8.1 out of 10

Millwood

41.19275 -73.79914
Great for
  • Clean & Green
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Safe & Sound
Not great for
  • Nightlife
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Country Lovers
  • LGBT+
  • Singles

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 5/5
  • Childcare 5/5
2yrs+

"Great parks and schools"

Millwood is a sister hamlet to Chappaqua, located in the town of New Castle. There are about 1,200 residents.

In 1958, passenger train service to the Millwood train station ended; freight service ended a few years after that. The tracks were paved over, and the North County Trailway was born. A portion of the 22.1 mile path passes through Millwood, giving cyclists, runners and walkers a safe, scenic place to exercise.

Though the trail is popular throughout Westchester, Millwood residents have additional options. The town of North Castle organizes summer camps and year-round programs through its recreation department. There are several parks as well; Millwood is home to two. Gedney Park has a picnic area, a playground, playing fields and walking trails. It is the only park in North Castle with a pond for ice skating in the winter. Millwood Park is smaller, but has a playground and tennis courts.

During the last decade, concerns about Millwood’s lack of development led to the formation of the Millwood Task Force. The organization was charged with examining ways to improve the tax base and introduce needed retail options without ruining the area’s rural qualities. Public utilities, including ConEdison, own one-fourth of Millwood’s land. Areas supplying New York City’s drinking water are also protected from development. This has made the hamlet less developed than neighboring Chappaqua, but three small shopping centers were approved and built. One of them includes an A&P supermarket.

Millwood is located entirely within the Chappaqua Central School District, which has an outstanding reputation. Three elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school educate the district’s 4,200 students. At the elementary level, most students in Millwood attend Westorchard, and move on to Seven Bridges Middle School, which was recently built to accommodate the growing population. Horace Greeley High School offers 18 Advanced Placement exams, which allows students to obtain college credit. U.S. News and World Report ranked Horace Greeley at #46 in its 2008 edition of America’s Best High Schools.

Though the hamlet’s original train station is gone, residents can catch the train to the city at Metro-North’s Chappaqua station. Travel time to Grand Central is about fifty minutes. The Taconic Parkway is the nearest highway.

Compared to Chappaqua, homes in Millwood are smaller, and on smaller lots. However there are still many options above a million dollars and what’s considered affordable in North Castle is still expensive. There are multiple condominium complexes. House-hunters who wish to be in the Chappaqua School District but are dissatisfied with its lack of lower-priced options may find a larger selection of more affordable homes.
Pros
  • Great schools
  • Quiet charm
Cons
  • Still pricey, though less so than neighboring towns
  • Car dependent lifestyle
  • No night life or entertainment
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Country Lovers
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 5/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 5/5
  • Childcare 5/5
2yrs+

"Scenic, Convenient and Accessible"

Millwood NY is a densely wooded hamlet in the scenic town of New Castle in Westchester, NY. First known as “Sarlesville” in the 1700’s after Seeley Sarles, the Dutch settler who purchased the land now known as New Castle. Today 1,248 people live here near the New Croton Reservoir.

Millwood is relatively affordable for middle-to-upper-middle class families living in the suburbs of Westchester County; most homes start around $725,000 and rented 2 bedroom apartments start around $925 a month. Residents will send their kids to the Chappaqua Central School District, which is one of (if not the best) school districts in Westchester County regarding graduation rates and test scores (Horace Greeley High School, for instance, graduates approximately 94% of its students each year). Residents and visitors alike also have the pleasure of visiting and enjoying the popular Gedney Park, which proudly serves 126 acres full of recreational land, along with playgrounds for the kids to have a ball on, and fishing is also allowed (if you have a license, of course). Nearby parks are the Pinecliff and Pruyn Audubon Sanctuaries in Chappaqua and the kid-friendly working farm and visiting center, Muscoot Farm, off Rt. 100 (which you can reach easily from Millwood).

Millwood offers excellent convenience and amenities like your neighborhood A&P, Rocky’s Millwood Deli, Becker Davidson Entertainment (a music store), Dodd’s Wine Shop, Millwood Garden Center, and the Millwood Drug Mart. Millwood is known for its famous Spaccarelli’s Italian Restaurant in the Millwood Shopping Center, and the surrounding areas have lots of restaurant choices that the whole family will love: such as the upscale Le Jardin du Roi French Bistro in nearby Chappaqua (which also has lots of charming Cafes and a Starubucks as well; it’s also the home of Bill Clinton and his family, and you might just get a chance to say “hello”).

