Lake Wallenpaupack Living Without the Lakefront Premium

Featured Listing • Tanglwood Lakes • Greentown, PA

Three Thousand Bricks, Give or Take: A Look at This Tanglwood Lakes Home for Sale

Somebody counted the 3,000 bricks in this fireplace. Or somebody said they counted ’em, which honestly tends to amount to the same thing. Either way, the fireplace is the first thing you see at this chalet in Tanglwood (not Tanglewood) Lakes, and it’s one you’ll never forget.

The Fireplace Is Not Only a Feature, It Is the Floor Plan

Most houses have a fireplace somewhere in them. This chalet seems to be built around one.

The brick starts in the basement of this Tanglwood Lakes home for sale and does not stop until it clears the roof. You see it in the finished lower level. You see it again on the main floor, towering through the cathedral ceiling, with a mantel beam thick enough to almost be structural. And you see it a third time from the upstairs landing, where you are standing practically eye to eye with a masonry marvel that started two floors below your feet. At what point does this stop being a fireplace and start being architecture?

On paper the MLS describes this as two fireplaces. That is technically correct, and it undersells the thing entirely. It is one continuous column of brickwork running the full height of the house, and some skilled brickmason in 1980 built it properly, and here it stands, 46 years later, as a testament to quality craftsmanship.

Modern propane inserts handle the fire now, which means you get the flame and the heat without the wood hauling, the ash bucket, the chimney sweep. All of the vibes, none of the chores.

The three thousand bricks are the rumor. I have not counted them. I am not going to count them. But it is precisely the kind of rumor a lake house like this ought to come with, and I’ll let it stand.

Profile: Tanglwood Lake House at Lake Wallenpaupack

This Greentown chalet features 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, and a little over half an acre of gently sloped, wooded property in the private Lake Wallenpaupack community of Tanglwood Lakes.

The main floor welcomes you with warm wood floors, a cathedral ceiling with exposed beams, and windows that fill the living and dining area with light and, more to the point, with views of the beautiful Pennsylvania woods. Ever dream of fresh air, the gentle cooing of mourning doves, and living in a treehouse? Here’s your chance…it’s not exactly a tree house, but it’s kinda close.

2 of the 4 bedrooms are on the main floor. The primary has its own private balcony overlooking the back yard. There’s plenty of room for a king bed, night stands, and actual furniture. The second bedroom opens directly onto the screened porch, which is either the coolest thing about that room…or the reason you turn it into an office or a den. You can’t go wrong either way.

There’s also a full bath on this level, and a laundry hookup. This means the washer and dryer can live right outside your bedroom door. You’ll never have to carry a basket of towels and sheets up or down the stairs again. There’s a laundry area in the lower level as well, handy for whoever comes in wet from the lake. Two laundry locations in one house is a nice flex! Somebody carried a full basket up a flight of stairs exactly one too many times and made a decision to never have to do that again. Hey, some heroes wear capes; this one harbored a deep, personal grudge against unnecessary stair-climbing.

The galley kitchen has granite counters and enough workspace to satisfy any cook. Oh, and desk space.

Transform a Dated Element Into a Fab Feature

Every house of this vintage has one: the built-in desk in the kitchen with the shallow center drawer and, if you were fancy, the phone jack. Builders called it a planning desk, or a message center. Nobody has planned anything at one since roughly 1997, and as you can see, this one has already been surrendered to a flat-screen TV, which tells you everything about how this feature got used.

Modern era design idea: install an undercounter beverage fridge, add open shelving for glassware, and let the former desk handle morning coffee, afternoon margaritas, and evening nightcaps. Same footprint, considerably more useful, and nobody has to pretend they are going to balance a checkbook in the kitchen.

A heated sunroom sits just off the living room, and it’s use is not limited to just the warmer months. Bask in the golden light of a fall afternoon, enjoy a summer rain shower, or feel like you’re living in a snowglobe when those inevitable white flakes start to flurry around. Can you say versatile?

A Wallenpaupack Chalet Home With Lots of Possibilities

Upstairs are bedrooms 3 and 4, another full bath, and a bonus room that is very nearly finished. That bonus room could become an excellent sleeping space if you’d rather keep a den downstairs and put your guests up here. And then there’s the large open room in the middle, a large central area that everything else opens off of. The MLS listing calls it a loft. But it is really a large, open landing, which is the least interesting thing you could call it.

This may be the most underused square footage in the house only because many wouldn’t know what to do with it. So, give it a job.

Hang your art or photo collection, and it’s a gallery. Install a display case, and now it’s where the trophy fish goes, or the golf hardware, or the things you’ve kept in a box for a decade because you had no place to put them. Give that space a purpose and it stops being simply a landing and becomes a showcase of your treasured memories.

Downstairs, the lower level features daylight coming in through the full size windows. Here you’ll also find the rest of that magnificent fireplace, the family room, full bath #3 with a soaking tub and separate shower, laundry, and a workshop. Mostly finished and fully heated, this area offers excellent additional living space. Game room, media room, gym…you decide!

And yes, this Tanglwood Lakes home for sale is a little dated in the way any well-kept 1980 chalet is dated. The carpeting is old, the fixtures are of their era, and the bedrooms are ready for fresh paint. You know, the normal cosmetic stuff lots of people handle after they buy a house in the Poconos.

The Deck, the Porch, and the Golf Cart Garage

The deck is expansive, and it is the reason this house is great for entertaining. A dozen people fit out there without anyone standing in a doorway holding a plate, wondering where to go.

