1021 N. Indian River, Cocoa, Florida
Charming, the most common word used to describe older homes, is undeniably an understatement when referring to 1021 N. Indian River in Cocoa, Florida.
“It is a wonderful, comfortable, not ostentatious family home,” said owner Jean Cook. “My favorite place is at the front of the house, which is called a storefront. The living room is a great place to read and see the river. It is very peaceful.”
Called a storefront because of the large windows, it is a ranch style brick home.
“There is an enormous amount of yard, which is great for families,” Jim Cook, Jean’s husband, pointed out.
The landscaping is made up of planters and custom curbing throughout. Jim, a retired contractor, has invested money and personal labor into updating and enhancing the estate for the past couple of years.
“There isn’t much that hasn’t been upgraded inside or outside,” he said.
A brick wall encloses three sides of the 1.02-acre estate, while the fourth reaches to the Indian River.
“It’s like living on a bay,” Jim said. “The river is about three miles wide, and you can’t see any homes on the other side.
” Built in 1952 and once owned by a Major League umpire, many of the original features, such as the coral fireplace and coral bar, are still in use. Rumors that baseball greats such as Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra once graced this entertaining hotspot make it that much more fun for the Cook family, who use the area as a top-of-the-line ice cream bar.
A boathouse sits near the water, and the three-car garage is a separate building with 1,542 square feet of commercial space and bedrooms upstairs. With its own gated entrance on U.S. 1, the property offers a unique opportunity to live and work at the same location, with river frontage at the east end and commercial frontage at the west end.
The main house and guest house are connected by a lush tropical courtyard with a pool/hot tub and a wood deck. The in-ground pool, half basketball court, fishing and water sports provide copious amounts of exercise for anyone interested in the outdoors.
An easy mile-and-a-half walk to Cocoa Village, the home isn’t far from the Kennedy Space Center
“We can see all of the launches and have often allowed tourists to watch from our dock,” Jim said.
Indian River Drive follows the Indian River from historic Cocoa Village to the south and all the way through Titusville to the north. It offers a wonderful tour of beautiful, historic waterfront estates, from brick mansions to cozy bungalows.
“A beautiful, huge place,” is the way Jim and Jean commonly describe their home.
“You can’t overdescribe the home. It’s a 40-year-old home that has been updated, and we love it. We love all of it,” Jim explained. “This wonderful piece of real estate fantastically blends the old and new. You can look for a lifetime, and, even in this economy, never find a value like this.”
Stacy Domingo
