Station/Boat Location~
Marine Safety Laboratory
Date there~
March 2006 - present
Weather~
All 4 seasons. Hot summers, snow in the winter
Military facilities~
The CG Academy is like 10 minutes away - and the New London Sub Base is here in Groton
Medical~
The CG Academy sees Active Duty and dependents on Prime have to go to the Navy clinic unless you get a waiver. The Navy clinic is pretty good but its very busy and difficult to get appointments. I take my kids to Gales Ferry Pediatrics off base and it is really nice. My son was born at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London - there is no on base hospital or OB care. The Labor and Delivery floor of L&M was very nice but the ER is really gross. There is also one other hospital a little farther away and an immediate care Tricare will pay for
Housing~
Housing is off base and privatized - in Groton. It's one bedroom per child which is nice. There are two-story townhouse style places and also single floor houses and single story duplexes. Some houses are houses are brand-new or renovated - all are supposed to be renovated in the next few years. The biggest difference I can tell is that the renovated houses have dishwashers and garages instead of carports. Our house is un-renovated though and I am happy with it. We have hardwood floors throughout and two full baths. There is no central air in any of the housing and it gets hot so be prepared to buy window units. Also the washer/dryer hook-ups are in the kitchen which bugs a lot of people but its not too bad.
Shopping~
Pretty much everything you could want. We get our groceries at the Commissary or Super-Walmart (about 15 minutes away) b/c the local grocery stories are a little expensive. Gas is also quite a bit higher here than it was down south. There are several decent size malls around and a Target, Walmart, Sears, Babies R US, Toys R Us, Kohls...pretty much everything. There are lots or restaurants too...Applebees, Olive Garden, Chuckee Cheese....just to name a few. There are no Chick-fil-a's or Pizza Inn's though..I miss those. And no one has sweet tea :(
Child Care/Schools~
My kids are not school age yet. I know they have both full day and half day kindergarten though and all the schools are off base. My kids are on the waiting list at the CG Academy's CDC which goes from infant up to age 4 or 5. We toured it and I was very impressed with their facility, staff, and programs. Like I said though there is wait..we are hoping the kids get in in January. It is based on your income too which is nice. There is also a CDC at the Navy base CG can use but I've never seen it..I've heard the CG one is nicer though. Neither CDC offers hourly care. Childcare off base is over twice as much as at the CDC..at least for our income level. There are a few preeschools around but they all seem to start at 3 - there doesn't seem to be anything for 2 year-olds other than daycare.
Adult Schools~
The University of Connecticut at Avery Point is right here in Groton - that is where my dh works. They only offer like 3 majors but you can do all of your first 2 years of a BA there. We also have Three Rivers Community College and there is a small private college in New London
Fun Activities~
You can go swimming at North Lake on the Navy base. There's the beaches of course but I think they are too cold to swim in. There are lots of national parks if you are into hiking or bike riding. Providence, RI is an hour away and there is lots to do there and a huge mall. There are also tons of historical sites within an hour or two drive. If you are into casinos there are a few big ones here but I haven't checked them out yet. If you have school age kids the sub base has a youth center in housing...not sure what they offer.
Additional Info~
This is a nice area - not too busy but still just about anything you could want in the surrounding areas.
Homeport CT
Marine Safety Laboratory
Date there~
March 2006 - present
Weather~
All 4 seasons. Hot summers, snow in the winter
Military facilities~
The CG Academy is like 10 minutes away - and the New London Sub Base is here in Groton
Medical~
The CG Academy sees Active Duty and dependents on Prime have to go to the Navy clinic unless you get a waiver. The Navy clinic is pretty good but its very busy and difficult to get appointments. I take my kids to Gales Ferry Pediatrics off base and it is really nice. My son was born at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London - there is no on base hospital or OB care. The Labor and Delivery floor of L&M was very nice but the ER is really gross. There is also one other hospital a little farther away and an immediate care Tricare will pay for
Housing~
Housing is off base and privatized - in Groton. It's one bedroom per child which is nice. There are two-story townhouse style places and also single floor houses and single story duplexes. Some houses are houses are brand-new or renovated - all are supposed to be renovated in the next few years. The biggest difference I can tell is that the renovated houses have dishwashers and garages instead of carports. Our house is un-renovated though and I am happy with it. We have hardwood floors throughout and two full baths. There is no central air in any of the housing and it gets hot so be prepared to buy window units. Also the washer/dryer hook-ups are in the kitchen which bugs a lot of people but its not too bad.
Shopping~
Pretty much everything you could want. We get our groceries at the Commissary or Super-Walmart (about 15 minutes away) b/c the local grocery stories are a little expensive. Gas is also quite a bit higher here than it was down south. There are several decent size malls around and a Target, Walmart, Sears, Babies R US, Toys R Us, Kohls...pretty much everything. There are lots or restaurants too...Applebees, Olive Garden, Chuckee Cheese....just to name a few. There are no Chick-fil-a's or Pizza Inn's though..I miss those. And no one has sweet tea :(
Child Care/Schools~
My kids are not school age yet. I know they have both full day and half day kindergarten though and all the schools are off base. My kids are on the waiting list at the CG Academy's CDC which goes from infant up to age 4 or 5. We toured it and I was very impressed with their facility, staff, and programs. Like I said though there is wait..we are hoping the kids get in in January. It is based on your income too which is nice. There is also a CDC at the Navy base CG can use but I've never seen it..I've heard the CG one is nicer though. Neither CDC offers hourly care. Childcare off base is over twice as much as at the CDC..at least for our income level. There are a few preeschools around but they all seem to start at 3 - there doesn't seem to be anything for 2 year-olds other than daycare.
Adult Schools~
The University of Connecticut at Avery Point is right here in Groton - that is where my dh works. They only offer like 3 majors but you can do all of your first 2 years of a BA there. We also have Three Rivers Community College and there is a small private college in New London
Fun Activities~
You can go swimming at North Lake on the Navy base. There's the beaches of course but I think they are too cold to swim in. There are lots of national parks if you are into hiking or bike riding. Providence, RI is an hour away and there is lots to do there and a huge mall. There are also tons of historical sites within an hour or two drive. If you are into casinos there are a few big ones here but I haven't checked them out yet. If you have school age kids the sub base has a youth center in housing...not sure what they offer.
Additional Info~
This is a nice area - not too busy but still just about anything you could want in the surrounding areas.
Homeport CT
