Northeast Dutchess County is home to a lot more than gorgeous fall foliage and rolling hills. Farmers tend to their livestock and horses graze, but New York City (under two hours away) also ushers in scores of weekend visitors seeking rural respite amongst a charming trio of small towns: Millerton, Amenia, and Millbrook. Connected by Route 44, these three communities offer farm-to-table delicacies, unique shopping opportunities, and indie theaters to rival what you might find in a big city—without any traffic jams. Parks, golf clubs, and a recreational rail trail round out an endless slate of outdoor activities, and new businesses spring up often as the towns continue to swell in size and popularity.
Millerton
With less than 1,000 permanent residents, Millerton was once a junction where three railroads converged; when the trains departed in 1980, the local economy faltered and many farms shut down. Eventually, moneyed second-home owners began to move in, as well as those who considered Millerton a convenient alternative to the pricier Connecticut. The hamlet was revived.
Should you crave a caffeinated pick-me-up, Irving Farm Coffee House, on Main Street, is the place to go. The coffee comes fresh from a roastery in town, and over the past year, Irving Farms has grown considerably; the Millerton location is now one of nine stores, but still the only choice outside Manhattan. New on their menu is cold brew (in addition to iced coffee), both a classic and seasonal blend. Those who prefer tea can head over to Harney & Sons, another outlet with a sister site in New York. They offer 250 varieties of tea in their tasting room, plus a lunch menu in the back lounge. Good grub can be found at Main Street eateries like 52 Main, a tapas restaurant, and Oakhurst Diner, a retro boxcar-style joint dating back to the 1940s.
On the shopping front, Gilmor Glass is a Millerton staple, now in its 21st year of business. Pop into the gallery to marvel at delicate stemware, bowls, vases, and other pieces made by hand using mouth-blown and pressed-glass techniques; or stop by the factory space next door to learn the complex art of glassmaking yourself via demonstrations and workshops. Directly across the street is PLACE Gallery, a brand-new space showcasing custom furniture, commissioned fine art, handcrafted ceramics, and wood sculpture.
For a culture fix, try The Moviehouse, residing inside a building crowned by an old clock tower. The Moviehouse doesn’t stick to mainstream programming; it also screens indies, foreign films, and documentaries handpicked from festivals. It even livestreams ballets from Russia and operas at the Met, making it possible to witness international genius without spending a fortune on plane tickets.
Outdoor options abound, especially on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, a route of over 15 paved miles through tranquil woods and a favorite of devoted bikers. Another 13 miles of abandoned rail bed are currently in development stages, plus 18 more have been acquired and will take the trail north into the Village of Chatham. “This will change the volume of people coming into town dramatically, which is a good thing,” says Kathy Shapiro, manager at Irving Farms. “As of now, the trail crosses Main but only on one side; once the last leg is built, the trail will connect from Wassaic to Chatham, leading straight through Millerton.”
For more Millerton information, check out Main Street magazine, a hyperlocal publication celebrating its fifth anniversary this March. Main Street covers everything from real estate to gardening to hiking to local businesses. The magazine’s editor and owner, Thorunn Kristjansdottir, was recruited by Millerton’s Merchants Association this past year to design and manage a website, which they hope will guide visitors and old hands alike in finding spots to eat, shop, stay, and luxuriate while in town. “There’s so much to do here—you’re just limited by your imagination,” Kristjansdottir says.
Amenia
Roughly nine miles south of Millerton lies Amenia, another tiny village with a big influx of wealthy homeowners on the way. Four years ago, Amenia was left struggling and quiet when its largest employer—an institution for the developmentally disabled—closed down. But the times they are a-changin’, as an enormous luxury development hopes to draw movie stars and businessmen away from their Hamptons retreats and into a new sort of decadence.
The Silo Ridge Field Club is a recent project of the Discovery Land Company, transforming 800 acres of old dairy farmland in Amenia into a high-end gated community housing 245 residencies ranging from $2 to $10 million (New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has already secured himself a spot). By March, 12 condo units will be full, and more single-family homes should be occupied by spring. In addition to the Tom Fazio-designed golf course, Silo Ridge boasts a vegetable garden and dedicated beehives for delivering fresh honey to clubhouse members. The in-house chef Jonathan Wright was formerly employed at New York’s famous Rainbow Room, and will prepare dishes with ingredients sourced locally. Dan O’Callaghan, New York director of sales with the Discovery Land Company, believes Silo Ridge will benefit the community regardless of its club membership. “We have 245 homeowners that are all buying properties,” says O’Callaghan. “All those people will be shopping in Amenia, going to the local restaurants. Not to mention tax benefits for the town.”
As for food and drink you can indulge in without a Silo affiliation, there’s the Cascade Mountain Winery (celebrating its 41st anniversary this year) and several more renowned local chefs. CIA graduate Dafna Mizrahi, who won the Food Network’s “Chopped” in 2015, heads up Monte’s Local Kitchen and Taproom, while Serge Madikians utilizes his Iranian ancestry to delight diners with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors at Serevan.