The screened porch is the other half of that, and it is a seriously pretty room. Knotty pine ceiling, recessed lighting, two ceiling fans, and enough room for furniture to seat everyone who wanted to be outside but didn’t want to be in the sun. It looks straight into the woodsy area out back, and it keeps the bugs right where they belong: far away! Between the deck, the porch, and the glass-enclosed sunroom, this lake home in the woods gives you three separate ways to be outside without fully committing to being completely outside. In northeastern Pennsylvania, that is a strategy.

Then there is the parking, of which there is a lot: an attached golf cart garage, a detached two-car garage, an expansive paved driveway, easily six spaces (or more depending on how strategic your guests are). Remember the golf cart garage; it’ll come up again in a minute.

Lake Living Without the Wallenpaupack Lakefront Premium

Lakefront on Wallenpaupack carries a premium. So does second tier. Those certainly are wonderful properties to own, but not everyone wants to embrace that budget. So this Tanglwood Lakes chalet for sale is the perfect answer. The beach, picnic area, boat launch, and the marina are all on Lake Wallenpaupack. You get the lake life at a less daunting number.

About That Boat You Wanted…

Because that is the next question. It is always the next question.

Yes, of course you can have a boat. You can have more than one, if that, um, floats your boat. Different kinds, even. Anything from pontoons, bowriders, and Jet-Skis to bass boats, kayaks, and canoes.

Yes, Tanglwood Lakes has boat slips available on Lake Wallenpaupack, and yes, there is a wait list. Wait lists definitely move at their own pace, and sometimes that pace is as long as a couple of years.

You are not stuck waiting until you get your slip, though. There are two marinas within about five minutes of this house, both of them in Greentown, right on Route 507. Lighthouse Harbor Marina at 969 Route 507, and New Wave Marina at 839 Route 507 (which was Pine Crest Marina for so long that half the lake still calls it Pine Crest and probably always will). Both rent boat slips privately to plenty of lake lovers.

One Lake House, Two Lakes (Actually More)

In spite of rumors to the contrary, life in Northeastern PA isn’t all about Lake Wallenpaupack. There are many other public-access lakes right in your back yard. Or at least, not too far away.

Lake Tanglwood sits a third of a mile from the front door of this house. That is 1,760 feet, or about seven Manhattan street blocks. Many folks walk seven blocks without a thought before they’ve finished their first coffee of the day. It is also one very long par 5, which is the identical distance explained to an entirely different genre of lake house buyers.

By the way, it’s mostly a level walk to Lake Tanglwood. This matters far more than you would think it should. Northeastern PA, and Pike County especially, is famous for its hills, and a great many “short walks to the lake” begin as a pleasant stroll down to the water, followed by a vigorous cardio workout on the way back up. This is not that. Leisurely and relaxing are the key words.

On a July afternoon with temps in the mid-nineties, hauling a cooler and two chairs, you’d probably rather take a golf cart. What a coincidence: the next owner of this house will have somewhere excellent to park one.

Which is why I told you to remember it above.

As for the lake itself, Lake Tanglwood is pleasantly quiet, because only electric motors, or no motors at all, are allowed. That means a kayak, a canoe, a paddleboard, a trolling motor, and a line in the water at first light. No wake to disturb the glassy surface. Nobody’s speedboat cutting across your morning and disrupting your zen. Ever.

And if what you want is the speedboat, good news awaits: the powerboat fun is at the bottom of the hill on Lake Wally.

Two lakes, two completely different moods, and you get to pick which one you are in the mood for on any given afternoon. Bonus: there are also several quiet, public-access lakes scattered throughout the region if you’d like to explore others with your kayak or rod and reel.

What Else Does Tanglwood Lakes Offer?

Along with the two lakes, Tanglwood Lakes amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, tennis courts, a playground, and a nature trail. At Lake Wallenpaupack’s shoreline there’s a picnic area, beach, gazebo, boat launch, and boat slips. Paupack Hills golf course is up and running if you’re looking to hit the links.

Beyond Tanglwood, you are a short drive from hiking and fishing at Promised Land State Park, and within striking distance of Ski Big Bear, Camelback, Jack Frost/Big Boulder, and Elk Mountain. This Greentown, PA home truly embraces all four seasons.

What It Costs to Carry

Annual property taxes run $4,665. Association dues, at the current time, are $1,755 a year, and that is what pays for the amenities. Access to two lakes and all those amenities for under $2,000 is a reasonable trade.

Schools are part of the Wallenpaupack Area School District.

For the current price, status, and all the pictures of this Greentown PA home for sale, click here.

See It Online, Then come to Lake Wallenpaupack for Real

There are eighty-two photos and a 3D tour on the listing, so you can virtually walk through this Tanglwood Lakes home for sale before you make the drive to see it in person.

Then come to see this Greentown chalet. The fireplace alone is worth the drive.

Common Questions

Do I get Lake Wallenpaupack access with a house in Tanglwood Lakes?

Yes. Tanglwood Lakes is a private community with its own beach, picnic area, boat launch, and marina on Lake Wallenpaupack. The community also has its own lake, Lake Tanglwood, about a third of a mile from this house.

Can I get a boat slip?

The community has slips on Lake Wallenpaupack and it has a wait list for them. There are also two marinas about five minutes away, Lighthouse Harbor Marina and New Wave Marina, where you can rent a slip privately.

Can you use a motorboat on Lake Tanglwood?

No. Lake Tanglwood is electric motors only, or no motor at all, which is exactly why it stays quiet. It is the lake for kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and fishing. Lake Wallenpaupack permits gas motors, and it’s less than five minutes down the street.