Like many New England towns, the town of Milford, New Hampshire, features a "town square." In Milford, it's actually called an "oval." The interesting thing is that the Milford Oval isn't actually oval at all; it's triangular in shape!
Milford, New Hampshire, is a medium-size town in southern New Hampshire, about 20 minutes by car from the Massachusetts border
Like many New England towns, the town of Milford, New Hampshire, features a "town square." In Milford, it's actually called an "oval." The interesting thing is that the Milford Oval isn't actually oval at all; it's triangular in shape!
Milford, New Hampshire, is a medium-size town in southern New Hampshire, about 20 minutes by car from the Massachusetts border. The town is home to over 15,000 people at the last census. The census-designated place in Milford, however, is known as the Milford Town Center, and that had a population of 8,835 in 2010, along with a much smaller land area.
Milford's location in southern New Hampshire places it squarely in central New England. Here, the winters are long and cold, and the summers are short and warm. If you are planning to move to Milford, it might make sense to plan to relocate during the warmer months, if only for your own convenience. If you have not had to move during a snowstorm, do yourself a favor and skip the experience!
Rental houses in Milford are plentiful, so you should not have a problem when it comes time to find an apartment or house to live in. You'll find a variety of rental types available, from your typical one-bedroom apartment to larger condo rentals, as well as private homes. There are also several apartment complexes in town, including Longley Place, Brookstone Manor and Highland Estates.
Because rental apartments are typically available, you might have a bit of negotiating power if you want to move to Milford. At the complexes, prices are going to be set in stone, figuratively speaking, but you might have some wiggle room with private landlords. If your credit is so clean that it squeaks, and you have a good income-to-debt ratio, it might be worth asking about a slight reduction in rent. If you find the home of your dreams and don't want to mess with a good thing, however, then you can feel secure in knowing that most of the rentals in Milford are about average for this area of New England.
There are three constituent neighborhoods in Milford. Where you choose to live can depend on where you work, because there is not a public transportation system available in town. For this reason, you might want to take a look at which roads would make a good route to your workplace or where you do your errands and choose accordingly.
Town Center: The Town Center of Milford is quite walkable, so if you must share a car with another driver in your household, you can make it work here. The Walk Score of Milford is 78, and most of the errands that you may do will likely be in this area of town. Particularly around the Milford Oval (well, triangle), you can easily dine, shop and entertain yourself. Foodee's Milford and Red Arrow Diner will keep you well fed in this area.
North River Road: To the north of the Town Center is the neighborhood around North River Road. This area is less walkable than the Town Center, and the rents will be slightly higher. You will enjoy a lower-than-average crime rate in this section of town.
Melendy Road: The largest in terms of land mass, the Melendy Road neighborhood lies to the south of the Town Center. If you can find a rental in this section, you'll pay higher prices for it than you will elsewhere in town. You'll also have fewer neighbors, as much of this section is wooded. The Rotch Wildlife Preserve will keep you busy on weekends.
Life in Milford can be idyllic and simple, particularly in the Town Center, where you can relax on the Oval and take advantage of the New England town's charm. Dine at restaurants with unique names, such as Yummy Yummy and the Olde Kilkenny Pub. For a cup of joe, you can people-watch from Cafe on the Oval or, if you're a true New Englander, just hit up one of the two Dunkin' Donuts in town.
If you love the great outdoors, you'll be pleased to find out that there are quite a few parks in Milford and in the surrounding area. Right in town, take a stroll to Endicott Park. You will probably need to get in the car if you want to explore the Amherst Village Historic District, but it will be worth it. The Curtiss Dogwood State Park and the Russell-Abbott State Forest are also close by, so you can get your fill of leaf-peeping in the fall and hiking, fishing, biking and picnicking during the warmer months.
Have you been to the drive-in recently? The Milford Drive-In Theater is a quaint taste of how life used to be; you don't find many drive-ins around anymore! If it's not playing what you want to see, head over to the Wilton Town Hall Theater, where you can see a variety of independent films and other interesting shows.
Living in Milford will allow you to live in a serene and beautiful part of southern New Hampshire, while soaking up the small-town life, complete with a traditional New England green in the center of town. Enjoy!
