Millwood

Millwood is a sister hamlet to Chappaqua, located in the town of New Castle. There are about 1,200 residents.

In 1958, passenger train service to the Millwood train station ended; freight service ended a few years after that. The tracks were paved over, and the North County Trailway was born. A portion of the 22.1 mile path passes through Millwood, giving cyclists, runners and walkers a safe, scenic place to exercise.

Though the trail is popular throughout Westchester, Millwood residents have additional options. The town of North Castle organizes summer camps and year-round programs through its recreation department. There are several parks as well; Millwood is home to two. Gedney Park has a picnic area, a playground, playing fields and walking trails. It is the only park in North Castle with a pond for ice skating in the winter. Millwood Park is smaller, but has a playground and tennis courts.

During the last decade, concerns about Millwood’s lack of development led to the formation of the Millwood Task Force. The organization was charged with examining ways to improve the tax base and introduce needed retail options without ruining the area’s rural qualities. Public utilities, including ConEdison, own one-fourth of Millwood’s land. Areas supplying New York City’s drinking water are also protected from development. This has made the hamlet less developed than neighboring Chappaqua, but three small shopping centers were approved and built. One of them includes an A&P supermarket.

Millwood is located entirely within the Chappaqua Central School District, which has an outstanding reputation. Three elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school educate the district’s 4,200 students. At the elementary level, most students in Millwood attend Westorchard, and move on to Seven Bridges Middle School, which was recently built to accommodate the growing population. Horace Greeley High School offers 18 Advanced Placement exams, which allows students to obtain college credit. U.S. News and World Report ranked Horace Greeley at #46 in its 2008 edition of America’s Best High Schools.

Though the hamlet’s original train station is gone, residents can catch the train to the city at Metro-North’s Chappaqua station. Travel time to Grand Central is about fifty minutes. The Taconic Parkway is the nearest highway.

Compared to Chappaqua, homes in Millwood are smaller, and on smaller lots. However there are still many options above a million dollars and what’s considered affordable in North Castle is still expensive. There are multiple condominium complexes. House-hunters who wish to be in the Chappaqua School District but are dissatisfied with its lack of lower-priced options may find a larger selection of more affordable homes.