Milford in Michigan
“I always describe Milford as very much an up north town, but not up north,” says Meg Nefcy, shop manager of Dearly Departed Tattoos and Fine Art. “Everyone knows everyone, and all the local businesses support each other.” Home to the Village of Milford, the Milford township is a 35-square-mile patch of Oakland County in Michigan, just under 45 miles from downtown Detroit. “We have a main strip downtown,” Nefcy says, “and there are tons of stores and boutiques. In the summer, there’s a firepit in the courtyard, and sometimes they’ll have a fountain going.” Though the town comes with more modern and vibrant places like Dearly Departed, it gives off vibes much like the fictional town of Mulberry, and when asked about this, Nefcy laughs. “I’d say that’s pretty accurate.”
How old is the Christmas parade?
National holidays like Independence Day and Memorial Day are significant events in Milford. For Memorial Day, the town comes together for a ceremony in Central Park, and the Fourth of July Parade brings families to Milford’s downtown area for a day of celebration. Unique to Milford, the Milford Memories Summer Festival has been a staple of the township for over 30 years. As the third-largest celebration in the county, the festival brings local bands, restaurants and vendors to Milford’s downtown for an entire weekend of festivities. For a fall festival, Brewed in Michigan celebrates Michigan beer and its brewers with raffles, food vendors and beer. “We also have a Christmas parade that’s been going on so long we don’t even know how long we’ve been doing it,” says Jennifer Hill, events and communications manager for the Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It started sometime before the Chamber of Commerce, but the chamber organizes the parade now.”
Tattoos, boutiques and a village butcher
As a township where residents take pride in supporting local businesses, the downtown area of Milford Village is filled with locally-owned shops and restaurants. Dearly Departed Tattoos and Fine Art occupies a historical site and leans on traditional tattoo designs to pay homage to preceding generations of artists. “We opened in Milford because of the building,” Nefcy says. “It was built in 1881, so it’s about 143 years old and still has the original wood floor, the original wood arches and details throughout the home and original shutters.” Nefcy also says the downtown area is home to some great boutiques like the outdoor clothing and equipment shop, Blue Birch Outfitters, and the local butcher, Village Butcher Shoppe. With fresh produce and other grocery needs, Kroger and Matti’s Fresh Market keep Milford pantries well-stocked.
Old and updated home styles
Milford homes are a mix of old and new, with historic Victorian houses built in the 1800s, Colonial Revivals, Craftsman and modern contemporary homes, and condos are becoming increasingly popular in the area. One-bedroom condos can sell for less than $200,000, but larger, three and four-bedroom condos can sell for around $600,000. Single-family ranch-style homes sell between $200,000 and $400,000, while two-story contemporary homes can go for $500,000 to $940,000. The median home price is $470,000, up 16% from the previous year.
Huron Valley Schools District
Milford is part of the Huron Valley Schools District, which covers almost 100 square miles and has nearly 8,000 students. The student-teacher ratio is 18:1, and schools in the district offer various sports teams, robotics teams and music and theater programs. The district maintains a 94% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1180. Recognized for its digital media and media programs, the district was awarded the 2023 Publications and Digital Media Excellence Award by the National School Public Relations Association and earns a B-plus on Niche.
Hike, paddle or skateboard
Complementing the Village of Milford and its collection of shops and restaurants, the surrounding area comprises more rural areas, like farms and woodland. “We’re right next to Kensington Metropark,” Nefcy says. “It’s got a path that goes all the way around Kent Lake, and a bunch of hiking trails stem from that.” Covering nearly 4,500 acres of wooded and hilly land, the park is home to an extensive list of amenities like horseback riding, a nature center and a farm center. Kent Lake also offers waterfowl-shaped paddle boats and numerous places to drop a fishing line. The area’s newest addition, Milford Skate Park, gives kids a place to skate and BMX.
Drivers wanted
There is no public transportation in Milford, so a car is essential for travel in the area, and roads beyond the Village of Milford can be narrow and winding in places. From central Milford, around the village, Interstate 96 is five and a half miles south, while State Route 23 is 7 miles west and East Highland Road is just under four miles north. The more rural roads lack sidewalks, but residential and commercial roads throughout the village offer miles of sidewalks for Milford residents to get their heart rate up.
Written By
Konrad Solberg
Photography Contributed By
Gregory Hayes
