Herbet Hapgood was the developer of Mountain Lakes at the turn of the century. He built around 600 houses of which many still exist today. The houses are, for the most part, situated on small lots of .5 to 1 acre of land. The small(ish) lots are important to the walkability and feel of Mountain Lakes. On any given day, driving through town, you will see residents ("Lakers") out and about in their yards, on the street, or along the Boulevard. I encourage you to check out other towns and see who is out and about besides the landscaping crews.
Also, with the smaller lots, you will get to know your neighbors. I know that some of you have had problems with neighbors in the past, but there is a special common ground in neighborly relationships that makes them easy -- everyone loves being in Mountain Lakes. Don't believe me? Just crash any party in town. You'll see it's all they want to talk about.
As nice as the Hapgood houses are (and I encourage you to take the annual house tour in December), Mountain Lakes is not about the houses. There are all kinds of houses in town covering a wide range of styles and price points. The natural landscaping of the town, and lack of fences, integrates all of the houses and makes them blend seamlessly together.
My wife and I refer the Hapgood houses as tree houses. With many of them being three stories tall, views from the widows are framed by the town's many mature trees and bushes (and yes, Fall brings lots of leaves). It is a lot like living in a tree house and you can't beat the views..
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