New London is a compact, walkable coastal city with a lively maritime character—historic downtown, waterfront parks, seafood restaurants, a growing arts and music scene, ferry service for island day trips, and nearby maritime museums—so a multi‑week assignment feels more like a short urban coastal experience than a lonely posting. Good regional transit (Amtrak and I‑95) makes commuting and weekend escapes easy.
Bigger nearby hubs like Providence (~25–30 miles) and New Haven (~40 miles) offer major museums, university nightlife, and larger hospital systems if you want bigger-city options on your days off.