A growing suburban community overlooking the Long Island Sound
When it comes to small towns, there’s an old trope that people always give directions based on landmarks — turn right at the crooked tree, left at Miller’s place. And there’s truth to the trope, because that is, after all, exactly how Miller’s Place got its name. In 1720, a man named Andrew Miller owned a house near what is now North Country Road, so travelers heading east from Setauket called the route Andrew Miller’s Place. Eventually, the name was shortened to Miller Place.
Today, the hamlet still sits on bluffs overlooking the Long Island Sound on the North Shore, about 74 miles from Manhattan. And while Andrew Miller’s house miraculously still stands, now maintained by the local historical society, the community around it has changed. It’s still a quiet community framed by the water and forests, but farmland has been replaced by tree-shaded residential streets and a small commercial district along state Route 25A. “It’s an area that has a lot of character with trees and greenery,” says Lina Lopes, a licensed associate broker at Douglas Elliman who has sold homes in the area for 34 years. “There was a lot of land up there, especially farmland, that’s been converted to developments.” These developments range from typical subdivisions to gated communities and condo complexes, providing plenty of options for potential homebuyers, and the area is still growing. Miller Place is friendly, but communities are often centralized in these little developments, with neighbors really getting to know each other. “We walk the dogs a couple of times a day, and even if you saw that person in the morning, they’re waving to you,” says Dina Powers, an associate broker at Signature Premier Properties who has lived in a condo here for three years now, though she’s sold homes here for about 25 years. “Everybody waves to everybody. It’s just what we do. It’s really nice, we really love it.”
A serene day unfolds at the Cedar Beach docks near Miller Place.
Flying Pig Restaurant, Miller Place's hotspot for gourmet delights.
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Swimming in the Sound at Miller Place Beach
Cordwood Landing County Park is the hamlet's go-to outdoor space. At 70 acres, it’s part of the Miller Place historic district and has hiking trails that lead to Miller Place Beach along the Long Island Sound. Miller Place Beach is a small residents-only beach with plenty of space for relaxing on the sand and swimming. It’s also a frequent stop for fishermen. Cedar Beach Town Nature Preserve is a popular beach just 2 miles away. It’s much busier, but it also has more to do. “It’s a great beach — It has a little dance floor and a tiki bar where you can get sandwiches or paninis,” Powers says, adding that there's also live music. The community doesn’t have any marinas of its own, but neighboring towns provide options nearby. Back in Miller Place, Sylvan Avenue Park often hosts Little League games, an activity that Lopes says is a big deal, and many people fit in lessons at Rockstar Kickboxing of Miller Place. Cyclists head to the North Shore Rail Trail, a 10.5-mile paved biking path that runs from Mount Sinai to Wading River.
South of Route 25A, the community opens up a little. There are still developments, but farmland lingers in places and tree-lined streets give way to woods. "The south side of Miller Place is like a different world," says Tor Johnson, an associate real estate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty who specializes in selling homes in Miller Place. Just outside the hamlet, Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest and Preserve is the most biologically diverse park in the state. More than a dozen types of orchids grow in the Long Island Pine Barrens, and there are scores of bird, moth and butterfly species. There are even threatened and endangered animals like the eastern mud turtle and northern harrier hawk. People head to the park for its miles of hiking and biking trails. Horseback riding, birdwatching and hunting are also popular activities here. Golfers can head just outside the hamlet to Willow Creek Golf & Country Club, an 18-hole public golf course.
Calm waves at Cedar Beach, Miller Place's hidden gem.
Shoot some hoops down at Cedar Beachs Basketball Court close to Miller Place.
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Inland fixer-uppers starting at $550,000
Cape Cods and colonial homes are common here, especially among older homes built between the 1950s and 1980s. Homes built from 2000 to the present tend to be new traditionals. Although Miller Place is right on the sound, there are only a handful of waterfront homes. “They’re right on the bluff and they have amazing water views and sunsets and sunrises — more the sunrises,” Lopes says. “Many of them do not have beach access off of their backyards, but some of them do. Most of them will have beach access through a community private beach area.” Because the homes are up on a bluff, Powers says, getting to the beach may involve many stairs, so they’re not accessible for mobility aids or strollers.
