Page 19 - Baltimore Fish Bowl - Home Guide

tine beachfront. Beautiful homes face both the Atlan- tic Ocean to the east and Little Assawoman Bay to the west. Fishing, kayaking, crabbing, and windsurfing are regularly enjoyed on the bay side, while swimmers and sunbathers relax all summer “downey ocean.”
Family-oriented Fenwick Islanders share com- munity pride. The town maintains strict zoning rules, including a tobacco ban in its parks and on its beaches. Fenwick Island’s historic 158-year-old lighthouse is well maintained and worth a visit. In the summer, a 2,500-seat outdoor concert venue hosts musicians, comedians, and other perform- ers. Traditionally, Fenwick homes have been single- family cottages, but now some larger resort commu- nities, like Bayside Fenwick Island, offer buyers more options with new construction. At Bayside, hiking trails, a golf course, two pools, and multiple restau- rants — in addition to Fenwick Island beach — create a feeling that one resident calls a “sanctuary in itself.”
Jim Naylor, a Bayside resident, offers this observa- tion: “Fenwick is just close enough to Ocean City for those times when you want all that goes with that, but far enough away to escape the heavy traffic and tran- sient tourists. It’s quiet, family friendly, and tax-free.”
Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach, like Fenwick Island, is known for its relative quiet when compared to nearby Ocean City and Rehoboth. This is largely due to the pres- ence of the Delaware Seashore State Park to its north. Still, it offers a range of tourist attractions that create a nice balance between community and resort. A small boardwalk overlooks a broad, san- dy beach. The town is full of great restaurants, art galleries, spas, a local library, a nature center and conservation area, and even a golf course. A local farmers’ market runs from June through September, and a bandstand at the center of town hosts music and outdoor movie events throughout the summer.
“We visited Rehoboth for many years and thought about purchasing a condo,” say residents Al and Arlene Leo. “However, by the time we were ready to buy, Rehoboth had become very busy and ex- pensive.” They visited Bethany Beach at the recom- mendation of a real estate agent and were drawn to the quaint town with its shops and restau- rants, as well as the more tranquil and private condo communities. When they found Sea Colony
BETHANY BEACH
Home & Real Estate Guide 17