Everyone knows Frank Sinatra’s connection to New Jersey, more specifically Hoboken, but what some New Jersey residents may not know is that a house in Point Pleasant has been dubbed ‘The Sinatra House’ for its special connection to Sinatra’s music. The house, located at 175 Boardwalk and listed by James Ward of Shore Points NJ Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty, belonged to the late Paul R. Smith, a Sony Music Distribution chairman with an adoration for Frank Sinatra. Paul used to play Frank Sinatra’s music through speakers for all neighbors and passersby to enjoy from the boardwalk. After Paul passed in 2002, letters from strangers requesting the continuation of the music prompted his children to keep the tradition alive. Back in 2022, his children came to the decision to sell the eight-bedroom home, which was first listed for $4.4 million in 2022. After the price was taken down to $3.3 million in 2023, the home has been re-listed — this time for $2.9 million. Read on to learn more about The Sinatra House in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: James Ward, Shore Points NJ Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty
The Man Behind ‘The Sinatra House’
The house, located at 175 Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, was home to Sony Music Distribution chairman Paul R. Smith. Per NJ.com, Paul bought the house in the 1980s, tore it down, and rebuilt what still stands today: an eight-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,600-square-foot home. After he retired, he moved into this home full-time, and his family would stay with him during the summer months.
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If there’s one thing to know about Paul, it’s that he was a huge Frank Sinatra fan — so much so that he would play Sinatra’s music on exterior speakers all day during the summers from 8AM to 9PM.
Photo Credit: James Ward, Shore Points NJ Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty
“It was always great when we were sitting there on the porch and different generations of people would walk by and stop and dance,” Paul’s daughter, Susan Stinneford, told NJ.com. “They would always say what great music it was. It didn’t matter if they were old or young.”
Paul passed away in 2002, prompting strangers to leave letters on the doorstep of The Sinatra House, asking Paul’s children to keep the Sinatra music tradition alive. Locals and visiting passersby alike loved hearing the music from the boardwalk and had come to strongly associate this home with the Sinatra tunes it frequently played.
Photo Credit: James Ward, Shore Points NJ Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty
Paul’s children did their best to keep the tradition alive, but only two reside in New Jersey, making it challenging to keep up with the frequency with which Paul used to play the music. Now, after 20+ years, the children have decided to sell the home — and Susan explained that the reason is that it feels like time for the change, especially since not everyone has the time to visit and make the most of the family home.
The home was first listed for $4.4 million in 2022, was bumped down to $3.3 million in 2023, and now, the home has been re-listed, this time for $2.9 million. As for whether the next owners will keep up the Sinatra tradition, we’ll just have to wait to find out.
An Inside Look at ‘The Sinatra House’
Photo Credit: James Ward, Shore Points NJ Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty
The Sinatra House is listed for $2.9 million It’s an eight-bedroom, four-bathroom home clocking in at 3,648 square feet. The listing labels it a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to both “own a piece of history [and] continue to write it.”
Located at 175 Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, this house is an oceanfront property and boasts an enormous parking lot with space for 10+ vehicles, which is awesome considering how many people the house can sleep (25!). The home is charming, cozy, and filled with light wooden panels.
Photo Credit: James Ward, Shore Points NJ Real Estate with Keller Williams Realty
The house has an open concept with water views from every window. There’s also a covered wraparound front porch from which Sinatra’s music once played, and the listing even encourages the next owner to crank up the speakers while enjoying the porch views.
We chatted with James Ward, the listing agent of the property, and he answered some frequent questions he has received from potential buyers:
Why are they selling/this is the 3rd time it’s been listed in 2 years/why the new price?
“Early on, the family struggled with the notion of selling the property. The initial idea was that if it was going to trade for such a high price then that would just be fate making the decision. Now that the family is in full agreement and committed to selling this new price & the Spring market timing has us primed to realize that goal.”
Why is this a famous home, why is it the ‘Sinatra House’?
“The Smith family patriarch had wanted not only to build the best home on the beach but also share his love for the timeless music of Frank Sinatra with the many daily passersby on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk. This simple idea took on a life of its own quickly and before anyone knew it the home had become a destination as a result. Visitors from all over stop to dance in front of the house, take photos & videos and now decades later the Sinatra House is a staple here on the NJ Shore.”
What is so unique about this home?
“Even without the iconic aspects this home is deceivingly massive. At over 3600sf it dwarfs other surrounding properties that are large for the area in their own right. A few features like 8 bedrooms, 4 baths, parking for 10+ cars & arguably the best location on the boardwalk & beachfront are reason enough to command such a premium.”
Will the new owner have to play Sinatra music?
“We aren’t going to put that into the contract but the pressure to keep the music playing will be significant! I even got one call from a prospective buyer musing about making it the Taylor Swift house – understandable given her popularity but I do think Mr. Smith nailed it with Old Blue Eyes. In the end this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only to own a piece of beach history but the chance to continue to write it.”
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For those on the hunt for a shoreside home imbued with sentimentality, music, and history, now may be the time to take a tour of this unique spot.
Browse the listing here, and take a virtual tour here. Follow @theasburygirl on Instagram to keep up with all of the latest Jersey Shore happenings.
