To be absolutely honest, I am conflicted about describing exactly how fabulous this beachfront condo really is, because we fully intend to come back, and I really don’t want to have to compete with anyone else….
Ultimately, what prompts me to be completely forthcoming, is that our hosts were so helpful and welcoming, it would be a disservice to them to not inform everyone that this property is truly a gem.
I am originally from the area, and Eileen and Sophie gave us a FaceTime walkthrough before we arrived, so we felt that we were well-prepared for the experience. So, when we arrived entering though the ground level and climbing two flights of stairs, in truth, nothing could have prepared us for this beautiful open living room with an expansive view of the beachfront and ocean. Simply magnificent! The porch overlooks the dune and the beach, we watched pods of dolphins, bathers, surfers, wind surfers, kite surfers, sailboats and container ships bound for New York Harbor as well as several fireworks displays. We took almost all our meals on the porch.
While at one point there were 6 of us, most of the time it was just two of us. There are three bedrooms, the master being the most spacious, but there was plenty of room for a large family. Cooking was no problem, the kitchen is large, up to date and had everything.
We stayed 5 weeks. The house had everything: from beach equipment, to toys, games and puzzles, exercise equipment, bicycles, and, of course, plenty of towels.
Our hosts were solicitous and attentive, calling and texting to see if we were comfortable and needed anything. Hurricane Ida came through during our stay, passing well east of us, but we were able to easily coordinate preparations for the storm with our hosts.
Candidly, having grown up in the area some 40+ years earlier, my memories of Long Beach in general and the west end in particular, were rather mixed. A bustling resort for the ultra-wealthy in the 1920’s and 30’s, Long Beach has seemed, for many years to fail to live up to its potential as white sand ocean beach less than an hour from Manhattan. I can say that having been away for so long, Long Beach seems to have caught its stride with the boardwalk (1/2 mile away) recently renovated and a hub for the entire community. There is building and renovation all along the beachfront. The west end has the advantage of a single commercial street running down its spine and the shops, bars and restaurants have appealing outdo