Atlantic City Weekly

There's something soothing about Fischer Greens. Afternoons are calm in this gated community situated near Bargaintown Lake in Linwood on property once owned by Charlie Fischer. Fischer's greenhouses are gone, replaced by 17 upscale, landscaped homes. On the various afternoons I've spent there, I've rarely seen a car drive by on its tree-lined streets.

"It's a lovely home in a very nice neighborhood," says owner Dean Levin. "That's what kind of makes it tick." The large home (over 4,000 square-feet) sits on a symmetrical lot, which, according to broker-salesperson Pat Redmond of Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors in Northfield, is one of the largest lots in Fischer Greens.

Fischer Greens, like its larger neighbor Fischer Woods, has curb appeal, since the original developers left as many trees in place as possible. In contrast to other developments that bulldoze all foliage, it gives the neighborhood a distinctive look. It also cushions the sounds and adds to the genteel nature of this quiet development.

The 10-year-old English-styled home has an open floor plan, which is immediately apparent upon entering. The foyer's ceiling rises about 20 feet; its windows shed plenty of light upon the doublewide oak staircase, gleaming hardwood floors and rich-looking Crown molding and wainscoting on the walls.

"It's got a large den with a [gas] fireplace," says Levin. Although the home generally has eight to nine-foot ceilings, this room has a ceiling that, at one point, soars to 20 feet. "When I bought the house, I brought Tweeter Entertainment in to wire the house with a sound system with all Boston Acoustic speakers, a Pioneer sound system and big, flat plasma TVs in every room."

An oversized dining room with chair rails and bay windows sits to the left of the foyer, which connects to a butler's pantry with granite countertops and ceramic tile walls. Straight ahead, past the stairway is a luxurious half bath with a chandelier, black marble floor and marble countertops. To the right is a formal living room with custom, built-in bookshelves. Nearby is a long room consisting of a wet bar, wine cooler and granite countertops, which connects to the den/family room complete with a baby grand piano that may stay with the home. Next-door is an eat-in kitchen with granite countertops, center island, upscale appliances (including a Sub Zero refrigerator) and access to a screened-in back porch. "There's exterior speakers outside, in the landscaping, which gives you some exterior sound," Levin adds.

Upstairs, the master suite is separated from the rest of the bedrooms by doublewide doors. Closing them turns the suite into a large distinct living area with a long hallway housing built-in vanities and his and hers walk-in closets. The hallway leads to a large bedroom with a gas fireplace. The marble bath includes a Jacuzzi, marble and glass stall shower, his and hers sinks and separate toilet room. Down another hallway are four other bedrooms, two with bay windows. One has a private bath, while two others share a "Jack and Jill" style bathroom. There is a laundry room down the hall.

A partial basement and large attic add to the potential of this home, but not to its square footage calculation, which is based on the two main floors. The basement is a fully finished medium-sized room, which is perfect for a recreation room (just add a bar and pool table), media-theater room or playroom. Unlike most basements, the room has an eight-foot ceiling.

The walk-up, unfinished attic is vast with high ceilings (at least 10-12 feet) and windows. Since the heating and air conditioning mechanisms are there, it would be relatively easy to add vents, sheet rock and insulation to create additional living space. "It is huge," adds Redmond. "It's the whole length of the house.

The oversized dining room fills with light from the bay windows.

While Levin has appreciated living in the upscale home for the past 13 months, he is returning to New Orleans, where he lived for many years. "I got out of there just before the storm," he says. "However, I had other interests that were there during the storm that were damaged." His business interests and friendships necessitate traveling to the Crescent City often and soon he'll be residing there once again. "I work off a laptop, so I have the ability to go back to New Orleans where I came from, so that's more than likely what I'm going to do."

This Fischer Greens home on Wexford Lane in Linwood is listed at $1.269 million. Call Pat Redmond of Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors of Northfield at 677-4440 or 226-3966 (cell).

Evergreen at Timber Glen
Resort-style living in Mays Landing

While most of our real estate commentary focuses on home ownership, we can't overlook the need of renters and neither does Edgewood Properties. Evergreen at Timber Glen is its latest development and, unlike most apartments, Evergreen offers renters luxury residences with all the amenities of upscale homes and first-class resorts.

From Saturday, July 29, through Sunday, Aug. 6, the garden apartment homes will observe the grand opening of their new phase of 256 new apartments (to 144 existing apartments and 98 town homes). Visitors to the complex will find the leasing center decorated like an old-time western saloon. They can explore the "new frontier" by touring the new phase's decorated models. Saturday's events include old-fashioned photography, hayrides, door prizes and on-site tours of the existing town homes and apartments.
While the existing apartments are only approximately two years old, the new units are different because of additional features. "The upgrades that we put in are elevators, controlled access and garden-type tubs in the master [bathrooms]," says Peter Rushing, Evergreen's training and marketing director. "It's still rental, and the price that we are obviously demanding is to compensate for the additional luxuries."
Close to shopping areas, the community (located at 2000 Timber Glen Dr., Mays Landing) is just off Route 575 and adjacent to the Hamilton Mall and the Consumer Square Mall. The Festival Mall is nearby, as well.
"It's a great location," says Community Manager MariAnne Torres. "We are close to everything, which is convenient. You can go up the road and have everything you want, but when you're back here you're in your own little world -- it's a beautiful setting."
The setting includes serene wooded areas, luxuriant landscaping and a stately, winding entrance driveway. "It is very beautiful there," adds Rushing. "There are a lot of man-made ponds. We have a water fountain and we're adding additional ones to the new property."
Three story buildings with elevators and controlled access entries house the new luxury apartments. The large units (1,200-1,750 square-feet) are available in three different two-bedroom floor plans. Two have two bathrooms, while the third has two and one half bathrooms and a den. Other apartment features include a soaking tub in the master bathroom, full-sized washer and dryer, a gourmet kitchen with upscale appliances and a patio or balcony. Concierge services include valet dry cleaning, 24-hour emergency maintenance and package pickup.
All residents can use the fitness center with lockers, showers, free weights and machines; business center with computers and fax machine; clubhouse with a great room and sports bar; and outdoor swimming pool.
"It's very nice because there is the clubhouse with the pool right behind it and a pond with a fountain," says Rushing. "So, it is a very nice setting." Also available to residents are a one-mile walking/jogging/bike path, two basketball courts, two tennis courts and a tot lot for children.
Rents for the new garden apartment are not inexpensive -- they start at $1,365 per month. However, considering their size (larger than some small houses), convenient location (close to shopping and the Atlantic City Expressway) and amenities offered they might be attractive to the vast amount of casino employees and professionals in this area. Also for rent are the already existing apartments (starting at $1,215) and town homes (starting at $1,505).

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The hours for the Evergreen at Timber Glen grand opening this Saturday are 10am-5pm. Hayrides are offered from 1-5pm. The remainder of the grand opening celebration takes place from 9am-6pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 9am-7pm on Tuesday; 10am-5pm on Saturday and noon-5pm on Sunday through Aug 6. For more information visit www.edgewoodproperties.com or call 677-0111. Ask about special discounts on new construction.