New Milford

New Milford is a historic New England town on the western side of Connecticut. It is the largest town in the state (62 square miles) and is just under 2 hours away from New York City.

Understand

New Milford is a welcoming town of around 28,000 people and the locals like to meet people from out of town. Much of the downtown area still has authentic looking building fronts from the early 1900s & mid to late 1800s which adds a nice touch of history in your experiences you have during your visit.

The town center consists of small shops and boutiques that are all very affordable. There are also a large variety of restaurants including Mexican, American, and Italian. The town green is a nice place to walk around and enjoy the outdoors especially in the summertime. If you are visiting during the summer, make sure to check the green to see if the village fair is being held.

The town is very safe area and there is generally a good amount of locals enjoying the nightlife. Bars in this area have a relaxed feel to them and are very affordable as well. Being in the center of Candlewood Valley, the rolling hills that surround the town are very pleasant to look at during any season of the year. Several parks in the area provide a place where you can enjoy views of the area as well as places to hike or have a picnic.

The prosperity of this town relies a lot upon its locally owned businesses and restaurants so it is a nice place to get away from chain businesses. This also means that each place that you decide to visit, you will be having a unique experience that will leave you satisfied.

Get in

By Car

The recommended way to get into New Milford. Coming from the east, I-84 to route 7 will lead you straight to the center of town. Also an alternate route through Southbury on route 67 is a faster choice especially during rush hour. This route will take you through the back roads of surrounding towns and gives a nice view of the hills that surround New Milford. Coming from the north, route 7 or 202 will lead you directly to the town center as well

By Plane
  • Westchester County Airport is a medium-sized airport in Westchester County, with flights coming and going nationwide. It is about 60 minutes away.
  • Stewart International Airport is a small airport in Newburgh (New York)Newburgh, NY, with flights going to Philadelphia, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Detroit. It is about 80 minutes away
  • Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is a small airport in New Haven, with a flight going to Philadelphia. It is about 80 minutes away
  • Bradley International Airport is located outside Hartford and is just over an hour drive from the center of New Milford. Flights arrive from places all over the world so you shouldn't have a hard time finding the right flight for you. The airport has a wide range of car rental services as well as shuttles that take you to their locations. Among these services are Enterprise, Hertz, and Thrifty. To reserve a car in advance, you can either call their 800 number that is provided on Bradley airport's website (www.bradlyairport.com/Transport/rental.aspx) or on the website of the rental service that you choose.
  • LaGuardia Airport is a major airport in Queens, NYC, with dozens of flights going worldwide. It is about 90 minutes away
  • JFK Airport is a major airport in Queens, NYC, with dozens of flights going worldwide. It is about 100 minutes away
  • Newark International Airport is a major airport in Newark, NJ, with dozens of flights going worldwide. It is about 2 hours away

Get around

By car

The main way to get around is by car. Most businesses are on Route 7/Danbury Rd, or in the town center. Car rental places include:

  • Enterprise -40 Danbury Rd, (860) 350-3855
  • Top Hat Auto Rental -372 Danbury Rd, (860)-350-3705
  • Ugly Duckling Rent A Car -91 Park Lane Rd, (860)-354-9351

By bus
  • HARTransit provides bus service throughout the Southwestern Connecticut area. The HART 7 Route and the Loop New Milford route provide transportation to Walmart, New Milford Hospital, New Milford High School, and Route 7.

By foot

The center of New Milford is a very walkable place. However, it is harder to walk anywhere else in New Milford, due to the vast size of the town, and lack of sidewalks.

