Views attracted couple when they bought Palm Beach penthouse they've now listed at $8.65M
"We have beautiful sunsets," says Luis A. Vidal about the penthouse he shares with his wife, Jennifer Slifka.
Asset manager Luis A. Vidal and his wife, Jennifer Slifka, who maintain Massachusetts residences in Needham and Osterville, explored the charms of Florida's Palm Beach as visitors over a 25-year period when they regularly traveled to see Slifka’s parents.
“We first came with our kids when my in-laws had a place on Sloan’s Curve (and later) a rental on Worth Avenue and then a home on Jungle Road,” Vidal says. “We have three children, and our son, Samuel, who is now 28, was 2 or 3 at the time (we first visited).
“This past June, our youngest child, Monica, went to college. We had decided that we were looking forward to becoming empty nesters and spending our winters in Florida, and since we have family here, it was comfortable for us to come to Palm Beach as opposed to another town in Florida.
“We love Palm Beach — not just the restaurants, but the lifestyle.”
In 2023, while anticipating their empty-nester status, they bought a top-floor apartment at the Sun & Surf on the near North End. Penthouse 8 delivers wide views of The Breakers’ golf course, Palm Beach and, in the distance, the West Palm Beach skyline.
Those views drew Vidal and Slifka to buy the penthouse, Vidal recalls.
“They are magnificent. Our condo overlooks The Breakers all the way to Worth Avenue. We have beautiful sunsets,” says Vidal.
From the terrace, they also can even catch glimpses of the ocean.
They are currently enjoying their first full season on the island as seasonal residents.
Might they one day become full-timers? “We’ll see how it evolves over time,” says Vidal, whose wife is an attorney but no longer practices.
And how are they adapting to their empty nest? They have found that son Samuel, daughter Lily, 26, and 19-year-old Monica still like coming to Palm Beach. And the way things are going, Vidal and Slifka have sought out a larger nest, so to speak. Last summer, they bought a single-family home on nearby Everglade Avenue.
As a result, they have listed for sale their three-bedroom, three-bath penthouse at 130 Sunrise Ave. with Douglas Elliman agent Spencer Schlager, who has it priced at $8.65 million. The apartment offers 2,926 square feet of living space, inside and out.
From the entry of their south-facing unit, a hallway leads past the kitchen to the living room and dining room and then to a guest-bedroom suite and laundry area. A second hallway from the entry leads to another guest-bedroom suite and terminates at the main bedroom.
Sliding doors made of impact-resistant glass open to the terrace from every room except the kitchen.
Details throughout include nine-foot ceilings, hardwood and carpeted flooring, custom built-in cabinetry and marble and tile appointments in the bathrooms.
The Downsview kitchen features zebrawood cabinetry, high-end appliances with stainless-steel finishes, and counters and backsplashes made of marble.
The penthouse was in great condition when they bought it, Vidal adds, because Toronto-based interior designer Brian Glucksin had overseen a gut renovation for the previous owners.
“All we did was decorate it to our taste,” Vidal says.
They’ve also enjoyed the neighborhood.
“We can walk to Publix, Amici Market, all the restaurants and the Royal Poinciana Plaza.
“There are many homes farther down on North County Road that are beautiful, but this area gives the character of the town, which is unique in Florida,” he says.
They also like the building. The Sun & Surf complex, just north of Royal Poinciana Way, comprises two curvilinear freeform seven-floor buildings, with 104 units in the building at 130 Sunrise Ave. and 132 units in the other building, which directly overlooks the ocean at 100 Sunrise.
Built in 1970 by Jack Resnick and designed as luxury rentals by architect Gene Lawrence, the complex replaced the private Sun and Surf Beach Club. The development was converted to condos in 1977.
Amenities of the pet-friendly 130 Sunrise Ave. building include a saltwater pool, beach access, an updated lobby and fitness center. A new roof was installed in 2024.
Services include valet parking, door staff, a full-time manager, and pool and beach attendants.
“The Sun & Surf is top level, for sure,” Vidal says. “It has a wonderful gym and pool. The building offers exceptional service and attentiveness from all the staff.”
He adds: “Buying our penthouse was a great decision for us and we are happy with it, but when all our children and their friends are here, it’s tighter than what we would like it to be. Our family will grow. It doesn’t make sense to be in a place where we can’t grow with it. We were looking for a place to be more accommodating to the family.”
To see more photos of Penthouse 8 at 130 Sunrise Ave. in Palm Beach, click on the photo gallery at the top of this page.
For more than 20 years, Christine Davis has written about Palm Beach real estate in the "On the Market" feature in the Palm Beach Daily News.