Millwood is easily reached off the Taconic Parkway and Rt 100, as well as Rt 120 and Rt 133. The train station in town burnt down and is now used as a pathway called the North County Trailway, used by pedestrians, rollerbladers and bicyclists. The nearest train station is in Briarcliff. Millwood has an excellent vet hospital, and you’re right near Mount Kisco for the Northern Westchester Hospital, which is a state-of-the-art facility that has a highly professional, friendly and caring ER.
Pros
  • Great schools
  • Less expensive than some neighboring towns
  • Quiet charm
  • Rich in history
  • Some pretty good restaurants in the greater area
Cons
  • no low-income housing
  • Car dependent lifestyle
  • No night life or entertainment
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Affordable sister hamlet to Chappaqua"

Millwood is a small hamlet within the greater town of New Castle, NY. It is a wealthy area, for sure, although Millwood is a little more affordable than its neighbor hamlet Chappaqua where the Clintons currently reside. The area as a whole is filled with gorgeous residential properties. It is a beautiful area with rustic ambience.

Millwood has a great animal hospital, its own post office and one pretty good eatery, Spaccarelli's Ristorante, with tasty traditional Italian fare, a nice wine list and lovely al fresco dining during the warmer months. Spaccarelli’s also caters and hosts many black-tie events and family gatherings.

For additional dining options, there a bunch of stellar restaurants in Chappaqua including the handsome Crabtree and Kittle House which dates back to 1790 and has an inn, a fine dining restaurant and an award-winning wine cellar. Le Jardin du Roi is a very cozy French restaurant which has a dark wooden interior, excellent food and a pretty outdoor patio. Other worthwhile restaurants are Quaker Hill Tavern, Grappolo Loconda, Spoon Asian Fusion, Pizza Station, Ole Stone Trattoria, Gail Patrick's Cafe, Villarina's Deli & Catering, Local Organic Bites & Ice Cream, and, of course, a Starbucks.

As for shopping, there aren’t a whole lot of retail shops in the area, but there are some, including several children's fashion boutiques, a few women's fashion boutiques, two home furnishing and decor stores, a jeweler, a consignment shop, several gift stores, a wine shoppe, a hardware store, a gallery, a fine florist, a sporting goods store, a cosmetic lounge, an antique store, a card/stationary store and a village market.

New Castle is laden with interesting history. For starters, Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune and one-time unsuccessful presidential candidate, had a large farm in the area that is now Chappaqua. There are quite a few places to visit and explore including the Horace Greeley House, the Chappaqua Friends Meeting House, the Chappaqua Railroad Station and Plaza, Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the Horace Greeley Statue in addition to a whole bunch of old homes, farms and statutes and monuments peppered throughout the area.

There is a wonderful music school called the Amadeus Conservatory of Music in Chappaqua which offers top-notch music instruction and vocal training to both kids and adults. Many of its devoted instructors were graduates of the highly acclaimed Julliard School of Music. There is also a place called Music in Chappaqua which has a beautiful new facility.

Outdoor recreational activities include two terrific Parks, Gedney Park and Whipporwhill Park. Gedney Park is a 126-acre park filled with playgrounds, a good hill for sledding, playing fields and picnic areas. It was voted a Best of Westchester Park in 2008. Whipporwhill Park has many nice walking trails and a nice pond. Chappaqua holds a wonderful outdoor farmer’s market with a diverse and eclectic selection of vendors every Saturday from 9 AM to 1:30 PM at St. Mary’s Church.

Millwood is quite safe and there is very little crime.

The school system in New Castle is excellent. The median SAT score for Horace Greeley High School students is 1915.

The population of Millwood is about 1,200.
Pros
  • Rich in history
  • Some pretty good restaurants in the greater area
  • Great schools
  • Less expensive than some neighboring towns
  • Quiet charm
Cons
  • Car dependent lifestyle
  • No night life or entertainment
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"The promise of quiet contentment...."

Millwood is a hamlet in the larger town of New Castle along with Chappaqua. Chappaqua has become more well-known because of some of its famous residents such as former President Clinton, while Millwood continues to remain fairly tucked away. Millwood offers pretty much all that Chappaqua has for a smaller price tag.
Most Millwood residents send their children to Chappaqua schools; and the public school system here is one of the best to be seen. A highly competitive student body, especially in high school, means that many of the students go on to graduate from prestigious universities. The neighborhood tends to attract young families looking for a place to provide their children with a safe environment and good education.
Millwood does not have much by way of general shopping. Millwood Market and A.S Fine Foods offer interesting grocery shopping options. Spaccarelli’s Italian restaurant, Peter Pratt’s Inn (Yorktown Heights) and Traveler’s Rest (Ossining) are some of the popular dining options in the area. Rocky’s deli is great for sandwiches.
The New Croton Reservoir is not far and provides a nice place for an evening stroll. The gushing waters seem like Niagara Falls to little ones! You can see several families with picnics on warm evenings. Millwood, like the rest of Westchester County, is in the heart of great hiking and biking territory.
While Millwood does not have a train station, it is close to Taconic State Parkway and Sawmill River Parkway making it a convenient commute location.
Pros
  • Great schools
  • Less expensive than some neighboring towns
Cons
  • Car dependent lifestyle
  • No night life or entertainment
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • LGBT+
  • Country Lovers

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