Millerton

The village of Millerton is the commercial and cultural heart of North East town. Its population is under a thousand, but it’s become a busy tourist destination in recent years. The village was named for Sidney Miller, whose work was influential in the creation of the Harlem Railroad.

Millerton was once a successful town, where three busy railroad lines converged and dairy farms prospered. Gradually, the railroads folded and the area went into decline. But an influx of artists and other entrepreneurial types from the city have helped Millerton rebound. Today, the village is home to galleries, antique shops and boutiques selling an eclectic mix of items. Dining options vary and include pizzerias and cafés.

The North East-Millerton Library supports literacy in the community by organizing reading challenges for kids and has a weekly story time. The library was founded in 1867 with a few hundred books; today its holdings included over 27,000 items. It is also a member of the Mid-Hudson Library System, which allows patrons access to materials from other member libraries. The village is also home to the North East Community Center, which provides residents of both Millerton and North East with recreation opportunities. There are camps for children, as well fitness classes and workshops, events and programs.

The Webutuck Central School District, also known as the North East School District, serves Millerton and the surrounding areas, which include Amenia, Dover and Washington. It has three schools: Webutuck Elementary for kindergarten through third grade, Eugene Brooks Intermediate School for grades 4-8 and Webutuck Junior-Senior High School, for grades 9-12. There are slightly over 800 students in the district, with about a quarter of them living in poverty. The district’s overall performance is solid, though not outstanding, with scores on state assessments hovering around the state median. During the summer, the district runs an enrichment program for English Language Learners and a program for intermediate students who wish to improve their writing skills.

Millerton’s small size puts many homes in walking distance of the village’s amenities. As a result, the housing stock is also limited. Though there are a few expensive homes, most of the homes are affordable.

When visiting a reunion at my summer camp Wa Wa Segowea in the Berkshiers, I would pass through Millerton via Rt. 361. It was always a welcoming site and resting stop when my mom would bring me home from camp, and we would stop and get something to eat and visit Oblong Books and Music, one of New York's few remaining great bookstores, and one of my personal favorites.

It would be a dream to live in a place like this, where you can go into town and try all different kinds of teas at Harney & Son's Tea Shop, or take your first pick of fresh produce from the town's annual Farmer's Market which is ongoing in the warmer seasons.

There's a lot more to Millerton than meets the eye. Visitors can enjoy lots of great dining options like the Oakhurst Diner (a 1950's style diner where you can eat yummy grass-fed burgers), or chill out at the Irving Farm Coffeehouse. There's also necessary staples like your local CVS. It's a very scenic, picturesque little town, and you'll see people riding their bikes along Main Street and families with little kids holding hands as they cross the street.

If you are on your way to a retreat to the Berkshiers, make sure to stop by in Millerton and say hello! (Here's a head's up though: you might not want to leave!)

Millerton is a small hamlet within the greater town of North East in Dutchess County. The area as a whole is picture-perfect and laden with horse farms, requisite red barns, handsome Colonial homes and more modern and modest single family dwellings.

There are a small slew of decent restaurants in Millerton including the highly acclaimed Number 9 which offers exceptional farm-to-table American fare featuring innovative French and Austrian twists and turns, a decent wine list and a lovely outdoor patio for al fresco dining in the warmer months. The Wienerschnitzel is apparently a menu must-try! In the area you will also find Manna Dew Café, Irving Farm Coffee House, Salsa Fresca, Oakhust Diner, Martha’s Restaurant, Taro’s NY Style Pizzeria, Sky Farm Exquisite Salads and The Round Tuit Restaurant.

Millerton is also home to an eclectic little mix of shops and services. Oblong Books and Music is a very cool little indie joint which hosts book signings by acclaimed authors and interesting book readings and discussions. They have a nice selection of books and a helpful, knowledgeable staff. Also in the hamlet are Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders which houses a cafe, BW's Eagle Eye with its vintage clothing, Copper Star Alpaca, Eckert Fine Art, GIlded Moon Framing and Gallery, Country Garden Florist, Saperstein’s Clothing & Footwear, O’Halloran Co., with its elegant and upscale equestrian apparel, Gilmor Glass Works, Green River Gallery, Hunter Bee, which is an antique store, Johnson's Antiques, Mary Magdeline's Boutique with its upscale fashions, Millterton Antiques Center, Masha's Fitness Studio, Agway and the not to be overlooked, Terni's, the oldest shop in Millertown that sells hunting and fishing gear, but actually contains a really cool vintage marble soda fountain!

The charming Movie House on Main Street houses three screens and shows all the best first-run, independent and documentary films. It also boasts a nice art gallery and a cafe where the hot chocolate is delicious, especially on a cozy winter night.

Grand Union, Millerton Food Mart and McEnroe Organic Farms are your local grocery markets and should contain everything you need.

