“We’re trying to get people to shop local and think about shopping local first, then going elsewhere if they need anything else,” Giovannini adds. “We’re just trying to keep the town vibrant.”
An important aspect of the vibrancy Giovannini cites are the local restaurants, specialty food shops, and wineries. Described by the New York Times as “the Hudson Valley’s flagship winery,” Millbrook Vineyards has been producing some of the region’s finest tipple on 184 acres since 1984, and is open daily for tours and tastings. The area is rich with a wide variety of cuisine from the French bistro fare of Café Les Baux and the Italian/Mediterranean bent of Aurelia, both located in the heart of the village, to fine dining at Charlotte’s Restaurant and upscale Mexican at La Puerta Azul on the outskirts of town. Babette’s Kitchen is a gourmet market right on Franklin Avenue serving breakfast, lunch, and dinners to go, and a wide selection of gourmet retail items.
Everybody knows everybody
Considering ideals like supporting local businesses, quality education, and philanthropy, the people of Millbrook are very community-oriented. Greenwood chuckled while casually driving through roads marked “Private.” “It’s the nature of a small community,” he says. “Everyone knows each other.”
Twenty-year-old Emily Atkin has lived in Millbrook for the past 15 years. She agrees with Greenwood’s opinion, but to an even greater extent. “It’s not even that you know everyone’s name—you know everyone’s dog’s name,” she says. “My dog is the dog that runs away the most. We don’t even have to call him to come home—if someone sees my dog running around town they know where to bring him: ‘Oh, there’s Archie, better put him on the Atkins’ front porch.’”
She values growing up in Millbrook and believes that its tranquility and quaintness make it a great place to raise a family. Mayor Ciferri, a third-generation Millbrook resident, agrees “100 percent.” He raised his son and daughter in Millbrook and they are now raising their children in the village.
Although Giovannini is not currently a resident of Millbrook, he looks forward to moving to the village with his wife and two children. “[Millbrook] has a sense of community, as far as people helping each other out,” he says. “The people who live and work in town are very good and have a good work ethic, and it’s good to see that and show the kids that. Mainly, the classic small town aspect is what I like about it—everybody knows everybody.”
Ray Rhodes, a waiter at the Millbrook Diner, a ‘50s-style, 10-table retro eatery, spends three nights a week serving regulars and strangers. When asked why he enjoyed working at the diner he hesitates and says, “My clientele. I’ve been here 13 years and it’s a small town, know what I mean?”
Immediately after making that comment he shouts, “Hey John, how are ya?” as one of his favorite regulars sits down at the counter.
RESOURCES
Aurelia www.aureliarestaurant.com
Babette’s Kitchen www.babetteskitchen.com
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies www.ecostudies.org
Café Les Baux www.cafelesbaux.com
Charlotte’s Restaurant and Catering www.charlottesny.com
Dutchess Day School www.dutchessday.org
La Puerta Azul www.lapuertaazul.com
Merritt Bookstore www.merrittbooks.com
Millbrook Business Association www.millbrookbusinessassociation.com
Millbrook Diner (845) 677-5319
Millbrook Vineyards and Winery www.millbrookwine.com
Town of Washington www.washingtonny.org
Village of Millbrook www.village.millbrook.ny.us
Village Wine and Spirit www.villagewinemillbrook.com
