When the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics began making diesel-powered submarines in Groton during World War II, the town quickly became known as “the submarine capital of the world.” Today, Naval Submarine Base New London, located on the Groton side of the Thames River, is the town’s largest employer and maker of nuclear-powered submarines. “Young engineers come from across the country to work at Electric Boat,” says Marilyn Lusher, an associate broker with Re/Max Legends. Lusher has lived in Southeastern Connecticut for 37 years and sold real estate for 29. “People employed at the sub base want to be close to it. Pfizer, too, has research facilities in Groton, another major employer.”
While employment often brings people to Groton, the historic fishing villages of Mystic and Noank also draw visitors. “Fishing has always been important to Groton, but now you’ll see oyster farming, too,” says Broker/Realtor Lian Obrey, also with Re/Max Legends. Obrey has sold real estate locally for over 40 years and has served on numerous town committees, including as a council person. “The City of Groton lies along the Thames River. Then there’s the Town of Groton, which includes the city and villages like Mystic and Noank. Groton lies between the Thames and Mystic rivers on Long Island Sound, so water and shipbuilding have always been a major part of who we are.”
Groton also played a remarkable role in the American Revolutionary War. The town hired mercenaries to attack and disrupt British commercial ships. As a result, King George sent troops to the area, and they were led by Benedict Arnold, a high-ranking American defector who knew the Connecticut coastline and helped the British take Fort Griswold in Groton, now a state park. Arnold’s troops also landed in New London and set fire to a ship carrying gunpowder, which started a fire that destroyed most of the city.
Esker Beach is a short walk from Mumford Cove and offers swimming and volleyball.
Try your hand at paddle boarding on the Mystic River in Mystic Historic District.
The Mystic shipyard sees hundreds of boats every week through West Mystic.
Waterfront properties are in no short supply in the West Mystic area.
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Historic homes with lower-than-average prices
Lovers of historic homes will find a good stock in Groton City, Mystic and Old Mystic built between 1850 and 1920. Many are two-story, front-gabled dwellings with open or enclosed front porches. Most remain single-family homes, and approximately half have been converted to multi-family properties. Most homes in Groton are midcentury or later ranch-style, Cape Code, Tudor or colonial-style houses set on a quarter acre or more of land. The average price for a single-family home in Groton is $380,000, which is competitive — $170,000 less than the national average.
“There’s a shortage of mid-level homes in Groton,” Obrey says. “The town’s economic development committee is working with the submarine base on a study to see how they can create more homes in the mid-level range.”
Most condominiums in Groton are newer, built between 1980 and 2024, and are concentrated in Groton City and near the submarine base. “The Navy is expanding here, and Electric Boat is hiring thousands more workers,” Obrey says. “In addition to condos, new apartment complexes are going up. These will appeal to seniors looking to downsize as much as young professionals looking to relocate to the area.” Groton also has a handful of mobile home parks near the airport, in the Long Hill neighborhood and in Old Mystic, north of downtown. This is the lowest-price option for homebuyers, although HOA fees can run over $500 per month.
Gorgeous pavers line the driveway of this home in Mystic Historic District.
Old Mystic offers plenty of locations for window shopping throughout the year.
Historic salt-box colonials go back to the 1700s in West Mystic.
Modern homes are part of the allure of the Mumford Cove neighborhood in Groton.
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Recreation that bridges land, sea and time
Groton features historic sites like Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, where British troops led by Benedict Arnold captured the fort. Today, the fort’s elevation overlooking the Thames River is a good place to enjoy New London’s Sailfest celebration in July. The city is also home to Washington Park, which has dozens of sports facilities, and Shennecossett Golf Course (also called “Shenny”), a historic 18-hole public course. Military members receive discounts here, and golfers can enjoy views of the Thames and Long Island Sound.
Beaches like Groton Beach and Eastern Point Beach near the golf course are two of the many seaside attractions that line the Groton coastline. Marinas and boat launches also serve communities along the waterfront, such as Noank, which has its own shipyard and boat club.
Groton is known for its hiking and biking trails, too. Many cut through undeveloped land in places like Bluff Point State Park, an 800-acre peninsula with miles of beaches, woodlands and bluffs to explore. At Haley Farm State Park in Poquonock Bridge, dog walkers and nature lovers can discover hand-built stone walls, ponds and the remains of farm buildings on this 250-acre estate. Hikers and bikers will also find trails at the Copp Family Park, another former family estate, and Pequot Woods Park in West Mystic, a wooded area with a pond, streams and boulders.
Groton Parks puts on a Summer Sound Waves concert within easy walking distance of Mumford Cove.
Mumford Canal is the most protected area for docks in the Mumford Cove neighborhood.
Old Mystic is filled with charm and interesting businesses, like Upton Stringed Instrument Co.
Run through Groton and savor trucks at the Brew Run event, CT.