North East Community Center is a gem of a local resource that is devoted to the improving the quality of life of its community members. It has great toddler, youth and senior programs including playgroups, after school programs, a teen team and a volunteer driving program which takes senior residents to medical appointments. The center also offers many terrific classes and programs like Kindermusik, a folk jam, gymnastics, yoga, defensive driving, tax assistance and GED preparation. They also hold a wonderful farmer’s market.

There are several good recreation areas in the immediate area and within acceptable driving distance including Taconic State Park/Rudd Pond is pretty large and lovely and has campsites, boating on the 64-acre pond, fishing, ice skating in winter and an extensive trail system for hikers and bikers alike. There is also Millerton Recreation Park in Millerton, Stissing Mountain in nearby Pine Plains, Taconic State Park and Housatonic State Forest over the border in Connecticut.

The beauty of Millerton's geographical located is that it is within close range of many other wonderful places to visit. It is only a half hour from Great Barrington, Massachussets and Hudson, NY and borders beautiful Litchfield County, CT so if you hvae a car, there are many great day and overnight trips for the taking.

The median household income is roughly $42,038.

The population of greater North East is approximately 3,031 and the hamlet is composed of about a third of that.

Millerton is a small village located in the Town of North East in Dutchess County (and if you're wondering why the town is named that, check out a map -- Millerton is way up in that corner of Dutchess). Closer to Connecticut and Massachusetts than Poughkeepsie, the economic and population center of the county it's in, you're out in the wild a little bit here, but what you'll find is a pleasant, small community which offers a few benefits.

US Route 44 and New York State Route 22 pass through here, and sometimes you'll get travelers coming through (I've been one of them), but don't expect snarling traffic jams or anything like that, even at peak hours. I'm sure that there is some amount of tourism up this way, especially from those heading up to the nearby Taconic and/or Berkshire Mountains and parks therein, but simply put, the town's too small and a little too far out of the way these days to draw any traffic like that.

It's too far away for a commute to New York City, at least if your idea of a reasonable commute is under two hours. The Metro North train line ends in Wassaic, which means you'd need to drive about 10-15 miles just to get to the last stop on the line, never mind all that time you'd be on the train thereafter. Driving the whole way to NYC wouldn't be much more charitable, either. Finally, Millerton is also inaccessible to the county public bus system, which reaches Dover, but not here. Simply put, you've got to have a car to get to your job, and the big city is way too far away.

Millerton is home to a few restaurants, gas stations, a school, churches, and local businesses; it also has a CVS Pharmacy, a movie theater, and even a beer and wine distributor. The town extends essentially all the way to the Connecticut border, and along that stretch (Route 44), you'll find some of the more prominent businesses. Along some other streets, you may also find parks. Your best bets for hospitals or fitness facilities will probably be a significant drive away, as Poughkeepsie is not close, Rhinebeck is not close, and there's not much right over the border in Connecticut, either.

The neighborhoods in Millerton are quiet and friendly; many houses seem to have nicely-sized backyards or plots of land. If you really want to see wide-open spaces and great views, however, head about three miles out of the village in any direction. There is some civilization in Connecticut along Route 44, but otherwise, you'll go miles without seeing much of anything else, hence it is isolated.

Millerton is green and pleasant while not completely lacking things to do. Based upon my experiences with it, it seems like a quiet place to raise a family or even retire. Having lakes and mountains nearby only adds to the attractiveness of the overall setting. With the charming inns it has, it seems like a nice place for a relaxing day in a peaceful village as well.

Millerton is a bit of an anomaly. On the one hand, it's very small. The population is only around 1000, and you can tell, yet at the same time it doesn't feel as sleepy as some other towns.

I think is largely due to Millerton's ranking a few years back on a Frommer's list of cool small towns. A few bands that were pretty cool came out of Millerton, and it's isolated enough not to get watered down like bigger cities. That said, I don't think people should be looking at Millerton as a hotspot for upcoming artists. A few standouts do not make a trend.

I was actually talking to a few people who said that after the Frommer's came out traffic and tourism went up a bit, and there was a bit of a resurgence for Millerton that continues today.

It's very affordable without being cheap, and the local businesses are genuine and offer really good services and goods. This is huge for most visitors, as you don't find that many honest to goodness main streets with charming little stores anymore. Only in the rare small town in Millerton.

There is a bit more to do than you might think in Millerton, with some good bars and quality bands on occasion. I really like a few local businesses, like Irving Farm Coffee House. I've had a few really good panini's here and the coffee is truly excellent. Top notch stuff.

One downside to Millerton is the lack of much to do in the outdoors. Yeah, there's a fair bit of greenery around, and Millerton Recreation Park is nice, with a couple baseball diamonds, but it's not the most exciting area. I'd prefer a bit more. That said, you're in a small town. Go outside this little hamlet and you can find good hiking trails and more within a short driving distance.