The Coaster

Coaster Photos
Joseph Satterfield stands outside the B&B he operates on Sixth Avenue in Asbury Park. The house features period furniture (below) in the living room.

By ED SALVAS

Sitting on the wrap-around front porch of the Sixth Avenue House Bed and Breakfast in Asbury Park and looking east, one has an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean and can also feel the cool breeze from the ocean as it blows down the wide avenue.

This inviting atmosphere sealed the deal for partners Joseph Satterfield and Gerard Kuenze when they decided to buy the house and fulfill their dream of owning a bed and breakfast in the city, now experiencing a rebirth after years of decline.

But Satterfield and Kuenze had a rude awakening after buying the house in 2002 with plans to start work converting it into a B&B. There was no city ordinance permitting bed and breakfast establishments. Without an ordinance, they couldn’t proceed. But they were determined to open and forged ahead working with the city to create an ordinance, and in 2004, the City Council passed an ordinance covering B&B’s and the pair set to work on their project.

Built in 1894 and originally known as Berea Manor, the nine bedroom house at 305 Sixth Avenue had remained a single family house while many other large houses in the city had been converted into apartments. It was also in fairly good condition according to Kuenze.

“Even vacant the house was beautiful,” he said, adding “It was always a very active house and didn’t have many owners. One family actually owned the house for 65 years.”

The Bed & Breakfast has six bedrooms and 6 1/2 bathrooms as well as a separate apartment for Satterfield and Kuenze who have been partners for seven years. It’s also located in northeast Asbury Park, one of the city’s more stable neighborhoods, where many of their neighbors are long time residents.

Kuenze and Satterfield are also happy to see other home improvements taking place with a brand new three-family house on one side and a garden apartment building that’s been converted into condos on the other. The house briefly operated as a rooming house in the past, and during the renovation the owners discovered a 1959 advertisement for the Berea Manor that listed rooms for $2.50 a night.

Each of the six bedrooms in the Sixth Avenue House has been individually decorated by Satterfield and Kuenze, who said the furnishings came from a variety of places from local antique dealers, dealers in New York and Pennsylvania and furnishings inherited from family members.

One room in the house has a bed that belonged to Kuenze’s grandmother. During the renovation period, Kuenze and Satterfield found a way to store furniture they were considering for the house. For a while they operated the Back Porch on Fourth Avenue behind Studebaker’s Antiques where they sold furnishings that for one reason or another didn’t fit in the house. The house already had central air which had been installed by the previous owner.

In addition to the interior, the exterior of the Sixth Avenue House has also had extensive work. They’ve installed a new front walk, planted grass and perennials and uncovered the driveway which had been completely covered over by grass. Satterfield and Kuenze say the ordinance created for their B&B carries a number of stipulations and restrictions on the operation of such businesses within the city, including the number of rooms permitted and the locations where they can be opened. They are not permitted in the Urban Enterprise Zone, which means guests pay the full 7 percent New Jersey sales tax rather than the 3 1/2 percent tax charged by businesses in the UEZ.

The Sixth Avenue House opened earlier this year and has already been featured on Asbury Park House Tours. Satterfield and Kuenze say business has been good so far with a minimal investment in advertising.

“We’re the only game in town right now,” according to Satterfield, who adds that “local people are referring people to us.” They are also using the internet and are working with B&B owners in Ocean Grove who have referred people they can’t accommodate. And both say they relish the opportunity to be part of Asbury Park’s redevelopment.

Guests at the Sixth Avenue House can take advantage of several amenities offered during their stay, including free beach badges, wireless internet access and off-street parking. The Sixth Avenue House is also “smoke free” and does not allow children or pets. Take a virtual tour of the house at www.sixthavenuehouse.com.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 4:07 pm and is filed under Asbury Park, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.