Nestled not far from downtown Towson's high-rise apartments, condominiums, multi-level university buildings and dormitories sits the quiet, settled neighborhood of Stoneleigh. Narrow streets meander up and around old trees, lined by houses of many styles. Front gardens — some blanketed in ivy and protected by picket fences — unfold before visitors like the opening scene of a Frank Capra film or the backdrop of a Currier & Ives painting.

Stoneleigh homeowner Fred Stringfellow calls it "a traditional and one-of-a-kind neighborhood." Hearth and home are important to him and his wife, Wendy, who at this stage in their lives wanted the ideal environment in which to raise their two children, Andrew, 14, and Caroline, 11.

"We feel the neighborhood epitomizes the quintessential Rockwellian-era home and community," he said. "Our children have been able to walk to all of their schools, from preschool … to Towson High School [which] is just over one mile away."

The Stringfellows moved 11 years ago from the neighborhood of Anneslie — a hop, skip and a jump away — to Stoneleigh in search of a larger home. When their real estate agent found the storybook-like Cape Cod, they jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the community.

"We didn't even see [the house] together," said Fred Stringfellow, co-owner of the association management company, King-Stringfellow. "We each had a separate walk-through."

Each had the same reaction, as well. They wanted the four-bedroom cottage with a delightful sunroom and attractive front garden, which, they were told, was the model for the neighborhood established in 1922.

An additional bonus to their $279,000 purchase was that they would be only the fourth owners of a house in move-in condition.

Over the past decade or so, the couple replaced a slate roof in kind, painted the home's interior throughout, renovated a first-floor bathroom and gutted the entire kitchen, which hadn't been remodeled since 1970.

A major project, the kitchen renovation updated the space to include pine flooring, a raised ceiling and a large, multi-paned window looking out onto the patio. A clean, yet traditional look is achieved in wood cabinets painted a neutral shade of lightest beige, a matching cabinet cover for the refrigerator and contrasting black granite countertop.

"Come see my favorite room," said Wendy Stringfellow, a former social worker, now a stay-at-home mom. "This is the reason I wanted the house."

Indeed, the home's sunroom, with its multiple windows at two intersecting walls, provides the most cheerful of spaces to relax. White wicker furniture with upholstered cushions sits on a floor of brick tiling. A large, built-in bookcase on an opposite wall holds a wealth of books collected over the years. The absence of a TV in the room is obvious and the ready answer from Wendy Stringfellow is equally so: "This room is for reading and conversation."

The traditional warmth of the sunroom is carried over into the living and dining rooms, where furniture is carefully scaled and placed for optimum use. A flat-screen TV in a living room corner sits perpendicular to a wood-burning fireplace, clearly indicating the room's primary function — to live in and be comfortable doing so.

Two bedrooms, a master suite and guest room, along with a renovated bathroom, are situated on the opposite side of a center hall. The children enjoy separate rooms, their beds tucked into cozy dormered spaces with window seats, a bathroom and a central play loft on the second level.

Seated in the cozy sunroom, overlooking the wooden patio deck and the sleeping family pet, a 6-month golden-doodle mix, named Chessie, Fred Stringfellow says Stoneleigh's appeal goes beyond its homey looks to the community that resides there.

"It's really nice walking the dog and always running into people you know."

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Making the dream

Dream element: The Stringfellows' Cape Cod-style cottage was built in 1923, among the first in the charming neighborhood of Stoneleigh. The gray, four-bedroom home with a deeply pitched slate roof sits on a beautifully landscaped corner lot. A white picket fence in the rear of the home encloses a large patio and deck with pergola and a built-in goldfish pond. "This is where we do all of our summer entertaining," Fred Stringfellow said.

Design inspiration: Like the cottage exterior, the 2,200-square-foot interior, with high ceilings, arches, multi-paned French doors, fireplace and detailed molding, seems almost to demand traditional decor. This has been executed tastefully and simply by Wendy Stringfellow, who has used paint to define the various rooms and their uses by contrasting wall and molding color.

Living the dream: "Stoneleigh … includes a community swimming pool, which serves as the heart of the neighborhood from Memorial Day to Labor Day," said Fred Stringfellow, whose children have participated on the neighborhood swim team, winning many trophies over the years. The Stoneleigh Community Association, of which Stringfellow is a former president, hosts social events for the neighborhood throughout the year. "There are endless opportunities to meet other families and neighbors [who] still look out for one another."