By Andy Furman
NKyTribune staff writer
Jeff Nelson did it. So did his wife.
In fact, they did it together – and they love every minute of it.
This is a beautiful story how a married couple found peace, love and excitement with their move.
After 25 years living at Triple Crown in Union, Jeff Nelson and wife moved North – to The Boardwalk Residences at Ovation in Newport.
“We’ve been here just a little over a year,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “We were aware of the project early-on. Bill Butler brought their concept to life and we attended an event on the BB Riverboats.”
That’s all it took for the Nelsons.
The Boardwalk Residences is a collection of three buildings housing 88 luxury homes with some great views of the Cincinnati skyline.
There is nothing but a rolling lawn between the Nelson’s condo/apartment and the Ohio River.
“There’s nothing like this,” he said. “It’s like a city within a city.”
The former salesman says the convenience and accessibility were two big attractions for him.
“I can walk to the new Newport Kroger in 32 seconds,” he said. “We have easy access to Bellevue; we can walk to the Reds’ and Bengals’ games and we’re about a 12-minute drive to Kenwood.”
Ovation is a 25-acre, urban, mixed-use development at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers, located in Newport. The Boardwalk Residences – Buildings 1, 2 and 3 – total 88 units.
“We have sold 81 percent,” said Suzanne Deatherage, Marketing VP for Corporex, the developer of the project which started in late 2019.
As for the Little City atmosphere, here are the options in and around The Boardwalk Residences:
• Mega Corp Pavilion Music and Event Venue
• Homewood Suites by Hilton
• High Note Rooftop Bar
• Market Bar
And, in the Ovation Office 1:
• St. Elizabeth Physicians Primary Care & Podiatry
• MegaCorp Logistics
• Carlisle & Bray Enterprises
And when the Nelsons don’t feel like walking, well there is always Guest Cart Service to and from Cincinnati.
“They’ll pick you up and bring you back home,” Nelson said. “The service is free and provided by the City of Cincinnati with vehicle advertising.”
Does he miss anything from his Triple Crown life?
“I can tell you,” he says, “I certainly don’t miss the traffic. And we get a parting space with the purchase of our residence. Several of our friends from Triple Crown have followed us here, too.”
These are empty-nester parents whose children have grown up and permanently moved out of the family home. The term is a metaphor comparing parents to birds whose chicks have left the nest once they are old enough to fly.
These empty-nesters and locals are prime tenants, says Deatherage. “Many use these residences as second homes.”
Yet, surprisingly, she says, “About 30 percent of our buyers are from out-of-town.”
The Boardwalk Residences, Building 3 is now open and accepting contracts. Units start at $1.1M, with multiple floor plan design options.
But the view – you can’t beat it. Just ask Jeff Nelson.
