1. The Homestead Inn
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 354-4080
Address: 5 Elm St.
Description: Built in 1853, the Homestead Inn was originally a house and became an inn with a restaurant and rooms in 1928. Today the restaurant is gone, having been converted to rooms and leaving a nice bed-and-breakfast at the gateway to the Litchfield Hills. The prices for the 14 rooms vary widely, depending on the size of the room and whether it is a single or double occupancy. Famous guests include everyone from Vladimir Horowitz to NY senator Charles Schumer. Well-behaved pets are allowed to stay here for a fee of $10 a night. During the high months of May to Oct, the Homestead Inn (like many Connecticut B&Bs) requires a 2-night minimum stay for Fri and Sat nights.
2. The Rocky River Inn
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 355-3208
Address: 06776
Description: Along the Housatonic River in New Milford, the Rocky River Inn has 36 rooms on 2 floors and offers a range of lodging opportunities. There is a variety of different rooms, from kings and doubles in standard, deluxe, or luxury versions, as well as several different kinds of suites. Some even have Jacuzzis. This is a modern hotel, not a colonial or Victorian one, and has great pet-friendly rooms and outdoor spaces, as well as being wheelchair accessible. The inn is near the Elephant Trunk Flea Market if you’re out here for shopping, and Adrienne’s award-winning restaurant is just a few steps away.
3. New Milford Hospital
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (860) 355-2611
Address: 21 Elm St.
Description: New Milford Hospital is part of the Western Connecticut Health Network and is affiliated with Danbury Hospital. The facility has 85 beds and offers acute and outpatient care to more than 100 communities in Litchfield and Fairfield Counties. The hospital has one of the highest nurse-to-patient ratios in the state, and the Regional Cancer Center is one of the best oncology programs in Connecticut. Other services include emergency and one-day surgery, sleep medicine, orthopedics, the Family Birth Center, and the Regional Heart Center. The hospital also ranks high in patient satisfaction.
4. Litchfield County Times Monthly Passport Magazine
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Media
Telephone: (860) 355-4121
Address: 65 Bank St.
Description: Both of these magazines are published in New Milford. The Monthly is the magazine of the Litchfield County Times, and Passport Magazine featuring profiles of people and places of Litchfield County (and the surrounding areas of the Berkshires and Hudson Valley).
5. Adrienne
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 354-6001
Address: 218 Kent Rd. (Route 7)
Description: Food and atmosphere are perfectly matched at Adrienne restaurant. The structure dates to the 18th century and has the wide wood floors that you’d expect at a Connecticut country inn. The food is fresh and local, New American style. Inside, 3 small dining rooms offer winter warmth near fireplaces, and summer seating on the lawn is an equally perfect opportunity to sample the menu, which changes seasonally. There are delights like lobster risotto, roasted eggplant with wild mushroom ravioli, and pan-roasted quail. Vegetarians will find plenty to choose from here as well. Open for dinner Tues through Sat, Adrienne is also a popular choice for Sunday brunch. Chef Adrienne herself also offers cooking classes, so you can learn (some of) her secrets.
6. Upper Crust
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 350-0006
Address: 373 Litchfield Rd.
Description: In this vintage home on a hill above US 202, they make northern Italian food, including delicious potato gnocchi with duck confit, porcini mushroom ragu, and shaved pecorino cheese, among other delights. But mostly the Upper Crust makes pizza. Unusual pizza. Pizza that might redefine your ideas about this common dish. Try the fig and prosciutto with Gorgonzola pizza, a mind-bending combination that sounds weird, but makes so much sense on the plate that you’ll wonder if this wasn’t the original idea for pizza all those years ago, and we somehow just got sidetracked with our pepperonis and mozzarellas. The Upper Crust was once the stomping ground of Carole Peck (now the chef/owner of the Good News Cafe in Woodbury), and they have continued her high-quality traditions.
7. Elephant’S Trunk Flea Market
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (508) 265-9911
Address: 490 Danbury Rd.
Description: Set against the backdrop of a large hill above Route 7, this flea market is big and busy, and one of the largest outdoor markets in the state since 1976. There are parking spaces for 1,000 vehicles, and you might see most of those filled on a busy day. The many dealers in the 50-acre field will bargain with you, and since it only costs $2 to get in, you’re bound to make that back pretty quickly with the treasures you’ll find. Dealers here have glassware, vintage and new tools, vintage clothing, coins, decoys, old and new books, antique toys, collectibles, antique furniture, Depression glass, jewelry, pewter, electronic equipment, baseball cards, and more. And best of all, they kick out vendors who deal in counterfeits or knockoffs, with much better oversight than most flea markets. During the summer and fall, you can find fresh vegetables and fruit, along with a variety of plants and shrubs.
8. Bank Street Book Nook
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (860) 354-3865
Address: 50 Bank St.
Description: New Milford’s little independent bookstore crams a lot onto its beautiful solid wood bookcases. By only carrying a couple copies of any given title at any time, owner Janet Olsen Ryan can fit more inside. They have a great children’s section and schedule story time for kids as well. This is definitely a place for browsing; there are no chairs to sit in here, but that’s all right. You’re probably on your way north to the wonders of Litchfield County, and you can read the book on the porch of your bed-and-breakfast or in front of a roaring fire. They will even gift wrap your purchase for free. And apparently, though it seems difficult to believe in this day and age, the employees of Bank Street actually read the books.
9. Hunt Hill Farm And The Silo
City: New Milford, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 355-0300
Address: 44 Upland Rd.
Description: The Hunt Hill Farm was known historically as the Bostwick Farm, used continuously since the 1700s. On the farm preserve you’ll find 2 1830s houses, an 1860 cottage, 2 barns with silos, a low tobacco barn, and several other buildings. It is not just a farm but is part of an attraction called the Henderson Cultural Center, run by the Hunt Hill Farm Trust, which includes an art gallery founded in 1975, the 130-acre farm preserve, and a cooking school called the Silo, which brings in instructors from around the country to teach. They also feature concerts, literary readings, and other events. If you’re in the area, check their schedule, and take a cooking class here if you can. There is also a store to stop at if you’re passing through, which carries gourmet foods, cooking supplies, and autographed cookbooks.