Facility Overview

The Toby May Park parking lot is a dedicated open-air municipal surface facility serving visitors of Toby May Park in the southern residential district of New London, Connecticut. Positioned directly along Ocean Avenue, this convenient community lot provides ground-level paved parking with direct pedestrian connectivity to the park’s athletic fields, tennis and pickleball courts, playground, and picnic pavilions. Because the facility is entirely outdoors with no overhead structures, there are no vertical clearance limits, allowing complete accessibility for standard passenger sedans, full-size SUVs, pickup trucks, wheelchair-accessible vans, and high-roof utility vehicles alike.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Located on Ocean Avenue, the lot is situated in a vibrant recreation corridor midway between downtown New London and the Long Island Sound coastline. Key destinations and neighborhood attractions include:

• Toby May Park Amenities: Direct access to the park’s inclusive playscapes, tennis and pickleball courts, basketball courts, and community baseball and softball diamonds.
• Ocean Beach Park: Situated approximately 1.5 miles south (a 3 to 4-minute drive), featuring an Olympic pool, boardwalk, sandy beaches, miniature golf, and family amusements.
• Mitchell College: Located less than one mile southwest along the Thames River shoreline, reachable in a 15-minute walk or 3-minute drive.
• Lawrence + Memorial Hospital: Less than one mile to the north along Montauk Avenue, making this area familiar and accessible to medical center visitors and staff.
• Fort Trumbull State Park: Roughly 1.5 miles northeast, offering scenic historic ramparts, walking paths, and Long Island Sound waterfront views.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Ingress and egress are straightforward via marked driveways connecting directly to Ocean Avenue, ensuring seamless vehicular flow during routine neighborhood visits as well as busy community league sporting events. Regional highway connections are readily accessible; drivers can connect quickly via Ocean Avenue and Bank Street to Route 1 and Interstate 95 (Exits 82 and 83) for regional travel across southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. Public transit riders can utilize the Southeast Area Transit (SEAT) bus network, which operates routes along the Ocean Avenue and Montauk Avenue corridors with nearby stops within comfortable walking distance.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

• Free Public Parking: Complimentary on-site parking dedicated to recreational visitors and park patrons during operating hours.
• Level Open-Air Bays: Clearly striped, single-level parking bays providing unhindered vehicle maneuvering and zero height restrictions.
• ADA Accessible Spaces: Dedicated accessible parking stalls located near paved pathways leading toward the playgrounds, courts, and pavilion areas.
• Pedestrian-Friendly Pathways: Paved sidewalks seamlessly bridge the parking lot to athletic courts, picnic benches, and walking loops.
• Evening Lighting: Perimeter lamp fixtures assist visibility during early evening athletic games and twilight park visits.

Ideal For

• Youth Sports & Adult League Participants: Athletes and spectators attending softball games, basketball matchups, tennis matches, and pickleball games.
• Families & Playdates: Parents and caregivers bringing children to enjoy the modern sensory-friendly playgrounds and splash areas.
• Walkers & Joggers: Neighborhood residents using the park as a starting point for jogging loops along scenic Ocean Avenue and nearby coastal streets.
• Community Event Guests: Visitors attending weekend birthday parties, family reunions, or gatherings reserved at the park pavilion.

Visitor & Driver Tips

Because Toby May Park is an active neighborhood destination, parking can fill quickly on sunny weekend afternoons and during youth league game schedules in the spring, summer, and early autumn. If visiting for scheduled sports tournaments or rented pavilion events, aim to arrive 15 to 20 minutes prior to match or event times to secure a space close to the field. Always observe posted municipal park rules: overnight camping, commercial staging, and parking outside of designated park hours are prohibited. For GPS navigation, using 611 Ocean Avenue will bring you straight to the main park entrance.