See
  • The Village Green is the center of town and is the location of various events that go on throughout the year. During the summer, the Village Fair Days is held for 3 days and vendors and businesses from New Milford and surrounding areas set up tents and display their products. This is a very kid friendly atmosphere because there are activities set up throughout the day ranging from bingo to live music. Also a great time to try out some local food from the fire departments and local restaurants. The fair generally runs from 9AM-9PM. Along with the fair, the New Milford Farmers Market goes on throughout the year every Saturday. During the winter, the Christmas trees that stretch down the entire middle of the green have a lighting ceremony and caroling is held in the iconic gazebo which is on New Milford's flag.
  • Bank Street is off of the Village Green and contains various shops and restaurants. Film location for the movie Mr. Deeds starring Adam Sandler.
  • Lovers Leap State Park is located off of Grove St. and is a great place to hike. Contains ruins from an old factory and a burnt down castle as well as a historic Memorial Bridge. Hike the trails and get a view of neighboring town Bridgewater, you can see for miles.
  • TheatreWorks is the local stage, with good prices and great acting.

Do
  • The main thing to do in New Milford is to browse stores. New Milford has hundreds and hundreds of stores to look through.
  • Visit the Bank Street Theater and catch a movie. It has four theaters inside and plays a variety of new releases.
  • The Elephants Trunk Flea Market is an outdoor flea market that is held every Sunday. Hundreds of vendors from the area and surrounding towns come and set up a tent to sell their items. It is on the corner of Candlewood Lake Road S and Danbury Rd. (Route 7) just past the high school.
  • Swim in Candlewood Lake at Lynn Deming Park or lounge in the soft sand and catch a tan.
  • Visit Youngs Field on Youngfield Rd, which includes a tennis court, a softball field, skate park, and a playground overlooking the Housatonic River
  • Hike at Clatter Valley, a park with a large field and forest area great for hiking. This is a good place for gatherings.
  • Play golf at the Candlewood Valley Country Club. For Tee times, call +1 860 354-9359 ext. 12.
  • The Bridgewater Fair is held at the end of every summer. Just a short drive from the center of town, it is held behind the fire station in Bridgewater. Here vendors set up and sell everything ranging from beef jerky to custom handbags. Also, the food is great here especially if you are a fan of roast beef, BBQ, or just a classic hot dog and fries. There is different live entertainment every day that the fair is held. Pig races, tractor pulls, dirt bike jumping, and of course live music are among some of the live events. If you are visiting in August, look out for the Bridgewater fair bumper stickers to see if you are there on the right weekend.
  • Bowl at Lore's Lanes. Great activity to do with kids during the day. Friday and Saturday appeals to an older crowd because it is “glow bowl” night. At 9pm the lights go down in the alley and black lights and disco balls are turned on along with the popular music of today. $17 a person plus shoe rental. Open until 1AM. (860) 350-2695
  • Skin Deep Ink Tattoo is one of the best tattoo shop in New Milford. Owner Mark Duhan and tattoo artist John Kang provide a friendly environment and top quality work. Specializing in new school and realism, the creativity and talent of both artists will leave you more than satisfied with their work. 60 Park Lane Road (Route 202 near Park Lane East) (860)-350-8282.

Buy

Antiques and souvenirs

Book stores
  • The Bent Page -a rare and used book store.

Food

Music stores
  • New Milford Music Store -An instrument rental and sales store, 60 Bank St, +1 860 354-6481

Toys
  • Nordica -A small toy store that has started renovations after the switch of owners in 2023. Main St, +1 860 355-2034
  • Hobbytown USA -A great place for hobbyists and card collectors. 168 Danbury Rd, +1 860 355-3000
  • Play Toys and Gifts -a neat store on Bank St. 49 Bank St, +1 860 355-2134

Eat

New Milford has hundreds of local eateries, including BBQ, Family, Italian, Mexican, Seafood, and more. Most restaurants are located on Danbury Rd.