For those who prefer their entertainment old school, the Four Brothers Drive-In is a nice change of pace from the modern-day cinema experience. Open March through October, the drive-in screens evening double features and will add a larger concession stand, mini-golf course, and airstream trailer to house traveling moviegoers by 2018. According to John Stephanopoulos (who runs the drive-in and Four Brothers Pizza next door with his brother Paul), visitors are common from towns two to three hours away, so he now offers pre-movie music and magic shows, to keep early parkers busy. Nostalgia is heightened by carhop service, with food brought directly to your vehicle, and in addition to new releases the drive-in hosts a Throwback Thursday, during which classic films are screened.
A small hamlet in the town of Amenia called Wassaic is home to the Wassaic Project, a nonprofit born of a 2008 arts festival that still happens every August. It has since grown to become a year-round organization with rotating gallery exhibitions and art workshops. Housed inside a formidable, milky-white former grain mill, the facility offers artist residencies in the summer and winter; chosen residents are primarily visual creators, though co-executive director Jeff Barnett-Winsby hopes to develop a dance residency in the future. These artists engage with nearby public schools, creating curriculums with the goal being cultural exposure for local kids. At the end of this month, the Wassaic Project will host its Mill Warming event at the Maxon Mills, a new winter exhibition called “What We Don’t Realize When We See Things.”
Millbrook
Millbrook is the most affluent village on our list, host to both generations-old families and weekend newcomers. Celebs like Liam Neeson keep country estates here, and expensive equestrian sports are common, with events like polo matches and the Millbrook Hunt (fox hunting). The Orvis Sandanona shooting grounds is the oldest permitted shotgun shooting club in the country, where millionaires and tradesmen alike congregate to puff cigars and practice their aim.
A thriving science center might seem out of place in such a swanky setting, but Millbrook’s Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies does important environmental research into topics like Lyme disease prevention and climate change, plus it hosts regular guest speakers to inform the community. On February 13, there will be a road salt science and management forum for discussion surrounding icy winter roads and how to keep them safe while not damaging the land with saline. The institute’s passion for global warming education is also a constant. According to President Josh Ginsberg, “it’s important to give people the science of climate change, rather than just the rhetoric, in this current political climate.”
Get further in touch with the natural world at the Trevor Zoo, home to 80 different species, eight of them endangered. The zoo is open every day of the year (including holidays), making it the perfect destination for a family outing. There are 200 animals total—among them red pandas, wolves, and lemurs. To see how the animals behave after hours, watch the zoo’s livestream of the pandas on their website.
If you’re looking to carouse, hit up the Taconic Distillery (just outside town, in Stanfordville) for some barrel-aged spirits, or try Millbrook Vineyards & Winery; since last year, the winery doubled the size of its tasting room, added a space for reserve tastings, and opened up a Vineyard Tap Room with wine by the glass on draft. In the summer it hosts Food Truck Fridays, where trucks bearing tasty treats roll up to the winery and help revelers soak up all that vino. Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the winery is Wing’s Castle, a strange structure straight out of a fairytale, built entirely from reclaimed materials. The castle offers several B&B options, ranging from the Dungeon Room (spooky!) to The Cottage (much cozier!)
As for shopping, there are plenty of high-end boutiques to peruse. Alicia Adams Alpacas specializes in the design and production of clothing made from alpaca wool (the alpaca herd lives in nearby Stanfordville). New in the store is the Rainbow Collection (scarves, hats, sweaters, all unisex, in every color of the rainbow); a percentage of proceeds go to an LGBT organization. Adams moved to Millbrook from Germany and says she relishes the town’s “melting pot” atmosphere, with so many weekenders from New York City and large communities of Spanish speakers and international families. Partake of more retail therapy at Absolutely Wild Home, an upscale home furnishings store that opened last December, or Arrowsmith Forge, where custom metal designs like steel chandeliers and wrought-iron gates are produced. It remains one of the few ornamental and architectural forges in the Hudson Valley.
Another recent addition to Millbrook is Maura’s Kitchen, a family-owned restaurant that prides itself on providing “the comfort of a mother’s home cooked meal” and serving “feel good food.” If you crave more sophisticated cuisine, Cafe Les Baux has eclectic French nosh and Charlotte’s serves European fare in a rural setting, with outdoor garden seating in the warmer months and a cozy fireplace in winter. Slammin’ Salmon serves lunch with an “old school” gourmet shop feel; specialties include hand-cut aged steaks, artisan cheese, and the freshest fish around.
Whether you’re strolling down the Harlem Valley Rail Trail via Millerton, snuggling up with a sweetheart at the drive-in, or hanging with the animals at Millbrook’s Trevor Zoo, you’ll never be starved for amusement or culture in Northeast Dutchess County.
This article appears in January 2018.
