Bayside, a mixed-use coastal resort community in Selbyville, was named the community of the year in the 2018 Best in American Living Awards (BALA) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Replete with a marketplace, restaurant and recreational facilities, the Fenwick Island resort also won the best mixed-use community award.

"Bayside has won several awards locally but to win an award encompassing the entire country is quite humbling," said Michelle D. Freeman, president and CEO for Carl M. Freeman Companies, which developed and manages the property. "For the past ten plus years of development, the Freeman Companies have strived to make Bayside the best community not just at the Delaware beaches but in the nation. This award recognizes all the hard work of all the team members and partners at Bayside."

The development includes townhomes, villa-style duplexes and single-family dwellings, each designed to integrate with the surrounding natural environment.

In addition, Bayside contains a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, miles of trails and a conservation area. . BALA judges praised how well developer Carl M. Freeman Companies and land planner Parker Rodriguez integrated the community with nature, taking full advantage of its prime waterfront site.

"This community takes cues from the local environment in its design and has a continuity in its contextual architecture," said Don Ruthroff, principal at Dahlin Group Architecture Planning, NAHB's 2018 Judging Chair and 2018 Best in American Living Awards Subcommittee Chair. "Its abundant amenities help residents make the most of its leisure shoreside lifestyle."

Other amenities include community pools, fitness centers, tennis facilities, stocked ponds, a dog park, poolside bars, and an integrated retail and entertainment venue. The community offers residents a variety of activities including kayaking, paddle boarding, life enrichment classes, kids' programming, community events.