A bygone summer retreat in the early 20th century, Lake Hiawatha is now home to year-round residents and maintains a residential, small-town feel. Contrary to its name, however, the area’s namesake lake has largely dried up. As a community within the vast Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, there’s a nearby reservoir, the Rockaway River, and other manmade lakes in the area. “It used to be seasonal living with bungalows and small homes, but the majority are being sold to builders because the value has gone up. Homes are getting bigger with new constructions, mainly colonials, over $1 million,” says Jennifer Pickett, a real estate agent with Compass who has sold several homes in the area. “There are also a lot of multi-generational families in the area, maybe 75 percent,” she adds.
The Rockaway river feeds into Lake Hiawatha's namesake lake.
You can find large colonial homes on Boonton Reservoir in Lake Hiawatha.
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Colonial and ranch-style homes with new construction
Buyers will encounter very limited stock in the area, and when a house does go up for sale, it typically gets snagged within a couple weeks. The market primarily consists of renovated midcentury properties, including split-level homes, quaint Cape Cods, colonial-style residences, and an impressive range of ranch-style properties. The median price is around $500,000 for a single-family home, but can go for $750,000 and up for newer, larger properties. One-bedroom condos go as low as $205,000. Averaging around 1,5000 square-feet, home sizes tend to be a bit smaller than the national average. “Houses are also a little bit closer together, but more affordable than neighboring Lake Parsippany,” Pickett says.
Most homes in Lake Hiawatha are colonial style with vinyl siding.
Ranch homes, large and small, can be found throughout Lake Hiawatha.
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A-rated schools with extracurricular activities
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District has highly-rated schools that attract many families. Elementary school students can attend Northvail Elementary School and Central Middle School, which both receive an A rating on Niche. Parsippany Hills High School, an A-plus-rated school that's ranked number six in the county, has a great range of athletic, academic, and extracurricular activities and programming.
Northvail School is one of the options for elementary students in Lake Hiawatha.
Students of Parsippany High School get to enjoy the extensive sporting fields.
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Popular swim club and recreation areas
Lake Hiawatha Swim Club has an Olympic-size swimming pool, a wading pool for young swimmers, diving boards and a waterslide. Residents also play volleyball and tennis with neighbors and enjoy live music, bonfires and movie nights. Next to the swim club is Lake Hiawatha Park, which has a large play area for kids and a small gazebo. At Volunteers Park, locals enjoy picnics in the grass, while some head to the skate park and athletic fields. For nature-immersion, residents head to nearby Lake Parsippany: “The township is all connected, and Lake Parsippany, which is only a five-to-10 minute drive away, has canoeing and swimming,” says Pickett.
Take a swim at the Lake Hiawatha Swim Club.
Veterans Memorial Park lies just south of the Boonton Reservoir in Lake Hiawatha.
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Walkable streets and specialty dining
“People buy here because things are walkable. There’s a stretch of stores with specialty foods, including Indian and Asian cuisines,” says Pickett. Residents stroll along sidewalks past mom-and-pop restaurants, dentist offices and small businesses like a comic book store, hair parlors and nail salons. Lake Hiawatha, like the entire township, has many Indian restaurants, including the Bollywood Grill and Vaishnav thali. Like any true Jersey community, there's at least one bagel shop within reach. Residents stop into Howard’s Bagel for their well-loved Taylor ham, egg and cheeses. Lake Hiawatha Dairy serves up homemade seasonal ice cream with fun flavors.
Residents of Lake Hiawatha can walk to the local shops downtown,
Outstanding Afghan and Mediterranean food can be found at Kabab Paradise in Lake Hiawatha.
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Major interstates and a bus to Manhattan
Residents can access several major highways, including NJ-495, US-46 and I-80, to get to NYC, the Jersey Shore or the Pennsylvania mountains. At the Beverwyck Park and Ride, locals can park their car and easily hop on a bus to Manhattan. “A lot of people take a bus to the city, which is about 45 minutes,” says Pickett. Interstate 80 and Interstate 287 converge in the middle of the township, while Route 10 and Route 46 are accessible from the interstates.
The Lake Hiawatha neighborhood is right near the junction of Routes 80 and 287.
Lake Hiawatha residents take advantage of the Beverwyck Park and Ride to get to the city.
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Things to know
“Lake Hiawatha has a lot of flood areas, but it really depends on the section,” says Pickett. Also, despite the name, there is no longer a large namesake lake in the neighborhood, but several others can be found within the boundaries of the township.
Written By
Amber Snider
Video By
Hunter Severtson
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Jill Cardullo,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Lake Hiawatha, NJ sell after 33 days on the market compared to the national average of 57 days. The median sale price for homes in Lake Hiawatha, NJ over the last 12 months is $513,518, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Welcome to 3 Maple Lane, This beautifully maintained 4-bedroom, 1.5-bath sits on quite horseshoe street. This home offers the perfect combination of comfort, functionality, and outdoor living. The main level features a spacious living room that flows seamlessly into the kitchen, creating an open and inviting space for everyday living and entertaining. The primary bedroom and additional bedroom
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Welcome to 3 Maple Lane, This beautifully maintained 4-bedroom, 1.5-bath sits on quite horseshoe street. This home offers the perfect combination of comfort, functionality, and outdoor living. The main level features a spacious living room that flows seamlessly into the kitchen, creating an open and inviting space for everyday living and entertaining. The primary bedroom and additional bedroom
Welcome to this bright, well maintained, inviting home. Updated beautiful eat in kitchen with built in Peninsula table. Spacious LR, FR and formal DR. Built in shoes cabinet in the foyer. Level backyard w/spacious deck is perfect for outdoor gatherings. FR & Sunroom(exercise room) with electric heated floor. 2 electric vehicle chargers in 2 car garage. Multi-zone baseboard heating. Located in
"2026 New Construction". Colonial style home with 9' ceilings throughout. Open-floor-concept flows the family room into an eat in kitchen with 42 inch cabinets, granite counter-tops, backsplash & stainless steel appliances. Hardwood floors throughout. Decorative molding throughout. Decorative tile designs. Master bedroom offers tray ceilings and full bathroom. Ground level 5th bedroom or Den.
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Renee DanielsKeller Williams Village Square Realty
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"2026 New Construction". Colonial style home with 9' ceilings throughout. Open-floor-concept flows the family room into an eat in kitchen with 42 inch cabinets, granite counter-tops, backsplash & stainless steel appliances. Hardwood floors throughout. Decorative molding throughout. Decorative tile designs. Master bedroom offers tray ceilings and full bathroom. Ground level 5th bedroom or Den.
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