If you’re looking for Manalapan on a map, you’ll have to zoom in pretty far or grab a magnifying glass. The narrow municipality comprises two sections of land whose only shared border is the body of water that separates them. One portion occupies the lower third of Hypoluxo Island, the other a strip along Highway A1A below Palm Beach and up to the South Lake Worth Inlet — land is a hot commodity if you can secure it. Manalapan was founded under a “finders-keepers” philosophy when Harold Stirling Vanderbilt had an estate — the now-historic Eastover — built in the area. He then incorporated the town in 1931 and served as its first mayor. While you sadly won’t be able to follow that exact model, minimal development in Manalapan has kept the place feeling secluded and quiet, both qualities you’d want for a home truly on the water.