Jawdropper of the Week: Neotraditional Bayside House in Stone Harbor

This house looks like it has been here since Stone Harbor’s earliest days. But it’s really a brand-new house filled with all sorts of modern goodies and decks galore. You will find it at Stone Harbor’s southern tip: 11605 Paradise Dr., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247 / Photography by AP Media via Compass

In my New England college years, I remember an all-nighter that ended with a bunch of us driving from Walden Pond all the way to Nahant, a small town jutting into Massachusetts Bay near Lynn, in order to catch the sunrise.

I wouldn’t do that now, but I might still brave New York City traffic in order to catch the sunset off the dock at Cherry Grove on Fire Island.

But if you don’t feel like going through all that, you can head to the Jersey Shore, where you will then face a choice: sunrise or sunset?

And along those barrier islands, that means you will buy a house that either looks out on oceanside dunes or looks out on the waters of the bay.

Because I prefer sunsets to sunrises, I’d choose a bayside house. Maybe you agree. But if you’re really lucky, you might find a house like this neotraditional Stone Harbor bayside house for sale.

Lucky because this house is designed so that you can wake up to the sunrise over the ocean and watch the sunset over the bay.

Before going into all the things that make this charming throwback so great, I’ll point out its basic design.

Stone Harbor Borough, which occupies the southern half of Seven Mile Island, was incorporated in 1912. The house you see above looks an awful lot like the houses the borough’s earliest residents built.

However, this house was completed late last year. That means you will be the first to own it if you buy it. And if you buy it, you will also get all the furniture you see in these photos. Be sure to thank Ford Design Studio for their efforts. And while you’re at it, you might want to tip your hat to Halliday Architects for their channeling Stone Harbor’s beginnings while giving you a very 21st-century Shore house.

Of course, in 1912, cars were still a new plaything, so houses built then didn’t have to accommodate them. The two-car garage in front is a nod to their ubiquity now. And their location relative to the front door makes this what’s known as a “snout house.”

But this house makes up for that dominant garage the moment you step onto its large front porch.

Front entrance

That porch gives you a foretaste of the many decks to come. And like the two rear decks, it abounds in mahogany.

Foyer

But before you get to those decks, you first enter a spacious two-story-high foyer that nonetheless respects this house’s early-20th-century roots.

Family room

Directly in front of you as you walk through the foyer is the family room, a simple and simply comfortable space with shiplap walls and cabinetry. It also has a wet bar with refrigerator drawers, a Sub-Zero wine fridge and a Scotsman ice maker.

Bunk bedroom

Also on this floor are five of this house’s six bedrooms, including this custom bunk bedroom for the kids. Each of the bedrooms has its own bathroom. Some of the bedrooms are a flight of steps up from the first floor; this house has split-level floors, which explains why its elevator makes five stops.

First-floor deck

Behind the family room is the first of this house’s four decks. Outfitted with a big-screen TV and gas fireplace, it spans the width of the back of the house and looks out on Paradise Bay.

Exterior rear showing pool and spa

Just beyond the deck is a gunite pool and spa.

Boat dock

And beyond the pool and spa sits a U-shaped dock that can handle three watercraft. That makes this home ideal for a boater who also has friends who love boating.

A laundry room, a tile mudroom with storage closets and a powder room round out the first floor.

Main living area

The main floor of this upside-down house is another flight up. And like most modern Shore houses, it has an open-plan main living area.

Living room

Its living room rises two stories, with a fireplace and dormer windows that fill it with extra light.

Kitchen and dining room

Next to the living room sits the kitchen/dining room combo.

The kitchen boasts the best of everything: two Sub-Zero refrigerator-freezers. A six-burner Wolf gas range and a Wolf microwave.

Kitchen dry bar

A dry bar with a Sub-Zero wine fridge, two beverage-chiller drawers, and a Miele espresso machine. And a butler’s pantry with a Cove dishwasher next to the bar. There’s also a powder room off the kitchen.

Second floor rear deck

A second deck spans the back of the second floor. It has a built-in grill and a second dining area.

Second floor front deck

And a third deck sits off the stairs next to the main living area, atop the front porch.

Primary bedroom

The primary bedroom suite sits a flight of stairs up from the main living area.

Primary bedroom

Its bedroom faces east and has a gas fireplace and open balcony.

Primary bedroom balcony

And because this Stone Harbor bayside house for sale sits at the borough’s southern edge and across the street from the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, that balcony means you can wake up to the sunrise over the ocean.

Primary bathroom

The primary suite also contains a sumptuous bathroom and a large walk-in closet with its own laundry.

Roof deck bar

Finally, the elevator’s fifth stop opens onto the third-floor roof deck. A wet bar with an ice maker, two refrigerator drawers and dishwasher face the outdoor space.

Roof deck

The deck itself has a big-screen TV and a commanding view of the back bays. Here is where you will want to drink in the sunset along with your cocktails or other beverages.

As already noted, this house sits at Stone Harbor’s south edge, just a short walk from the toll bridge that leads to Anglesea, Burleigh, the Wildwoods and the Garden State Parkway. Sand Harbor Cove, Hobie Cat Beach and Stone Harbor Point also lie within walking distance.

Given that this brand-new neotraditional Stone Harbor bayside house for sale comes fully loaded, you will be getting a bargain for a piece of prime Shore real estate if you buy it.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 6

BATHS: 6 full, 2 half

SQUARE FEET: 4,609

SALE PRICE: $12,495,000

11605 Paradise Dr., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247 [Nicholas Giuffre | Compass]