THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • Late Spring 2019 39 TheCoastalBend.com Coastal Bend Home Clockwise from Above—Left in unkept condition, this two-building home was designed for a family with high school or college-aged kids; soaring 25-foot ceiling and marble mantel in living room; lighted display frame at foot of sprawling staircase; two-section loft area offers room for a den or kids’play place; front yard to be landscaped into an Italian-style garden. The dream boulevard on which to reside, anywhere south of San Antonio and maybe just about anywhere in Texas, is Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi. In fact, in the entire United States you will not find one, continuous residential thorough- fare positioned along a body of water, beautifully landscaped, with few stop- lights and numerous, waterfront public parks, as long as Ocean Drive. Not every home along Ocean Drive is a million-dollar mansion, in fact most really are not, and many mid-level and economy apartment complexes are located both on the waterside and inland side. Without a doubt, the Ocean Drive land- scape is dominated by the newer, over-the-top mansions in the 10,000 to 12,000 square foot range—some are seldom occupied if at all, and some are hidden away behind seven-foot walls and lush landscaping. Many others are quite ordi- nary homes located at an extraordinary address, and still others have devolved from the grandeur of their original decades in service. The home we shall affectionately refer to as“Ocean Sloth”occupies a half-acre lot on the land side of the boulevard, and includes a three-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath main house, and a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment located above the detached garage. The apartment, like the main house, has tile floors and granite countertops in the kitchen and baths. There is a wonderful in-ground swim- ming pool and hot tub, a wood-paneled office in the garage, backyard bar and pavilion, a fountain in the front—as well as other amenities that were in a state of malfunction or dilapidation when the new renter/buyer took possession. Most of the interior items were functioning properly, and the design of the main house, in particular, is appealing—the downstairs master suite provides ample space and privacy, and includes a large, walk-in closet and master bath with whirlpool tub, two separate vanities, glass and tile shower and private toilet room. The living room ceiling soars to 25 feet, and the mantel of the wood burn-