SWEET COTTAGE

A sweetheart from the street, this 1930s cottage bids you welcome with her classic charm. The wide covered front porch extends living outside and makes a great perch for people-watching. Inside, honey-hued wood floors complement the neutral walls of the generous living room. Ample space for a couple of furniture groupings and the long stretch of unbroken wall is just right for art and a media center. Lots of windows bring in natural light and the greenery on the north side adds more privacy.

The tiled kitchen is separated from the gathering areas by a bar – a good spot for a quick coffee in the morning or for consulting with the cook at mealtime. At the back of the kitchen there’s room for casual dining and then it’s a straight shot through the utility area to the fenced backyard and patio. Bedrooms run along the south side of the house with a full bathroom in between. Front room has a door to the porch but it’s easy to wall this off if this access is not needed. The master is in the rear and has two closets (one’s a small walk-in!). A big room for the period, this is a nice retreat at the end of the day. The shared bath is fully tiled with a tub and shower.

Outdoor space is nicely defined and you have architectural vignette views of the great winter “cottages” of St George Street which back up to the yard. Providing a nice privacy screen, the patio has equal parts of sun and shade and there’s room for a bit of container gardening if homegrown tomatoes are your thing. A storage shed gets your bikes and kayaks out of the way as well as your little rotary mower (that’s all the yard work you’ll have). The long bricked driveway can handle two regular vehicles and possibly three more compact ones and this is a rare thing indeed in the heart of downtown. Frankly, you can park the car and walk since you’re one and a half blocks from the corner of Main and Main.

Get your exercise by circling Lake Maria Sanchez a few times and then reward yourself with one of many tasty treats waiting for you down the block.

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