[SunnyInAZ]

Never been to Connecticut. Am in the Navy and will be moving to Groton next year with my Navy job. If I want to live off base what areas in or near Groton would be good for single people in their 20s to meet others my age? Would be interested in renting (buying?) a condo or small house (don’t really want to worry about upkeep of a house while on deployment) that would be fairly close to base. Thanks for any input.

[ProudFairfielder]

Originally Posted by SunnyInAZ

Never been to Connecticut. Am in the Navy and will be moving to Groton next year with my Navy job. If I want to live off base what areas in or near Groton would be good for single people in their 20s to meet others my age? Would be interested in renting (buying?) a condo or small house (don’t really want to worry about upkeep of a house while on deployment) that would be fairly close to base. Thanks for any input.

How close do you need to be? I'd recommend living west of the base as that will put you closer to New Haven, the city in CT with the most nighlife (which is about 45 minutes from Groton). If there's rentals in Waterford that's probably a good option (10 mins from Groton and 35 from NH).

[JayCT]

What’s your budget? Groton has some nice apartments that are close to the base. Waterford is another option. A lot of singles hang out at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun Casinos but I can’t say they live in one particular area more than another. Good luck, Jay

[nico7]

There's a small social scene in Niantic along the water during the summer. You might like that.

[The_Quiet_One]

Plan on the singles scene being rather seasonal, with many tourists in summer and some college students the rest of the year. New London is a college town being home to Connecticut College, Mitchell College, and the US Coast Guard Academy. New London doesn't have the best reputation since it has certainly seen better days, but I wouldn't rule it out as a place to live, especially if you'll only be living there temporarily. Bank Street has decent nightlife. It'll also be very easy to get to work. Just be cautious where you rent in town. The further south the better. There are some nice apartments, including some new construction, south of Lawrence and Memorial Hospital and off Ocean Ave which could be nice depending on your budget.

If you're willing to drive further, New Haven has the best nightlife in CT and it's about 45 minutes or so by car. Providence, RI is about 10 minutes further the other way. Middletown, CT is about 10 minutes closer to the northwest. All three have good nightlife options. Middletown would be the least stressful drive.

Westerly, RI is nearby and would be a good option for renting, though it tends to be busier with tourists in summer than New London. But it's a nice community.

Commuting in that area is not bad most of the year, but in summer the commute along I-95 will be horrendous, especially on Friday evenings and Sundays, because of beach tourists. For that reason, I think you'd be better off living closer to Groton and traveling for nightlife.

The casinos are also a good suggestion, but you'll probably spend a lot more money there.

Mystic and downtown Niantic are nice, but the people in Mystic tend to skew older and/or have families, especially the summer crowd, and Niantic is on the smaller side. I remember Hartford Ave in East Lyme being the big nightlife area for singles, but I haven't been around there for years, so I can't tell you how it is now.

Overall I think you'll like southeastern CT. It's affordable and the people that live there are down to earth. It's one of the few places in the northeast where a water view isn't out of reach financially. I've heard of quite a few Navy and Coast Guard vets who decided to move back to the area after having been stationed there earlier in their careers. There's a good military community. I can't comment on the specifics of that personally, but it might be another good way for you to meet people.

[RogerAnthony]

I'll recommend Westerly, Rhode Island. My sister lived there in her mid-20's when she worked at the Naval Base and liked it.

[SunnyInAZ]

Thanks for your input!