Gregory Englesbe, who founded and is chairman of Cherry Hill, New Jersey-based Emm Loans, had owned other homes in Palm Beach before he bought a house for his family in 2020 on the near North End.
But the property’s address at 254 Atlantic Ave. — about third of a mile north of Royal Poinciana Way — proved to be exactly on the mark, he says.
“It’s right in town,” he says, adding that the house is only two blocks from the Meat Market steakhouse.
He mentions two other convenient dining establishments, Echo Palm Beach and the recently opened Polo Room Palm Beach.
“When I need any groceries or whatever, it’s (near) Publix. It’s just a great location,” he says.
Even so, he’s dreaming of a home on the Intracoastal Waterway. “That’s the only reason why I’m leaving it, because it’s just a great home,” he says.
Accordingly, the house — with its five bedrooms, five-and-a-half-bathrooms and 5,747 square feet of living space, inside and out — is listed for sale. Broker Linda Olsson of Linda R. Olsson Inc. has priced it at $13.995 million.
In addition to the location on the south side of Atlantic Avenue, Englesbe loves the house’s Mediterranean-style architecture. Although he and his wife, Jessica, completely remodeled their 1996 home, they left the exterior styling intact. But they installed a new roof along with new windows and doors.
They also reorganized the inteior spaces and gave them a contemporary aesthetic.
“It’s roomier once you walk in,” Gregory Englesbe explains. “We deleted rooms and it’s now more open, as opposed to having smaller rooms like it had.”
From the foyer and stair hall, foot traffic flows into the living and dining areas, with a guest-bedroom suite and a club room with a wet bar to one side.
On the opposite side of the principal rooms are the kitchen and a breakfast area, along with the elevator, a storage room, a laundry room and the two-car garage equipped with a lift to accommodate another car.
Doors in the club room and living room access the pool patio, while those in the breakfast area and kitchen open onto a poolside covered lanai.
The center-island-layout kitchen has high-end Miele and SubZero appliances integrated into the custom Shaker-style cabinetry. The counters are marble.
Upstairs are three guest bedroom suites along with the primary suite. During the renovation, crews moved bedroom walls, making space for larger bathrooms. The bathrooms throughout the house feature custom cabinetry and are finished with tile.
The primary suite has two baths and a pair of walk-in closets. The main bedroom and one of the guest bedrooms overlook the pool.
The bedroom floors are covered in wood-look tile. Downstairs, the flooring is large-format ceramic tile.
Outside, the new pool features travertine; the gardens have been completely refreshed; and the Englesbes installed a new gas grill.
Leaving will be bittersweet, Gregory acknowledges, but he is eager for the waterfront.
“I’m just a water guy, and my home in New Jersey was on the bay. I had all my toys — my pontoon boat, my WaveRunners — and my pool behind my house. If there was no water around the island of Palm Beach, I would be exactly where I am and would be staying.”
To see more photos of 254 Atlantic Ave., click on the photo gallery near the top of this page.
For more than 20 years, Christine Davis has written about Palm Beach real estate in the “On the Market feature in the Palm Beach Daily News.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Remodeled Palm Beach house is on the market for about $14 million
Reporting by Christine Davis, Special to Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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