Moving to the area.

Hello all. I'm in the Navy and am about to transfer to Groton, CT from Pearl Harbor, HI. I've got an '88 TR that's in the Seattle area for a major service. After the service, I'll be shipping it to Groton. I plan on moving into an apartment, so I don't anticipate having a garage to store it in. Are there any recommended storage facilities to keep my car in?
Also, my current daily driver is an '07 Lotus Elise. I hear you guys have pretty nasty winters out there and I should look at getting some POS with all wheel drive that I don't care about for when the roads get salted. Any suggestions?
By the way, I grew up in the Seattle area, spent a couple years in Charleston, SC and the past six years in Hawaii. I've never been in your area and from the look of things, there are some great gatherings. I can't wait to get there and meet new people and see new places.
I'm also looking for a one bedroom apartment in a good area. I've been looking around on line, but I can't really tell what the surrounding area is like from pictures of inside the building. A friend of mine said I should look at living in Mystic, but I haven't seen any apartment complexes in that area. Any suggestions from people who live around there?

-Olin

 

How far do you want to commute? Mystic is nice but very pricey. Doubt you'll find an apartment complex in that town. More of the bed and breakfast type. Lots of beachy homes in the surrounding towns that support year round living.

Very few storage facilities that know how to handle cars around here. The only ones that come to mind are 1 hour away.

Yes...get a POS

 

Definately get an AWD car for the winter. It dfoesnt have to be a POS though. BMW has an AWD series, and all the American SUV's are also FWD/AWD. I drive a Volvo XC70 which is great in the winter.

I would be happy to stor the TR for you on one of the storage lifts in muy garage Pm me.

 

You should be able to find a garage for rent advertised in the local papers or on craigslist. Obviously you can hold off on that until after you decide where you are going to live so that it will be close by for you.

The coastal areas of southern CT don't get as much snow as the interior parts of the state or the region but an AWD car would be a good idea if you want the security of knowing that you can go anywhere in New England if you want.

You will really enjoy the area. Lots of history, nice scenic areas, great recreational opportunities whether you like summer or winter activities and access to Providence, Hartford, New Haven and Boston is easy when you want the culture and other aspects offered by larger cities. There is an excellent group of enthusiasts all around as well as some very good shops that will help you make sure that your TR stays in tip top condition.

 

Probably not more than about 30 minutes or so.

The only thing I wouldn't like about that is allowing somebody else to have access to it at all times. Over the past several years, my trust toward people in general has been in a downward spiral. If it's someone I know already or know I can trust, that's a different story.

Bdel, I'll send you a PM when I find out exactly when I'll be moving out there. It should be in a couple weeks, but the TR still has to be put back together, so it may take another month or two.

Thank you,
-Olin

 

I've learned you can pretty much trust anyone on fchat (atleast in the NE area)

 

You will have no shortage of friends and this is a great place to network. Saint Bastage and his crew are always doing something and if you are interested check out the FCA NER website for additional events www.fca-newengland.org.

Welcome to CT!

 

If memory serves, Shamrock Motors on Montauk Ave in New London stores vehicles in a heated garage in the winter - not sure about whether they do year round easy access storage. And if you rented a condo that came with a garage it wouldn't be an issue.

There is an apartment building right on route 1 in Mystic right next to the the Mystic River, but you have to put up with tourists if you live down there.
Here's a link with some Groton Appartments:

http://www.padmapper.com/search/apartments/Connecticut/New-London/39407826/

Not sure how much you want to pay for a place, but these condos are pretty decent and have a garage.

http://newlondon.craigslist.org/apa/1882766322.html

I live in Groton, so if I can be of any help let me know.

 

That looks perfect. I was looking for something like that for a while, but didn't see anything like that, so I started looking for a single bedroom apartment and a storage for my cars. Thank you.
-Olin

 

I wouldn't rent a garage in a private home where there are others who have access. The garage that I rented is an individually locked and separated garage in the bottom of an apartment building less than 10 minutes away from my house. It seems that lots of people in rental apartments don't want to spend an extra couple of hundred bucks for a garage and prefer to leave their cars outside all the time.

Worked for me.