[scollaso]

Like many others on this site, we are looking into moving to CT from San Diego. My husbands job would be in Groton (on base). We are not military, so living on base is not an option. We have two young children and we are searching other responses on this site to find good areas. I am looking into Old Saybrook, East Lyme, and have researched Groton and Mystic as well. A smaller town feel (not rural) would be ideal. Commuting in San Diego is pretty normal but at the same time 25 miles can take an hour sometimes. Is this the same in CT as well? Would commuting from E Lyme to Groton be too much? Also, we are very involved in our church here (Calvary Chapel). Any suggestions on good churches would be awesome as well. The closest Calvary that I see is in Uncasville?

We would rent first until we became familiar with the area (which I see can be limiting). If anyone has any other suggestions for family friendly safe areas with good schools, I would love the suggestions. Thanks so much!!

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by scollaso

Like many others on this site, we are looking into moving to CT from San Diego. My husbands job would be in Groton (on base). We are not military, so living on base is not an option. We have two young children and we are searching other responses on this site to find good areas. I am looking into Old Saybrook, East Lyme, and have researched Groton and Mystic as well. A smaller town feel (not rural) would be ideal. Commuting in San Diego is pretty normal but at the same time 25 miles can take an hour sometimes. Is this the same in CT as well? Would commuting from E Lyme to Groton be too much? Also, we are very involved in our church here (Calvary Chapel). Any suggestions on good churches would be awesome as well. The closest Calvary that I see is in Uncasville?

We would rent first until we became familiar with the area (which I see can be limiting). If anyone has any other suggestions for family friendly safe areas with good schools, I would love the suggestions. Thanks so much!!

You won't be alone. There seem to be a lot of Californians moving to the area.

Groton is in the eastern part of Connecticut, which is generally most rural - a far cry from the pricey NYC suburbs in western CT, the corporate powerhouse of Hartford, and the Yalie-flooded culture of New Haven (which is still not a bad drive, and you should check out the foodie scene in the city).

Thankfully for you, this area has the least traffic in the state so you can easily drive 20 miles and get there in 20 minutes. Old Saybrook is gorgeous, and the commute wouldn't be too hard. If you don't mind driving up to 45 minutes, I'd suggest you look at Madison (schools in Madison are really excellent) and the picture perfect towns of Essex and Chester along Route 9.

[willow wind]

East Lyme has the best school system in south eastern CT. Another virtually equal as good school system is Old Lyme ( which is next to East Lyme) .

East Lyme is a wonderful town and the southern half of the town, called the village of Niantic, has a great but small walkable downtown area & boardwalk along the beach. Niantic has lovely beaches, a huge ocean front state park, local shopping and very easy highway access.

It's 12 minutes to Groton, if that, once you're on the highway, then a few more minutes up to the sub base . There is no traffic. East Lyme would give you both a village area with homes on smaller lots and the northern half of the town is very suburban to slightly rural.

Old Lyme is another good choice, although it does not have the amenity level of East Lyme, being a much smaller town in population.

Those would be my top two picks in the order presented. Another possibilty would be the town of Waterford, which has is also on the water and has a regional shopping mall. It lacks a town center so has less charm than the others. But it's a perfectly good place to live.

The one problem you will have is that there are not a lot of rentals. You won't find apartment complexes in those towns. You can find condos, single family homes and perhaps a few 2 family homes to rent..

By the way, I'm pretty sure there is a Calvary Chapel in Old Lyme on Short Hills Rd. which is just a mile or so from the East Lyme border. Much closer than Uncasville.


Good luck

[JayCT]

To add to what the others have posted, please note that Mystic is not a town. It is a section of the towns of Groton and Stonington the staddles the Mystic River. There is a charming village there that has become a major tourist destination with Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium plus other attractions. In the summer this area is very busy with tourist traffic.

I do agree that one of the best school systems in the area is East Lyme. Many people who work in Groton live there. The commute is not bad since I-95 directly connects the two towns and the roads are not very congested. Keep in mind you are moving from a major urban area to a small less developed area so while traffic may not be an issue, you should not expect the same level of amenities as San Diego. Good luck, Jay

[Stylo]

I would personally go Old Saybrook. It's got a beautiful coast, a nice downtown/main street, and is a well maintained town with good schools. It's also not too out of the way, and gives easier access to dining, entertainment and culture in New Haven.

[JViello]

East Lyme/Niantic is a great town on the ocean.

The other option I would suggest is the town of Colchester. It's about a 30 minute drive with no traffic to the base, it has a fantastic town center, most amenities you'll need, great schools and is affordable.

The big factor also is that it now puts you into accessibility of the Hartford market as well. You can be in Glastonbury in 20 minutes with the shopping, restaurants etc and Hartford downtown in about 30.

[scollaso]

Thanks for the quick reply. You are all amazing! We definitely are looking at renting a single family home as opposed to an appartment. We would love to buy but want to be more familiar with the area first. Thank you again for the help!

[scollaso]

Originally Posted by JayCT

To add to what the others have posted, please note that Mystic is not a town. It is a section of the towns of Groton and Stonington the staddles the Mystic River. There is a charming village there that has become a major tourist destination with Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium plus other attractions. In the summer this area is very busy with tourist traffic.

I do agree that one of the best school systems in the area is East Lyme. Many people who work in Groton live there. The commute is not bad since I-95 directly connects the two towns and the roads are not very congested. Keep in mind you are moving from a major urban area to a small less developed area so while traffic may not be an issue, you should not expect the same level of amenities as San Diego. Good luck, Jay

Good to know about the area and the tourist..thanks!

[MichaelD11]

It would be a little over an hour commute to Groton, but West Hartford is a very family-friendly town located in central CT.

There is a nice church in West Hartford, Calvary Fellowship, that my family has been attending for quite a while. While they are not directly affiliated with Calvary Chapel, the pastor is from Calvary Ft. Lauderdale., and their website is: www.calvaryhartford.com If you end up moving closer to Groton it might be too far to drive, but it's at least one option.

[Stylo]

West Hartford is great, but not worth what would be an hour 15 minute commute on most days.