Back in 1902, customers buying Quaker Oats oatmeal found a redeemable coupon for a small plot of land in Milford about 10 feet x 10 feet. The land came from a 15 acre tract of land in a subdivision that was never built. But hey, free land!
Milford is a small town with a population of just over 52,000, with seventeen miles of coast line along Long Island Sound, an Atlantic Ocean estuary. With a pristine town square, a beautiful coastline, and an historic town center with some structures dating from its early settlement in 1639, Milford is a city that one cannot help but fall in love with. Theres plenty of pride in the towns history, culture, and recreation and employment opportunities. If small town living sounds good to you, Milford is the ideal place to go to.
Rental Tips
Start your apartment search early. Milford is a sought-after address and its communities are stable. Youll find three bedroom homes for rent, apartment complexes, and many other apartment homes available, but vacancy rates are low. It's like they always say, the early bird gets the worm!
Walk through Milfords core and enjoy a walk on the beach to get a feel for the community. Its a friendly town with many small restaurants, bars, and galleries. The library is a prime gathering spot for families and seniors.
Call rental properties to find out the price range and availability of rentals in the area. Making a few phone calls will save time and energy as you look at your options. Note that some parts of Milford have more vacancies than others, and that rentals will be tighter during the summer vacation season, when short term renters seek out the area. There are a range of options to suit most budgets in Milford, which is essentially an upper middle income town. And when you finally do get into town, don't forget to bring all the proper paperwork! ID, proof of employment, credit report, letter of references, and if you want to bring along a pet, don't forget his paperwork either! Many landlords want to get their hands on a security deposit a.s.a.p, so having your checkbook (or a wad of cash, because that always speaks for itself) will tilt the odds in your favor.
Neighborhoods
Milford Center: An urban coastal neighborhood with an historic core, the city center is a mix of owners and renters in single family homes and apartment complexes. Many homes are historic, dating considerably older than the 1930s, while others were built between 1940 and 1969. Housing supply is tight in this upper income neighborhood. If you like easy waterfront access and a walkable, historic community with cafes and cultural spots, youll like Milford Center.$$$
Devon:A village within a village, Devon borders Long Island Sound and the Housatonic River. In this upper income, walkable neighborhood, youll find the Audubon Center at the edge of the estuary. If you don't mind being surrounded by water, Devon is a good pladudufce to start looking.$$$
Bayview/Morningside: Urban in population density and coastal, this community has small to medium sized single family residences, apartment complexes and high rise apartments. Its located on the coast, and has historic buildings among newer residences. Vacancies are easier to find here, particularly outside of the summer months when tourism draws new renters. A very walkable affluent community that will empty your pockets every month. $$$$
Myrtle Beach/Walnut Beach: Also walkable and densely populated, youll find a mix of owners and renters in properties ranging in age from 1940 through 1999. Looking for a Lithuanian bakery? This would be your neighborhood with a strong Eastern European population, including residents who can trace their heritage to Lithuania and Hungary. This neighborhood offers medium-sized single-family homes and small apartment complexes, meaning there is something for every prospective resident coming to Milford.$$$
Seaside Living
If youre looking for a seaside town with a well preserved past and bright present, Milford is the place. Beaches, an estuary, and proximity to Long Island Sound offer a picturesque and recreational backdrop to a town rich in New England history. A strong retail shopping community and solid employment picture is joined to arts and crafts festivals, boating events,
and a diverse economy with service, corporate, research, and manufacturing businesses.
Fresh Air and the Great Outdoors
Youll find plenty to do outdoors in Milford, even when the winter brings a frost to Long Island Sound. Beautiful Silver Sands State Park, The Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center, and the Milford Lisman Landing Marina all offer excellent spots to enjoy the great outdoors.
Home to modern Milford Hospital, a town staple for eighty years, high tech firms, and manufacturing concerns, Milford began in 1639, when English settlers purchased land from the Paugussets tribe of Native Americans. By the 1800s, the town was booming with shipbuilding, farming, and oyster farming. In the early 1900s, as a promotion, Quaker Oats cereals gave away deeds to minuscule plots of land in the community, to an unbuilt subdivision called Liberty Park. This practice ended once and for all in the 1970s, and the land site is now home to BIC Corporations lighter manufacturing facility. This era also marked the construction of a major shopping mall, Connecticut Post Mall, and the establishment of the annual Milford Oyster Festival.
What kind of a noise annoys an oyster?
Every third Saturday in August, the annual Oyster Festival, celebrates the towns shellfish-rich location, and acts as a town fair. Midway rides, large musical acts, canoe and kayak races, and classic car displays play second fiddle to oyster dining, and activities such as shucking your own oyster in the hopes of locating a pearl.
Corporate gem
The city serves as host to Fortune 500 corporations such as the Schick Shaving company, Doctors Associates, Inc., Total Mortgage Services, and Milford Hospital.Milford shines culturally too; the Milford Cultural Center, operated by the Milford Council for the Arts, and The Firehouse Art Gallery host major exhibitions.
Beach vibe
Milford has the feel of an old fashioned beach town. Silver Sands State Park forms much of the towns shoreline, and a boardwalk connects Silver Sands to Walnut Beach. A protected bird nesting area, Charles Island, is joined to the mainland by a sandbar which is accessible in low tide. Besides the state park, Milford offers five public beaches and seven private ones.Charles Island isnt the only island in town. In the Housatonic River, Milfords other main body of water, Fowler Island, Duck Island, and Nells Island are popular boating destinations.
Getting there
Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 pass through Milford; for those who eschew the automobile, the Metro-North New Haven Line allows travel all around the region. In-town bus service connects the neighborhoods within Milford. So if you do decide to ditch the wheels, you won't be stranded in Mildford with all the public transportation available.
Living history
Milford has a variety of locations within town that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From the Housatonic River Railroad Bridge to the Milford Point Hotel and the entire River Park Historic District, Milford is a brimming with historic sites. Even the towns post office and library make the register!