintained in a way that combines the old-school charm the original builders were aiming for with modern luxuries and comforts. The result is a clean, bright nest above the street with a nearly mature tree shading the lovely balcony just outside the living room.
The floor plan of these units could not be simpler: a numbered door leads to one up and one below, and 5B is the upstairs unit behind door number 5. This door opens directly to the staircase, leading up to the front door of the condo.
From there one can choose to head left to the back of the unit where the bedroom waits, or head to the right and into the living, dining and kitchen areas.
These front rooms soak up all the sunlight, dappled though it might be by the leaves of the tree outside, and create a space with good bones for a small but elegant pied a terre or well-planned year-round home.
Although the space has clearly been upgraded, it has not been “modernized”; instead, the long-term owners have worked with the initial design in every step.
The double doors of the balcony become the focal point of the living area, inviting one to step outside and greet the sunrise over Madison Street with morning coffee, or enjoy the sights of a parade of arrivals during one of the island’s music festivals (always a fun way to waste some time), or try to glimpse a few million stars at night.
There is room enough out there for a small table and chairs, mostly screened from street-view by the tree. Back inside, the smaller profile of the double doors instead of a full-width single door means the living room has no wasted corners or dead zones, it needs only some furniture and a decision on how to orient the seating, or use the space as a painter’s studio or gallery wall instead.
The flooring is a wood-look vinyl designed to visually enhance the vintage vibes of the entire unit while offering the ultimate protection from spills and sandy shoes.
Ductless wall units offer year-round comfort without marring the lines of the rooms, and fresh paint helps to highlight just how well-proportioned the layout is within.
The kitchen remains a stalwart example of the 1970s horseshoe, creating an easy work triangle in a softly painted cream-colored nook of cabinets.
There’s no island; no one in the ’70s built for these wild times when a kitchen “island” was de riguer, but none is needed when the work surfaces are already situated so well on three sides, which is exactly what an island has most often been used to create.
Instead of inviting guests to watch as one bends and stoops at every angle from their vantage point at a countertop, guests can relax at a real table in a real dining area farthest to the side of the unit, quite near a window overlooking the shaded side yard.
At 621 square feet, this pretty nest is a bit limited as to how many guests one could squeeze onto bar stools, anyway. A sanctuary this peaceful should have an exclusive guest list, so there’s little need for a cavernous auditorium of cooking.
What culinary treats one does create will be made using new appliances and prepared on speckled granite countertops, creating a space that’s bright but not sterile or cold.
The bedroom is nearly the size of the living area, and copies its most charming detail, with double doors on the closet and storage nook between the two windows.
This position toward the back of the house keeps it quieter, and the windows face north so the sunrise will not torture one out of bed too early in high summer.
The hall just outside leads back to the front door or the bathroom: a clean white room, recently redone with custom tile and touches of sea glass green. Another pair of double doors opens to one more closet just outside the bathroom door.
With such simplicity, this condo unit could be a perfect headquarters for a young professional or the prettiest bower for someone looking to downsize.
The building comes with a dedicated parking spot, making it easy to shop for supplies or ignore the car for weeks at a time. The location itself is so convenient to so many things, encompassing almost everything that people come to Cape May for just a short walk away, a little less than midway between the Harbor District and Washington Street Mall, near the shopping, nightlife, dining and beaches.
In fact, Madison Street will take one to a less-crowded beach even faster than would Washington. Nature preserves, wildlife, boat slips and rentals are all a short bike ride away.
With so much on offer and such a great looking way to enjoy it, it might be another 55 years before this chance comes along again.