Miller Place breaks the mold of most other North Shore hamlets when it comes to pricing. Aside from its handful of waterfront homes, which typically cost between $850,000 and $1.2 million, its most expensive homes are actually to the south, where most of the newer houses are. These homes start around $750,000 and climb to $2.1 million. North of Route 25A, the occasional small, inland house in need of major updates could start at $550,000. The average home in Miller Place is larger than the national average, though, so smaller homes aren’t as common. Most houses that need updating range from $650,000 to about $1.2 million. "If you go 20 miles west or 20 miles east, the same house could cost twice as much as you'd pay here, if not more,” Johnson says. There are also quite a few condominium developments in the community, and just like the single-family houses, some are gated and some aren’t. A condo typically costs between $500,000 to $800,000.
Because its waterfront homes are up on a bluff, the risk of flooding in Miller Place is low. Hurricane season still affects the area, though, bringing high winds that could damage homes. Getting insurance that covers damage from wind is a good idea here. The CAP Index crime score is 1 out of 10, below the national average of 4.
Miller Place: where community spirit and natural beauty meet.
Historic homes of Miller Place, standing tall with timeless elegance.
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Events in nearby Mount Sinai, small community gatherings
Miller Place is a quiet community where events are usually limited to get-togethers thrown by individual developments. “Saturday we’re doing our end-of-the-summer barbeque, and we do a beginning of the summer barbeque,” Powers says of her own condo development. “Every first Friday of the month, we have pizza night, so we all chip in and bring our own dessert and our own alcohol, and we all get pizza and just hang out.” Entertainment is never far, though, and locals often head to Heritage Center and its surrounding park just 3 miles away in Mount Sinai for free summer concerts, an annual fall festival and dance lessons.
Restaurants and essentials along Route 25A
Route 25A is lined with businesses, restaurants and strip malls. Half coffee shop, half classic diner, Crazy Beans is a popular place to start the day thanks to its lattes and gluten-free options like pancakes and French toast. Branchinelli’s is known for its chicken parmesan and meatballs. Friends often meet up at Don Quijote for margaritas and Powers says Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse is the go-to place for sushi. For dessert, McNulty’s Ice Cream Parlor has been serving homemade ice cream for more than three decades near Miller Place’s historic district. There’s a Marshalls in the hamlet and a Stop & Shop for groceries. For more shopping and dining, Port Jefferson is just under 5 miles away.
Grab a seat at the bar at the flying Pig Cafe in Miller Place.
Savoring the local favorite, McNulty's Ice Cream in Miller Place.
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Extracurriculars at Miller Place High
The Miller Place Union Free School District earns a B from Niche. It’s a small district, with just four schools — just one streamlined pipeline. Every kid in the same grade goes to the same school. "So, kids who grow up on this part of the island go through every grade, until high school graduation, together," Johnson says. Andrew Muller Primary School teaches kindergarten through second grade and has a B, while Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School, which teaches third grade through fifth grade, gets a B. North Country Road Middle School also earns a B, and Miller Place High School gets a B-plus. The high school offers mock trial, robotics and book clubs alongside its sports, which include fencing and golf teams in addition to the usual sports like football, soccer and cross country.
Bright futures begin at North Country Road School in Miller Place.
Sound Beach School nurtures young minds in Miller Place.
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Route 25A and other nearby highways, LIRR in Port Jefferson
Route 25A is Miller Place’s main thoroughfare, but it doesn’t take long to reach other major highways. “You can head down 25A and hop on William Floyd or you can go up 347 and you can hit Northern State Parkway, or you can go down 83 and hit the Expressway,” Powers says. “It takes a few minutes to get to all those places.” The nearest Long Island Rail Road station is in Port Jefferson about 4 miles away. From there, the train takes commuters the 65 miles to Manhattan’s Penn Station in about an hour and 50 minutes. Mather Hospital is about 4 miles away and Long Island MacArthur Airport is 19 miles away.
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