if you're a water person, i'd expand your search into westerly, ri. the rhode island beaches are better than connecticut and it faces the open ocean so you get actual waves. westerly is about 20 minutes from new london and is a decent size town with bars and restaurants.

otherwise, this area of connecticut gets rural pretty quick as you head inland. if living on a bit of land in the woods is your thing, you've got that as an option as well.