A coastal town in the Pacific Northwest puts a new twist on the notion of oceanfront living. By Lindsay Lambert

Anyone who’s ever shopped for or bought an oceanfront home likely did so with visions of isolated, sun-bleached beaches in mind and the hope that there’d be nothing, and no one, around, save for the occasional swaying palm. But a different kind of oceanfront escape, a master-planned community on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, is proving that one needn’t flee to the ends of the earth to find true paradise.

Established in 2004, the master-planned community of Seabrook was designed as a destination to which Seattleites could retreat—for both leisure and living—without making the five-plus-hour drive that’s often required to reach the region’s popular oceanfront options. And while proximity was the foundation on which Seabrook was built, convenience remained the cornerstone as the concept took flight. That is to say, once there, residents and guests would have direct and immediate access to their own commercial outposts, including a post office, movie theater, markets, cafés, art galleries, coffee shops, and more. Seabrook is, by all accounts, a self-sustaining city by the sea.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the selection of everyday practicalities Seabrook has to offer, insiders say the community is as popular, if not more, among prospective buyers as a vacation destination as it is for full-time residency. According to spokesman Chris Murphy, a typical Seabrook buyer would purchase a home here to be used as a secondary/beach home for the family, an investment for rental opportunities, or both. In fact, presently there are just 10 full-time-resident households in Seabrook, compared to 66 part-time non-vacation rental households and 74 part-time vacation rental households. There are even plans to erect a 50-room boutique hotel here, which speaks to Seabrook’s appeal as a vacation destination in and of itself.

Of Seabrook’s ability to attract both part- and full-time residents, Murphy says, “The unique features we offer stem from a progressive school of thought called ‘new urbanism.’ What this entails is a masterfully designed balance of many factors, including timeless architecture, accessibility, sustainability, environment, and community.”

This concept and the idea for Seabrook, Murphy says, was modeled after Seabrook founder Casey Roloff’s own appreciation of the lifestyle enjoyed by residents of the Florida town of Seaside, and of communities like Carmel, California and Nantucket. “Seabrook was initially inspired by Seaside, Florida, which reintroduced to America the concept of building pedestrian-friendly, walkable towns,” Murphy says. “The fundamental principle underlying Seabrook and Seaside is that a visitor or resident can have all of his or her basic needs met within a five-minute walk.”

Murphy says that Roloff, who is unabashedly enthusiastic about Seabrook, originally applied the walkable neighborhood concept on the Oregon Coast with his community called Bella Beach. After seeing the success in that neighborhood, Murphy says, Roloff decided to take the next step and build a fully sustainable walkable town similar to Seaside, but with a Northwest touch. The result was Seabrook.

Whether their purpose in Seabrook is residency or respite, prospective buyers have a number of options to choose from in terms of owning a home here. Seabrook offers a selection of “in-town” single-family residences with one or more bedrooms ranging from $219,000 to just under $1 million. Buyers can also snatch up undeveloped lots, on which they can build a custom home designed by the architect of their choosing or by one selected from Seabrook’s own carefully edited list. As is to be expected of building a new home in a community such as this, once a home plan is developed, Murphy says, the purchaser submits it to Seabrook’s architectural review committee for approval.

Perhaps most appealing for those seeking a spot or a lot right on the water is a particular part of Seabrook called The Northwest Glen. This section of town is the community’s first oceanfront neighborhood, a setting that encourages the creation of custom beach sanctuaries, Murphy says. Lots in The Northwest Glen start at $575,000 and lot/home packages ranged, at press time, from just less than $1 million to roughly $3 million.

By the way, it’s probably a safe bet that interest in Seabrook’s real estate offerings will soon increase: This oceanfront enclave was the site of Coastal Living magazine’s 2010 Ultimate Beach House. (The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home is available for $1.975 million.)

Although ostensibly Seabrook’s major selling point isn’t its deserted beaches and complete and total privacy, Murphy says that residents often include the community’s ability to promote relaxation and the “getaway” feeling among the primary reasons they purchased here. “Seabrook exuberantly emphasizes the beach lifestyle,” Murphy says. “Our extremely close proximity to the vast Washington beaches and to the rainforest and fishing, hiking, and biking all add to the get-away-from-it-all feeling.” The best part is, they didn’t have to go far to find it.

For more information, visit www.seabrookwa.com, e-mail info@seabrookwa.com, or call 360-276-0099.