About Our Town

Students are encouraged to explore New Milford, just a few minutes’ walk from campus. The town’s buzzing center feels like an extension of the campus itself.

During the academic day, students are welcome to take a trip into town. Tasty Waves, the frozen yogurt shop, is a popular destination for advisee groups or team outings. (The more toppings, the better!) The several coffee shops welcome our students’ visits, either for a full Sunday afternoon study session or a quick trip during a free block. Pizza at All Aboard Pizzeria, Chinese food from Oriental House, ice cream at Sweet Spot, or freshly baked goods at River and Rail Cafe are all delicious options for our students during their off-campus explorations. There is also a CVS, Dominos, and a barbershop all within walking distance of our hilltop for our students to take advantage of...for convenience’s sake! Village Center for the Arts is a downtown staple at the corner of the town green, providing pottery and painting lessons along with open gallery space for local student artists. The outline of the town green also boasts several places of worship as well as our public library. There is a farmer’s market every Saturday morning in the spring through fall months that offers local, fresh produce and flowers.

Weekends open up even more options with a movie theater just a short walk away. This is a huge highlight for our students—when they want a change of scenery, catching a movie with friends is a perfect solution. Faculty also take advantage of this nearby attraction to bring their classes to relevant movies. Recently, Women of Canterbury (WOC) sponsored a viewing of Battle of the Sexes while the Sixth Form class attended The Hate U Give.

The town additionally offers numerous attractions for visiting families, either for a full-day’s worth of activities or an evening off campus with their student. There are a number of fine-dining establishments that range from Spanish tapas to Italian cuisine. The New Milford town green is also home to an independent bookstore, a handful of art galleries, clothing stores, and locally owned gift shops.

Looking beyond shopping and dining, New Milford is home to multiple beautiful walking, hiking, and biking destinations. Lovers Leap State Park has been featured in many publications including Yankee Magazine and Connecticut Magazine. Harrybrooke Park hosts many annual public events such as a Haunted Trail in October and a Cornhole Tournament that benefits the local animal shelter. The options are many in this quintessential New England town!