Condo Row, 9500 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842
Pyramid Condos
It isn’t 5000 years old nor was it built by the Egyptians, but The Pyramid in Ocean City, Maryland is a unique building on the East Coast that has won several architectural awards. John Whaley, a local developer, commissioned architect William Morgan to design his building in 1971. Morgan was known for designing buildings that respected the landscape. The result is an asymmetrical pyramid that resembles a steep dune.*
The Pyramid was finished in 1975 with 171 one and two bedroom units and an oceanfront heated pool. The building is poured concrete to the 15th floor and is built on over 225 pilings with transverse slabs. It has been said that it is one of the quietest and safest buildings in Ocean City.
Jimmy Hamm, construction superintendent remarked, “It’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever tackled. But, frankly, I’ve never been as proud of a job I worked on as I am of this one.”
Unusually distinct, because of its unique shape, no one can mistake the Pyramid Condos for any other building in Ocean City. This building features distinctive, uniquely-shaped units and a large outdoor pool w/ sundeck.
The Pyramid’s pool overlooks the OCMD beach.
The Pyramid building as seen from Coastal Highway.
* One advantage of the unique shape is that it reduces the amount of afternoon shade on the beach – enabling sun worshippers to “worship” a bit longer into the day.
Often called the Gold Coast, here is where many people choose to vacation.
Among the myriad condominiums and hotels in Ocean City, likely the best known are the high rise building known as Condo Row. From The Carousel to the 9400 Building, Condo Row, often called the Gold Coast, stretches from 118th Street at the north end to 94th Street on the South (left to right in the picture above). These pages contain photos and information about this section of the beach that provides summer homes and vacation rentals for thousands upon thousands of OC visitors every year.
Aerial Photographs Are Available for each of the Buildings of Condo Row
But first, a bit of history… Driving over the Rt. 90 bridge your first glimpse of Ocean City is of the high-rise condos springing up from the spit of sand from 94th Street to 118th Street. Prior to the 70’s, there were very few buildings north of 30th street. Most people did not want to vacation “so far away” from the town. The boardwalk had just been extended to 27th Street in the 60’s and “by the boardwalk” is where people wanted to be.
There were many events that sparked the rapid construction of high-rises in Ocean City in the 70’s. One was the nor’easter In 1962. The storm caused considerable damage to town. People were leery of rebuilding in an area that could be wiped out by a storm. Property values took a plunge. Real Estate speculators and investors took advantage of the reduced prices, buying land and getting new building codes enacted. The construction of Route 90 was completed in 1972, allowing another way to access Ocean City at the northern end and the Ocean City sewage collection and treatment plant at 64th Street was completed.
But perhaps the person that started it all was political operative Bobby Baker. He believed that Ocean City would become a huge resort, and purchased two oceanfront lots at 118th Street in the early 1960’s. The original Carousel was built in 1962 as a hideaway for Washington, D.C. power brokers. The “Bobby Baker Building” as it was referred to was four stories high and now contains 75 oceanfront hotel rooms at the Carousel. In 1974, the 22 story Tower Building, housing 190 privately owned condominiums and 162 additional hotel rooms, was built and connected to the original hotel building, making the Carousel Hotel and Condominium the only multi-use facility in Ocean City (with a total of 237 hotel rooms and 190 condominiums). The Atrium, which is part of the Tower Building, -hosts the world famous indoor Ice Skating Rink as well as a full service restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool, sauna and exercise room. The outdoor patio area, which is in front of the original Bobby Baker Building, has an outdoor pool, and a patio bar and grill.
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Highpoint (South) was actually the first high-rise condo building in Ocean City. Constructed in 1970, its 15 stories stood alone on 114th Street. But not for long. The Sheraton Fountainbleau (now the Clarion Resort Fontainbleau Hotel) became the first luxury high-rise motel built in 1970 on 101st Street. By the mid 70’s, the tallest at 28 stories, The Century, the award-winning Pyramid, English Towers, Atlantis, Capri, The Irene, The Fountainhead, Golden Sands and 9400 were built, causing a glut of lodging in a poor economy. Over 10,000 condo units became available in several new high-rise buildings now dotting the oceanfront. Many units had been bought at pre-construction prices by real-estate investors hoping to sell and turn a quick profit once they were built. There were over 3,000 unsold condos in the mid-1970’s and only The Century and Golden Sands escaped auction.
By the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, inflation eased and the economy rebounded. The high-rises that once stood almost empty were rapidly being bought and Ocean City experienced a real-estate boom that brought higher prices and more construction. Today, Condo Row stands as a testament to the many early investors in Ocean City. Their dream that the once small oceanside resort would expand into a bustling vacation resort has come true. (Contributing Author, Helen McElvaney)
Photos, like the sample to the right of the condo listings (above), are available for sale by local photographer, Bill Swartwout. Visit Bill’s Online Gallery at Bill Swartwout Photography for more details. These are available printed on a variety of quality surfaces, including canvas. They can be delivered framed or unframed and you can see them all and buy one for yourself or as a gift for a gracious host/hostess – by clicking HERE.
If you are looking for a place to stay for your next trip to the beach, check out the Ocean City Vacation Rentals Page to get started. Or, you just might begin with a visit to Vrbo.com or Airbnb.com to get an idea of what they have available – with availability and rates.
Note, please. The high-rise buildings of the Gold Coast, or Condo Row as it is now called, are listed in the menu (above) from North to South. However driving northbound along Coastal Highway you would find the buildings in this order: 9400, Flying Cloud, Pyramid, Century I, English Towers, Marigot Beach, Clarion Hotel, Atlantis, The Quay, Golden Sands, The Capri, Irene, Rainbow, High Point South, High Point North, Sea Watch, Fountainhead, and Carousel.
Beware of Internet Vacation Rental Scams. Be diligent.
The following is an older article (January, 2014) that was originally posted by the Ocean City Police Department on the Town of Ocean City website. While the article may go back a few years, the content still applies today. Maybe even more so…
Condo Row after a storm.
…the Ocean City Police Department is reminding citizens to be cautious while using the internet to search for vacation rentals. While popular websites can be a valuable tool in finding reasonable vacation rentals, consumers need to beware of scammers who are posing as property owners.
Some of the most consistent “red flags” associated with rental scams are demonstrated through poor grammar, spelling errors, poor capitalization and punctuation on any online material. In addition, if a vacation rental owner does not accept credit cards as a form of payment, they should almost always accept a personal check. Most scammers will only take cashier’s checks or ask money to be wired to a specific account. Lastly, you should be cautious of a property owner who is hesitant or unwilling to provide additional information in regards to the rental property, such as amenities or photographs.
As a renter you should take additional steps to assure the owner and rental properties are legitimate. There are several tips you should remember to avoid being a victim of an online rental scam. First, do not wire money to a suspected landlord and remember, regardless how convincing the tale, make sure the person renting the house to you actually owns it. Also, verify where you will go and who you will see to pick up the rental key. Make sure that the person and location is valid. Finally, if you have any suspicious concerns, follow your instinct. Even if you have to pay a fee, you are often safer dealing with a licensed real estate agent.
For safety’s sake, it may be best to stick with using a large, well-established booking website such Hotels.com or Expedia or Booking.com . Click Booking.com to see what they have to offer in hotel reservations and vacation rentals.