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Shopping and dining from Downtown Mystic to Hamburger Hill
While Groton doesn’t have a major mall, shoppers and diners can spend time downtown in the Mystic Historic District, which features over 80 independently owned shops like the Bee’s Knees, which sells handcrafted jewelry, clothing and home goods. Mystic Pizza, the pizza parlor featured in Julia Roberts’ 1988 romantic comedy by the same name, is steps away on West Main Street. From Downtown Mystic through Long Hill, also known as “Hamburger Hill,” Route 1 is lined with fast-food restaurants. The area offers supermarkets, retail stores and eateries like Olio Restaurant and Bar, a local favorite that serves Italian dishes with a modern edge. After Route 1 crosses Interstate 95, it becomes Route 12. A Walmart, a Stop and Shop, and dozens of other businesses and chain restaurants are at that intersection. Neighborhoods like Noank are dotted with charming establishments like Carson’s Store, a breakfast and lunch spot with general-store nostalgia.
Mohegan Sun, one of the area’s foremost entertainment and shopping destinations, is 15 miles north on Route 12. The complex features two casinos, live concerts, an arena where the Connecticut Sun WNBA team plays, over 30 popular retail stores, and 45 restaurants, bars and lounges. Foxwoods Resort Casino in nearby Ledyard is 10 miles north and features casinos, live entertainment venues and Tanger Outlets Foxwoods, an outlet mall.
The iconic West Mystic downtown waterfront is makes for a perfect afternoon walk in West Mystic.
Pop into one of the many bakeries and shopping locations throughout downtown West Mystic.
Carson's Store in Noank has a fanciful breakfast and lunch menu with many standards.
In Noank, the Historical Society has a juried art show once a year with buyers from everywhere.
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Groton schools influenced by the town’s maritime connections
Students can attend Groton Public Schools, which receives an overall B from Niche. The district serves over 4,400 students at five themed magnet elementary schools, including Thames River Environmental and Marine Magnet. Groton Middle is recognized as an international baccalaureate world school and Robert E. Fitch High offers AP and UConn Early College Experience courses. UConn Avery Point’s campus on the Long Island Sound reflects the region’s maritime tradition and enrolls approximately 800 students, many of whom transfer to the Storrs campus to finish their degrees.
The Robert E. Fitch High School in Groton encompasses grades 9-12 and nurtures students.
The Groton Middle School is a place where faculty and parents nurture students' learning goals.
Welcome to Robert E. Fitch Senior High located in Groton, CT.
At the Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Technical High School students learn skill-based trades.
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Public transportation and health care resources
Southeast Area Transit (SEAT) buses serve Groton and offer connections to New London and Norwich. Interstate 95 runs through the heart of Groton and takes drivers to New York City, 130 miles west, Providence, 50 miles northeast, and Boston, 100 miles northeast. The closest train stations are New London and Mystic, with passenger service through Amtrak and Shore Line East, a commuter service between New London and New Haven. The Groton-New London Airport does not offer passenger service, but travelers can catch flights at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, 60 miles away, or Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Providence.
The Emergency Department at Pequot Health Center is part of the Yale New Haven Health System. Patients who need to be hospitalized are transferred to either Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London or Westerly Hospital in Westerly, Rhode Island.
The AMTRAK station in Mystic is just a short drive from the Mumford Cove.
The Groton busses run frequently through the heart of the Poquonnock Bridge neighborhood.
West Mystic is famous for it's drawbridge, however it does cause significant traffic.
Several busses serve the Long Hill neighborhood of Groton and many stop near Route 1.
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Groton crime and climate numbers
According to FBI crime data, violent and property crimes have steadily decreased in Groton over the past five years, with the lowest number recorded in 2023. The Connecticut State Police’s annual Uniform Crime Reporting Program confirms this downward trend, with crime numbers dropping from 966 to 837 in the last two years of reporting, a 13% reduction.
Newcomers to Groton can expect warm and humid summers and cold, snowy winters with blustery winds in this Southeastern Connecticut town. Temperatures typically dip as low as 23 in the winter and climb as high as 80 degrees in the summer.
Infrastructure improvements and new housing
Groton Utilities has completed several infrastructure upgrades to maintain services for the town. Projects include installing high-voltage transmission lines, replacing wooden poles with iron ones, and upgrading building utilities at the town’s wastewater treatment plant. Groton’s sub base also got a new multi-million-dollar microgrid that will supply electricity to the base independent of the city’s power grid. The northbound Gold Star Memorial Bridge that connects Groton to New London is undergoing a five-year renovation to accommodate freight and other heavy-duty vehicles, critical to major employers like Pfizer, General Dynamics Electric Boat and Naval Submarine Base New London. A brand-new apartment development called Triton Square next to the I-95 and Route 12 interchange is also nearing completion. The new complex will feature upscale residences with convenient access to employers, shopping and entertainment.
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