THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603080493
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANET DUNPHY, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 162 lines
Elaine Mills and her husband, who recently retired from the FBI in Washington, D.C., wanted to live near the beach, but not somewhere ``glitzy'' or with houses built on stilts and occupied by transients.
They have settled on a popular community next to the Virginia Beach resort strip, commonly referred to as the North End.
``This is the best kept secret around,'' Elaine Mills says. ``It doesn't get any better than this. This is a unique neighborhood.''
Mills and her friend, Laurie Todd, have just crossed Atlantic Avenue on 54th Street heading to the beach on a chilly day, walking Todd's dog. This is not an uncommon sight in the North End.
``It's a real ecletic type of neighborhood,'' says Todd, who grew up in a house her father built on the east side of Atlantic and 54th - locally referred to as the ``ocean side'' as opposed to the west or land side. Todd and her husband returned to the area to raise their own family and have lived on the land side for years.
``We've thought about moving,'' Todd says, ``and looked all around, but we've decided we like this the best.''
To say the area has changed over the years is an understatement. Todd remembers when most of the residences were single-family houses on one large lot. She recalls the public furor when the traffic lights were installed on Atlantic Avenue and the devastating Ash Wednesday Storm in March 1963 that destroyed the oceanfront sand dunes.
The city real estate assessor's office defines the North End as the area from 32nd Street to 89th Street, beginning at Laskin Road and ending at the back gate of Fort Story.
Between the stretch of more than 50 block lies hotels, boarding houses, old-time beach cottages, elegant residences and some of the most glorious beaches a resort area could claim.
Appraisals for the North End range from a high of $1.7 million to a low of $84,600, according to Nancy Seldon, a city appraiser. North End appraisals are done on the basis of square footage except for the section called Crystal Acres, where appraisals are done on the basis of site value. The area does not include Bay Colony.
The city uses the following language: ``Ocean'' lots face the ocean, ``Key'' lots are one lot away from the ocean and ``inside'' lots are between key lots and Atlantic Avenue lots, which face the thoroughfare.
All of the ocean side streets dead-end at public accesses on the beach except for the blocks from 42nd to 63rd, 74th and 75th and 88th, which are connected by Ocean Front Avenue running parallel to the beach.
Commercial properties dominate the south side of the North End community expect for some homes nestled in the blocks between Atlantic and Pacific avenues. The final expansion of Atlantic from the Cavalier Hotel to 46th Street will put some front doors very close to the traffic.
It's easy to spot homes and condominiums that are for sale. Real estate agents that deal with the North End on a year-round basis say this is the peak season for buying, selling and planning rentals there.
Weekly oceanfront rentals start at about $2,000 during the peak season, ocean side rentals cost about $1,500 per week and land side rentals are about $525 per week.
Surprisingly, since the neighborhood is crowded, there's some new construction of both condominiums and homes. Three of four units of a three-level condominium project have sold, one recently for $429,000, on 84th Street.
The North End is a jumble of architectural styles and dates. Wood faces stucco, bold colors meet the subdued and ranch is dwarfed by high-rise. There are friendly white picket fences, formidable black wrought iron gates and many, many ``No Parking'' signs.
Despite the warnings and quiet atmosphere - indeed, cold and numbing - during the off-season, the old streets invite the curious.
There are gables and alleyways. Rooftop decking grows ever higher in search of the sea and narrow public walkways to the beach are neatly trimmed and lined with brick or stone. Houses and garages are divided into living spaces and all around people are remodeling and reconfiguring.
The homes and lots on the land side appear to be more spacious. There are more Jungle Gyms in the yards and trees often form a canopy over the street.
Karen Freischlag has rented a home with her Navy husband for three years on 85th Street. She, too, was walking her dog one blustery day explaining why she tolerated a high rent on an old dwelling. ``It's great.'' says Freischlag. ``You have the woods, the beach. Everyone's very friendly. It doesn't get crowded here and we have access to Fort Story.''
The feeder road, running from Fort Story to Atlantic and then intermittently to the Cavalier, is a big attraction to many residents and on any given day is used by walkers, runners, bikers, bladers and baby-joggers. The North End's land side is also home to the back entrance of Seashore State Park on 64th Street.
Kristy Mudge also rents at the North End. A Connecticut native, she attends school nearby and has shared a home's second-floor apartment with two roommates since September. ``It's been great. It's close to everything so I can walk a lot,'' say Mudge. However, she expects the seasonal rent to increase dramatically soon and is in search of another residence.
Spring is just around the corner, so it won't be long until crossing Atlantic Avenue on foot becomes dangerous and the quiet streets at the North End are congested with beachgoers seeking parking. It's something the year-round residents have learned to tolerate.
``Summer's aren't quite as wonderful as they used to be because there are too many people,'' says Anne Smith, whose family rebuilt a beach-front home on 64th Street after the original residence burned in 1972.
``But it's worth the hassle. It's a nice neighborhood. Most of the people have lived on this block since the `40s. Now we're all watching our grandchildren grow.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
With the Atlantic Ocean at their back, North End residents can watch
the sun set over their neighborhood.
Johnnie Bailey, Karen Freischlag, Diana Shocket and 18-month-old Eli
Shocket enjoy an impromptu walk through Seashore State Park next to
the North End.
The North End has many modern cottages such as these in the 100
block of 85th Street.
Photos by L. Todd Spencer
This house on 85th Street has a barn theme. Architecture is varied
in the neighborhood.
AT A GLANCE
Vp Map
North End
The neighborhood runs along the ocean from 32nd St. north to Fort
Story.
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: Linkhorn Park Elementary, Virginia Beach Middle and
Cox High schools.
Shopping areas: The nearest shopping centers are on Atlantic Avenue
at Laskin Road.
Recreation: Besides being within walking distance to the beach,
North End residents have quick access to Seashore State Park and
many amusements along Pacific and Atlantic avenues, including
several marinas, the Maritime Historical Museum, the Pavilion
Convention Center and the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier.
FOR SALE
At 8408-A Ocean Front Ave., a three-bedroom, 3 1/2-ath condominium
was listed for $469,000.
At 210-B 86th St., a two-bedroom, three-bath house was listed for
$190,000.
At 7100 Ocean Front Ave., a four-bedroom, three-bath home was listed
for $1.25 million.
At 105 87th St., a four-bedroom, six-bath home was listed for
$530,000.
At 218 64th St., a three-bedroom, two-bath house with a two-bedroom,
one-bath mother-in-law apartment was listed for $259,000.
SOLD
At 8203 Atlantic Ave., a four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home sold for
$310,000 in December.
At 8110 Ocean Front Ave., a four-bedroom, four-bath home sold for
$940,000 on Jan. 2.
At 106 88th St., a three-bedroom, two-bath home sold for $264,500 on
Jan. 12.
At 117 68th St., a four-bedroom, two-bath home sold for $170,500 on
Jan. 22.
At 305 53rd St., in Crystal Acres, a four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home
sold for $245,000 on Jan. 18.
by CNB