Hawthorne Drive North sits up off the harbor on New London's quieter side, where the streets run wide and December light comes in low and level over the rooftops. Nutmeg Woods keeps its own grounds through the cold months, with snow cleared from drives, walkways and entries so residents can come and go without picking their way along an icy edge. There is a plain kindness in that: a path opened ahead of the morning commute, the shaded corners where ice holds longest taken care of first. When the weather passes and the pavement dries, the outdoor patios, the community garden and the grilling spaces come back into use, and the whole place turns outward again toward the light.