I was an instructor at prototype for a few years as a Sea returnee and I still have my house in Wilton, which is about 20-30 minutes from site. First, work with the housing office. They know which spots are really Navy friendly, and which ones are not. Second, since you are going to be going to prototype in the fall/winter/spring, I recommend living close to the site. There is nothing like having to do 12,13, or 14 hours of studying and having to do an hour drive home because the roads in upstate NY, no matter what town you are in, suck. I'm on one of the local fire depts, and it's crazy the amount of calls we get for accidents for students. That being said, make sure that you fully understand the terms of your rental lease where ever you rent. With the rising cost of heating bills, and it's going to get worse by then, make sure it's all spelled out on how much you have to pay, and what it has been in the past. I hated seeing my students getting burned by not so honest slumlords.