You've seen the Karate Kid, right? Not that new one with Jackie Chan, but the original? Well, we're sure you'll remember the main part, Daniel, played by none other than Ralph Macchio. Guess what? Ralph is from Miller Place, NY, so move here and you're in good company!
Miller Place is a census-designated place, or CDP, situated in Suffolk County, New York. As of the latest census, there are 12,339 people living there in about 4,000 homes. The town is in a nice spot, right in the center of Long Island on the northern coast, with several beaches nearby and within easy reach. Right to the southeast is Rocky Point State Pine Barrens Preserve, and running through the middle of the region is Route 25A, which heads straight for New York City and its five boroughs about 50-60 miles away.
Moving to Miller Place
A lot of people in Miller Place commute out of town each day for work. In fact, the average commuting time is well above the national average at nearly 33 minutes, suggesting that a lot of people travel over toward New York City for employment.
If you're considering moving to Miller Place, it's important to know what sort of properties will await you, right? Well, one thing to note is that finding a place to live is not going to be easy if you're looking to find an apartment. For a start, over 93 percent of the properties are owner occupied, so the rental market is pretty tight. Well, nobody said finding a place around here would be easy!
If you're trying to find rental apartments in Miller Place, then you're in for one mighty battle, to put it plainly. Only about 4 percent of local housing is in the form of apartment buildings and high-rise complexes, and if you're looking for a studio apartment, you can pretty much put that idea to bed right now. You might find one- and two-bedroom apartments for rent, but these are highly prized, so make sure you're on your game when you come knocking. It's important to get the best references possible, get together a fat security deposit and down payment and, ideally, be able to show that you're well employed and easily capable of paying your rent each month without fail. Do this and start searching early and you might just get lucky! Seriously, it's that tough finding somewhere around here.
Neighborhoods in Miller Place
Miller Place has a WalkScore of only 11, which pretty much means you're going to need a vehicle to get around. Unless you live and work in the center of town, you won't be able to walk to any nearby amenities, so that's something to bear in mind when you're house hunting. Here are a few notes on the three neighborhoods in the city:
Town Center: As you'd expect, this is where you'll find the majority of amenities in Miller Place. There are some restaurants around town, such as Orto, Caramia Pizzeria and Savino's Hideaway, a couple of Suffolk County Parks, and a picturesque beach lining the coast.
Route 25A / Miller Place Road: Here, you'll find Miller Place High School, where a bunch of the local kids go. If you've got some Irish heritage, or if you would simply like a drink, Napper Tandy's Irish Pub is well worth checking out.
Route 25A / N Country Road: This neighborhood is pretty much entirely comprised of Rocky Point State Pine Barrens Preserve, so you're not likely to find much in the way of housing here. Unless you want to build a live-in tree house, that is.
Living in Miller Place
Miller Place is a nice, secluded spot on Long Island, but it's also got that commuter feel to it, with a lot of the locals driving off west for work via Route 25A. In town, there are a couple of pretty parks, several historic buildings, and a beach that runs along the northern border on the coast. The entire area is hilly, which makes for some nice walks with good views of the region, and there are a few annual events that the locals come together for, the best of these being the Miller Place-Mount Sinai County Fair.
One thing that the town is known for, and very proud of, is its sporting record, held by the Miller Place High School badminton team. For 32 years this team was unbeaten, winning 504 consecutive matches between 1973 and 2005. That is, in fact, the longest unbeaten run in team-sports history, and the people of Miller Place -- and the kids who enjoy their sports at the various schools in the area -- continue to live up to that tradition to this day.