When Angel Goldsborough was preparing for a “new chapter” in her life, she thought she wanted to live on one level. That is, until she saw the floor plan for the Caruso Homes townhouses at Amber Ridge in Bowie, Md.

She also wanted to stay in Bowie, where she has lived for 23 years, and she was sure that she didn’t want to live through a home renovation. “There weren’t a lot of options in the Bowie area,” said Goldsborough, 51, who retired from the federal government in September, and has a new position working remotely in information technology. An empty nester, her son is in college.

New construction on one level was hard to find in Bowie, so she began considering townhouses. “I looked at a lot of floor plans online,” she said. “The floor plan was huge for me. I bought [the Amber Ridge townhouse] from the floor plan.”

Caruso plans a total of 63 townhouses at Amber Ridge. Prices start at $535,990 for the base model. The townhouses all have the same floor plan, the Patuxent. The open-concept layout and ample natural light in the model unit convinced Goldsborough that townhouse living would be right for her.

The base Patuxent townhouse has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room on three levels, but Goldsborough chose several of the many “extensions” that Caruso offers buyers at Amber Ridge.

“The Patuxent floor plan can expand to include five full bedrooms and four full baths,” said Jozette Adams, sales manager, Caruso Homes, Amber Ridge.

The upgrades include adding a fourth level, which appealed to Goldsborough. Her unit’s total square-footage is about 2,800, up from a standard size of about 2,400.

Villas at 55-plus Va. community come with lots of amenities

On the lower level, which comes standard with a recreation room, she chose to add an office and a full bathroom.

Off the great room, on the main level, she ordered a sunroom, and she chose a full spa bath and extended closet for the fourth level. She also added a deck to the third level, off the owner’s suite, another deck off the sunroom and a concrete slab off the lower level.

“These are the options they give you,” Goldsborough said.

Caruso, one of two builders working at Amber Ridge, is offering townhouses with luxury laminate floors in the foyer, kitchen, laundry and powder room (half-bath) and ceramic floors in the full bathrooms. The other rooms are carpeted in neutral tones. There are nine-foot-high ceilings on the second and third levels.

The kitchens have granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances and a stainless-steel sink with sprayer faucet, a self-cleaning gas range, a microwave with recirculating fan and LED lighting.

Energy-saving features include vinyl, double-pane, thermal-insulated, Low E single-hung windows with tilt lower sash, a high-efficiency natural gas heating and cooling system, programmable thermostat, high-efficiency tankless hot water heater and Energy Star-rated appliances.

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Schools: Pointer Ridge Elementary, Benjamin Tasker Middle, Bowie High.

Transit: This community is largely dependent on private vehicles. The Largo Metro station, on the Blue and Silver lines, is eight miles away.

Nearby: Bowie Town Center includes restaurants and stores such as Macy’s, Barnes & Noble and Safeway. South Bowie Community Center has a community garden, basketball court, a computer lab, a fitness room, a gym, a playground, meeting rooms and a therapeutic sensory room. Allen Pond Park, Bowie’s 85-acre city park, offers biking, fishing, and ice skating at the Bowie Ice Arena. Six Flags America, the amusement park, includes a water park and is known for its roller coasters. Patuxent Research Refuge is 13,000 acres of forest, meadow and wetland set aide to conserve and protect wildlife.

Sixty-three Caruso townhouses are planned at Amber Ridge, with 24 left to sell. Prices start at $535,990 for the base model.

Features: The base model has three levels: the ground level (lower level) with a two-vehicle garage and a rec room, a middle level with the main living area and the third level with three bedrooms, including the owner’s suite. The second level, with the main living space, includes a great room, dining room, kitchen and powder room. The kitchens have stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, 42-inch birch cabinets and a 10-foot-long island. Units have a two-vehicle garage.

Homeowners association fee: $92 a month, includes snow removal on the streets, grass cutting on front yard but not backyard, and trash removal.

View model: Models can be viewed 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday. Call 301-517-7314 to set up an appointment.

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