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 With its Main Street shops, historical
town green and quaint atmosphere, New Milford is the perfect small-town backdrop
for a Norman Rockwell painting.
Located in Western rural Connecticut, and nestled against the Housatonic River,
New Milford served
as the hub for the outer-lying rural communities.
First incorporated
in 1712, New Milford maintains its historical tradition and small-town atmosphere
with village art and craft fair days, parades, fireworks, community theatre, storytelling,
caroling and bandstand concerts.
Since the 1950s, this rural
community has grown in population, with new industry and technology coming to town.
Luckily, it has modernized without losing its charm or its historical architecture
(despite a serious fire in 1902).
New Milford boasts an array
of specialty shops and antique stores, gourmet restaurants, historic buildings and
nearby recreational activities like canoeing and hiking trails.
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THINGS
TO DO
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See full list of activities and businesses list of activities and businesses
 At the old train station, you
can pick up information at the local Chamber of Commerce.
What's next? You decide!
Pop into the shops near the Bank Street Movie Theater.
Designer Fran D'Ambrosio
has opened her own unique clothing store at 57 Bank St. (pictured above)
Also checkout Baileywick Books, Rachel's Kids, Raven's Comics
and the antiques at the Focal Point Gallery. Don't forget Connecticut Memories
on Railroad St. around the corner.
If antiquing is your passion,
you'll find The Village Hardware Antiques, and Two Sisters up on Main
St. Continue shopping around the corner on Church St. at Blast from the Past
and The Firehouse (a clothing store). On Sundays, there is the Elephant's
Trunk Flea Market, accessible by the local H.A.R.T. bus, or you can take a
taxi/bike there.
For the less active, sign
up for a spa package at En Avant for Saturday and pamper yourself all day.
They even offer a men's package including massage.
Pack a picnic (Food For
Thought on Railroad St. for sandwiches) and paddle around beautiful Candlewood
Lake at Gerard's Marina. Gerard will rent you a canoe ($50) or a motorboat
($75) for the whole day. Call Washington Taxi ($12.00 one way) or bike 2
mi. (3 of the blocks uphill) to get there.
The local H.A.R.T.
bus will drop you at Lorre's Lanes if bowling is your bag. The Pratt Center
for hiking trails and The Silo School for cooking classes are just short
taxi rides away, too.
On Sundays, religion is a
big part of New Milford's community. Partake in one of the services at the beautiful
area churches or sleep in. Most shops do not open until noon on Sundays. For the
more active, pack your tennis racket and play at the Young's Field public
tennis courts. No reservation required.
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LODGING
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 We
highly encourage at least a one-night stay to fully appreciate New Milford. There
are a few overnight options, all within walking-distance of the town green: The
Heritage Inn,
The Homestead Inn and The Barton House. The Heritage Inn,
housed in the old Tobacco Warehouse, is directly across from the old Railroad Station.
Mr. Barton (who with his wife, Rachel, also runs the Barton House) offers warm hospitality,
a full breakfast, rooms with A/C and telephones and TV sets. (We recommend you
request a room on the opposite side of the tracks, since on the very rare occasion,
a freight train has been known to use the abandoned tracks as a docking station
at night.)
We stayed at the
Homestead Inn. It is only a few short blocks from the center of town on
Elm St. From the station, take a left on Bridge St., a left on Main St. and a right
on Elm St. This country
inn boasts eight rooms in the main house with an adjoining two room suite, plus
six rooms in the Treadwell House adjacent to the main building. All rooms have a
private bath, cable television, air conditioning and a telephone. Their common areas
feature two fireplaces, antiques, a porch and the work of several local artists.
We enjoyed a light continental breakfast and then conversation with our fellow guests
and the golden retriever, Solitaire.
See full list of lodgingsSee full list of lodging
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DINING
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After you've settled in to
your accommodations, walk back to the center of town and enjoy lunch at any one
of the great gourmet restaurants like Fabled Foods or The Bagelry
on Bank St. or Carmela's on Main St. We had lunch at Salsa, a great
Mexican eatery, just down the block from the station on Railroad St. Dan's Place
is also located on Railroad St. and don't forget your dessert at Sprinkle's Ice
Cream.
You won't find a shortage
of restaurants for dinner in New Milford either. We had steak at J.W. Clancy's
Chophouse, but we were told that Darwood's and The Bistro Cafe
are just as good. For finer dining, make reservations and take a taxi to the famed
Adrienne or the North Country Inn and Restaurant.
See full list of dining
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NIGHTLIFE
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For nighttime entertainment,
take in a movie at the Bank Street Movie Theater or a performance at Theatreworks
(see performance schedule on event calendar). Lorre's Lanes has "glow
bowling" on the weekends (you'll need a taxi to get back). The Bank St. Coffee
House and Clancy's have live music on the weekends. When we were there,
people were spilling out of the coffee house, bopping to the music being played.
See full list of nightlife
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TRANSPORTATION
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BUS:
Take Bonanza Bus to
Danbury. From there you'll need to catch a taxi to New Milford, rent a car (see
below) or connect with the local HART bus right across the street from the
station - be sure to check schedules.
Travel time: 2-1/2 hrs.
TAXI:
The taxi services are a bit
pricey and very busy on weekends. Note that Washington Transportation is
closer to New Milford. The trip is approximately $40.00 one-way. Still, make sure
you call ahead in plenty of time if you need one.
CAR RENTAL:
Rent a car once you get to
Danbury. Enterprise will pick you up at the station.
CAR:
Take Henry Hudson Parkway
to Sawmill Parkway to I-684 North to I-84 East, take exit 7 to Rt. 7 North.
Travel time: 2 hours
See full list of transportation
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TRAVEL
TIPS
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Packing extras: bike,
tennis racket, bathing suit, sunglasses, suntan lotion and camera.
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WEATHER
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