Barbecue
  • Gary's Rib House has your basic spread of barbecue cuisine. 475 Danbury Rd, +1 860 354-1234

Chinese
  • Oriental House has amazing Chinese food near the town center. 44 East St, +1 860 355-5882
  • Panda Empire is a large restaurant with good selection. 254 Danbury Rd, +1 860 350-8888
  • Royal Buffet has a buffet selection of Chinese and American food. 132 Danbury Rd, +1 860 350-6888
  • Main Moon Has good cheap Chinese food. 48 Kent Rd #2, +1 860 355-9629
  • New Main Moon is a small restaurant on the Green. 27 Main St #3, +1 860 355-2518
  • Great Wall has good Chinese food. 40 Danbury Rd #C, +1 860 354-8855

Diner and sandwich
  • The Windmill Diner is a friendly, Greek-owned diner with good, cheap food. 245 Danbury Rd +1 860 354-1218
  • Ortegas is a locally owned deli in the center of town. 38 Bridge St, +1 860 355-2257
  • Three Brothers Restaurant is a diner with good selection. 79 Danbury Rd, +1 860 355-9269

Italian and pizza
  • Holiday Restaurant, 17 Veterans plz (Located in Big Y plaza off of Route 7), ☏ +1 860 354-9393. Serves up some of the best Italian food in the area. Not many visitors know about it so generally there aren't many people in there. (updated Mar 2018)
  • Palma Restaurant, 122 Litchfield Rd, ☏ +1 860 354-7727. 
  • The Brickhouse., 33 Danbury Rd, ☏ +1 860 354-9192. 
  • Marathons is a good pizza place. 475 Danbury Rd, +1 860 354-1234
  • Carmela's is an Italian restaurant in the north part of town. 354 Litchfield Rd, +1 860 355-2771
  • John's Best is a good pizza restaurant highly recommended. 129 Danbury Rd, +1 860 354-2220
  • Italia Mia is the local Italian food hotspot. Being a freestanding building off of Route 7, this restaurant tends to attract more visitors than other Italian restaurants in town. It is a little more pricy depending on what you decide to get but it is worth the money because the food here is amazing. 223 Danbury Rd , +1 860 355-9221
  • Ristorante Lucia is conveniently located in the town center. 51 Bank St, +1 860 355-510
  • The Upper Crust is located in Northville which is about a five minute drive from the center of town. This restaurant provides an elegant atmosphere and the widest variety of gourmet pizzas. The pizza is awesome here and the Italian dishes that are served here are also very tasty as well. 373 Litchfield Rd, +1 860 350-0006
  • All Aboard Pizza is known in New Milford for its wide range of gourmet pizzas and calzones. This business is relatively new and is right on Railroad St. The inside is clean and has a flat screen tv that usually has a sports game on or highlights from past games on. Great place for a large gathering or a party, also a kid friendly environment because they provide crayons and paper for them. 14 Railroad St, +1 860 354-9552

Japanese
  • Yokohama is the only Japanese restaurant in the town, and far and away the best in the area. Good food, and a relaxed atmosphere. 131 Danbury Rd, +1 860 355-0556

Miscellaneous
  • Burgeritoville is a restaurant serving the locally created "Burgeritto. Located on the northern edge of town, in Gaylordville. 1 South Kent Road, +1 860 799-7739
  • Adrienne's is a comfortable restaurant with a good selection of food. 218 Kent Rd, +1 860 354-6001
  • Rudy's Restaurant is a good restaurant with many suggestions. 122 Litchfield Rd, +1 860 354-7727

Mexican
  • Fajitas and Margaritas is a small, high rated Mexican restaurant in the south of town.
  • Salsa is a southwest/mexican restaurant right off of Railroad St. in the center of town. All ingredients are local and bought on the same day it is cooked so every meal is as fresh as you can get. One feature that this restaurant has is the variety of homemade salsas including chipotle, habanero, and green chilli salsas. It is a small little restaurant but if you are going during the week you shouldn't have a problem finding a table. If you want to be really safe, call in advance to reserve a table. 54 Railroad St, +1 860 350-0701

Seafood
  • Joe's Seafood Restaurant is a small, cozy seafood restaurant. 188 Danbury Rd , +1 860 355-2255

