Mystic, CT Real Estate and Homes for Sale

Mystic, Connecticut, is a village on the Mystic River, split between the towns of Groton and Stonington and about 15 minutes from Naval Submarine Base New London. This guide covers downtown Mystic, West Mystic, Old Mystic and Mason's Island: what it is like to live here, things to do, places to eat, and what to know before buying or selling a home.

Mystic is a village, not a municipality, and it has no government of its own. The Mystic River runs through the middle of it: the west bank is in the Town of Groton, and the east bank is in the Town of Stonington. The Mystic River Bascule Bridge, built in 1922, carries U.S. Route 1 over the river in the center of the village.

• Downtown Mystic. Main Street crosses the bascule bridge. On the Stonington side, the Mystic Bridge Historic District covers a shipbuilding village that prospered from the 1840s to the 1890s, with Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne buildings.
• West Mystic. The Groton side of the village. Its Mystic River Historic District takes in about 235 acres along Route 1, West Mystic Avenue, High Street, Pearl Street and Cliff Street, with 19th-century houses, stores and public buildings.
• Greenmanville. North of downtown on Route 27, where the Greenman brothers ran a 19th-century shipyard and textile mill. Mystic Seaport Museum is here.
• Old Mystic. A separate village in both towns, where Route 27 meets Route 184.
• Mason's Island. About 600 acres at the mouth of the river on the Stonington side, reached by a causeway, with two marinas at its north end.

Route 27 connects downtown, the Seaport, Interstate 95 and Old Mystic, and U.S. Route 1 runs west into Groton and east toward Stonington Borough. Amtrak's Northeast Regional stops at Mystic station, a 1905 depot just east of downtown.

Naval Submarine Base New London, Electric Boat and Pfizer are in Groton, about 15 minutes west by Interstate 95. Mystic Seaport Museum and Mystic Aquarium are the center of the village's tourism economy.

Most of what there is to do in Mystic is close to the river.

• Mystic Seaport Museum. Founded in 1929 on 19 acres of riverfront, with a recreated coastal village, a working shipyard and the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan.
• Mystic Aquarium. A nonprofit aquarium on Coogan Boulevard, near Interstate 95, with beluga whales, sea lions and African penguins.
• Olde Mistick Village. An open-air shopping and dining center next to the aquarium.
• Mystic River Park. A green, boardwalk and playground beside the bascule bridge, owned by the Mystic Fire District.
• Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. Trails and a nature center on Pequotsepos Road, plus Coogan Farm on Route 27.
• Mystic Museum of Art. Exhibitions and art classes at 9 Water Street.
• Boating. Mystic Seaport Museum has docks for visiting boats, and the bascule bridge opens for boat traffic.
• Mystic Outdoor Art Festival. Held each August along the river by the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.

More ideas: Things to do in Mystic on Tripadvisor.

Restaurants and shops in Mystic cluster in two places. Downtown, they line Main Street on both sides of the bascule bridge and the streets just off it, including Water Street and Holmes Street, with Mystic River Park beside the bridge. Near Interstate 95, Olde Mistick Village is an open-air center with more than 40 shops and eateries next to Mystic Aquarium. On a weekend, people walk the downtown riverfront, visit Mystic Seaport Museum or the aquarium, and stop for pizza or ice cream on Main Street.

• Mystic Pizza. Pizza restaurant on West Main Street downtown, opened in 1973 and the namesake of the 1988 film.
• S&P Oyster Restaurant and Bar. Seafood restaurant on Holmes Street with views of the Mystic River and a menu with South American influences.
• Captain Daniel Packer Inne. Restaurant and pub on Water Street in an inn building dating from 1756.
• Sift Bake Shop. French-style bakery on Water Street selling breads, pastries and cakes.
• Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. Homemade ice cream shop on West Main Street downtown, open year-round.
• Steak Loft. Steakhouse in Olde Mistick Village, in business since 1973.

More places to eat: Restaurants in Mystic on Tripadvisor.

Groton or Stonington. A Mystic mailing address does not say which town a home is in. West of the river, the Town of Groton sends the tax bill and provides the schools and town services. East of the river, the Town of Stonington does. Buyers should confirm the town for every listing.

Fire district taxes. The Mystic Fire District and the Old Mystic Fire District each cover parts of both towns, and Mason's Island has a fire district of its own. A home in one of these districts pays a district tax in addition to its town tax. Current rates come from each town's tax office.

Flood zones. The Mystic River is tidal, and storm surge floods low ground on both banks. The east shoreline downtown sits in a large floodplain, streets along the river on the Groton side also flood, and the causeway is the only road onto Mason's Island. Lenders require flood insurance for federally backed mortgages on homes in high-risk zones, so buyers should look up the address on the FEMA flood map and price a policy early.

Sewer and septic. Sewer service comes from the Stonington Water Pollution Control Authority east of the river and from the Town of Groton west of it. A home outside the sewered streets uses a septic system, so buyers should confirm the service for each address.

Older homes and deed restrictions. Houses in the two historic districts are largely from the 19th century, so a careful inspection matters. On Mason's Island, much of the land is governed by deed restrictions under the Mason's Island Property Owners Association.

Financing. Naval Submarine Base New London is about 15 minutes away, and eligible buyers can use a VA-backed loan, which requires the buyer to live in the home.

Schools. Groton Public Schools serves Mystic addresses west of the river, and Stonington Public Schools serves addresses east of it. Old Mystic is divided the same way. School information is available from each district. For school profiles from an independent source, see Groton School District on Niche.com and Stonington School District on Niche.com.

Pricing a Mystic home starts with a comparative market analysis built on recent sales in the same town and the same part of the village, because similar houses on the Groton and Stonington sides carry different tax bills. Buyers include people moving to the area for work at the submarine base, Electric Boat and Pfizer. Professional photography, video and a 3D tour show the home before a visit, and drone footage suits homes along the river and on Mason's Island.