Eclectic new shops create fresh, fun feel in town
By Linda Tuccio-Koonz
If you haven’t been to the heart of New Milford recently, you’re in for a surprise. “It’s wonderful, I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Karen Ross, owner of Joe’s Salon, a Bank Street staple for 40 years.
Multiple new shops have opened, complementing old favorites and giving the charming downtown a fresh, fun feel. “There’s been so much turnover,” Ross says.
“The people coming in now are more thoughtful about what they’re doing and how they present their businesses. They’re spending time and money to make each space look special and welcoming.”
Lifestyle/gift boutiques such as Compass Road Collection and The Safari Collective feature everything from candles and home decor to jewelry crafted by local artisans. Another addition, The Hunt, offers a curated selection of vintage and new items from clothing to cookware.
Around the corner on Main Street, BD Provisions sells bulk foods from cereal to candy (plus spices, teas, nuts, and more) by the pound.
“This spot was vacant for over a decade,” says owner Jen Clark. “People said, ‘Oh, you’re so brave to open during a pandemic,’ but we thought it was a good fit for the community, and it’s been a real hit.”
Zero—or low-waste packaging is used, including free compostable or biodegradable bags. Fill your own jars, if you prefer. Disposable gloves are provided, to wear when scooping from containers.
“When the world shut down because of the pandemic, people realized the importance of community,” Clark says. “The awareness of hygiene and the importance of keeping everyone safe helped us.”
Ethnic restaurants, like Momma’s Tacos on Church Street near Village Center for the Arts (VCA), are also part of this eclectic mix. Sharon Kaufman, director of VCA’s pottery studio, says the change in town is a visible one.
So how did it happen? A population shift is part of it, Kaufman says. “There are people trying to get out of the metropolitan squeeze and move somewhere safer; New Milford is on their radar.”
Shops catering to this new population are making the downtown “feel more like a destination,” she says. “The shops are a little more open-minded and forward-thinking. There’s a juice bar which I don’t think in the past could have survived. Even our pottery studio has gone insane with business.”
Although some vacant storefronts remain, several sport signs about what’s moving in. “We’re getting a cheese and charcuterie shop (Bleu on Bank),” Ross says. Also coming: Café 1840, a gourmet café and chocolate shop. “Now, it’s like ‘Let’s go down and see what’s happening.’ There’s so much more available. The shopping experience is there. It’s a destination now.”
That means more foot traffic near old favorites like Bank Street Theater, which weathered the pandemic with a reduced schedule, screening classics/older movies when new options (like the Spider-Man smash, No Way Home) weren’t available. “We’ll stay open to remain an integral part of the downtown,” says Meredith Cleary, president of The Bank Street Group, which owns the cinema.
Ross still remembers when Adam Sandler’s film company lined Bank Street with red Corvettes for the filming of his 2002 comedy, Mr. Deeds. “People came for appointments to have their hair done just to get a peek.”
The recent influx of new stores and restaurants during the challenges of the pandemic is even more exciting than that Corvette takeover, she says. “That people have the stamina to do this is such an optimistic choice. I love them for doing it because I feel like that—optimistic.”