Drink
  • 1st and 10 Bar and Grill is one of the newer bars in New Milford located south of town off of Route 7. High definition TVs line the back of the bar along with two huge projectors that show any game that is on. Service here is so-so and sometimes you have to wait a bit to get your drinks. This restaurant has the longest bar in New Milford and has a wide selection of beers and liquor. It is about a 10-15 minute drive from the center of town. If you are willing to get out of downtown New Milford, it is worth the drive especially to watch a game. 507 Danbury Road +1 860 354-1800
  • Sole is a new southwest style restaurant and bar right off of Railroad St. in the center of town. In the same location of the old restaurant Milanos, the owners of Sole have added some flair to downtown New Milford. Bright rope lighting lines the awning changing colors every few seconds. On the inside is a bar and sitting area that has the same bring color changing lights underneath and behind the bar. They usually have live entertainment every night, so this is definitely not a spot to go if you want a quiet environment. Entertainment is either a DJ or band. 10 Railroad St +1 203 366-3330.
  • 59 Bank is a local hotspot with its warm low lit atmosphere and comfortable leather seated lounge area. The service here is good and you generally don't have to wait long to get a drink. Karaoke night is every Thursday, live music varies from night to night. This bar has a very relaxing environment and is nice to sit down and have a drink with friends without having to yell to each other to talk. 59 Bank St, +1 860 350-5995
  • The Sports Page is a small sports bar tucked away along the back roads of New Milford. Off of Elm St. this bar has many high definition TVs that are set up behind the bar so you won't miss any of the games that you want to watch. There are two bar areas, one is a bit smaller and has less TVs, the other is larger and has a lot more TVs. There's a pool table and some arcade games if you are trying to compete with your friends in the larger bar area. Wednesday nights are wing nights which means 25 cent wings. Try their hot barbecue wings, which are a combination of their hot sauce and barbecue. 35 Lanesville Rd, +1 860 350-0550.

Sleep

Town Center

Hotels in the bustling, walkable town center:

  • The Heritage inn off of Bridge St. Built in 1870, the Heritage inn provides spacious rooms and a quiet atmosphere. Since it is right off of Bridge street, you are in close walking distance to the shops and restaurants of downtown New Milford. Every morning is a continental breakfast provided for all of the guests. 1-(860) 350-3097
  • Homestead Inn, 5 Elm St, toll-free: +1-866-221-6537. (B&B) 
  • Park Lane Hotel and Suites, 12 Park Lane, ☏ +1 843 686-5700. (May Be Incorrect) 
  • Barton House, 34 East St, ☏ +1 860 354-3535. (B&B) 

Northern New Milford

A list of hotels and cottages in the quieter part of New Milford

  • Cottages on Kent Road is a series of cottages which include a bedroom with queen size bed, , a sleeper and sofa, 27 inch television with cable, full kitchen with appliances, WIFI included, second person free, third for increased rate, no pets, no smoking inside. November 1 to March 31 $1,344 for 4 weeks or more. April 1 to October 31 $1595 for 4 weeks or more. $400 security deposit required is required. +1-800-THE-PLAN, ext 255
  • Rocky River Inn Newly Renovated, and pet friendly. 236 Kent Rd, +1 860 355-3208
  • Red Carpet Motel, 244 Kent Rd, ☏ +1 860 350-2766. 

Contacts
  • The area code is (860) throughout the town, and the zip code is 06776 for most of the town, 06755 for Gaylordsville.
  • The New Milford Public Library is the main source for free internet access

Stay safe
  • New Milford has a very low crime rate, dropping significantly in crime every year, so there is little to worry about. Just make sure to follow common sense rules, and you will be safe.
  • It is best not to eat any fish out of the Housatonic River, due to the excess amounts of mercury.

Go next
  • Danbury is about 30 minutes away, with the largest shopping mall in the state
  • New Haven is about 70 minutes away, with Yale University and the New Haven Harbor
  • Hartford is about 80 minutes away, with the State Capitol and a variety of theaters
  • New York City is about 130 minutes away with thousands of attractions
Routes through New Milford
Pittsfield ← Kent ←  N  S  → Brookfield → Danbury
Danbury ← Brookfield ←  W  E  → Torrington → Westfield


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