Reston, Virginia

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Town Center
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Town Center

Reston is a planned community and an unincorporated census-designated place located in western Fairfax County, Virginia in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Community services are provided by the Reston Association. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 56,407. Although Reston is not a city and does not have a traditional central business district, the Reston Town Center is becoming a focal point for business and transportation connections within the community, with several high-rise office buildings, restaurants, a cinema, a hotel, and shops. Reston also straddles the booming Dulles Technology Corridor and is home to the world headquarters of three Fortune 500 corporations, (NVR, Sprint Nextel, Sallie Mae), as well as the United States Geological Survey and the National Wildlife Federation.

Contents

[edit] History

Statue of Robert E. Simon in Lake Anne Plaza (on bench), Reston, VA.
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Statue of Robert E. Simon in Lake Anne Plaza (on bench), Reston, VA.

Reston was conceived as a planned community by Robert E. Simon. Founded on April 20, 1964, Simon's 50th birthday, and named for his initials, it was the first modern planned community in America, sparking a revival of the new town concept [1]. Simon's family had recently sold Carnegie Hall, and Simon used the funds to create Reston. Simon hired Conklin + Rossant as master planners to incorporate higher density housing to conserve open space, as well as mixed use areas for industry, business, recreation, education, and housing.

Lake Anne Plaza in Reston
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Lake Anne Plaza in Reston

The first section of the community to be built, Lake Anne Plaza, was designed by James Rossant (who studied under Walter Gropius at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design) to emulate the Italian coastal town of Portofino. Lake Anne village was designed with modern architectural themes that extend to a nearby elementary school, a gasoline station, and two churches. Lake Anne also has an art gallery, several restaurants, the Reston Historic Trust Museum, shops, and a senior citizens' fellowship house. All are local businesses, as there are no chain stores or restaurants allowed in Lake Anne. Close by are the cubist townhouses at Hickory Cluster that were designed by the noted modernist architect, Charles M. Goodman, in the International Style. Other sections of the town, such as Hunters Woods, South Lakes, and North Point, were developed later, each with a neighborhood shopping center and supermarket.

Hickory Cluster townhouses, Reston, Virginia, designed by Charles M. Goodman, circa 1964. A variety of residential architectural styles can be found in Reston.
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Hickory Cluster townhouses, Reston, Virginia, designed by Charles M. Goodman, circa 1964. A variety of residential architectural styles can be found in Reston.

The careful planning and zoning within Reston allows for common grounds, several parks, large swathes of wooded areas with picturesque streams (called runs in Northern Virginia), wild flower meadows, two golf courses, nearly 20 public swimming pools, bridle paths, a bike path, four lakes, tennis courts, and extensive foot pathways (see Reston Paths). These pathways, combined with bridges and tunnels, help to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic and increase safety at certain street crossings. Reston was built in wooded areas of oak, maple, sycamore and Virginia pine.

The growth and development of Reston has been monitored by newspaper articles, national magazines, and scholarly journals on architecture and land use. In 1967 the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Lyndon Johnson, came to Reston to take a walking tour along its pathways, as part of her interest in beautification projects. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have visited Reston elementary schools that were named in their honor. The Washington Post recently featured a road trip to Reston and a relatively new website "Beyond DC" has a page devoted to Reston with almost 150 photos.

Reston is the location for a regional government center serving citizens in the northern part of Fairfax County. The Reston Regional Library, Reston Hospital Center, and a modern homeless shelter are located nearby. The Reston police station is also the office headquarters of the locally elected supervisor of the Hunter Mill District within the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

A strain of Ebola called Ebola Reston, a level 4 virus, was named after the community, after monkeys imported from the Philippines that were in a Reston medical research facility were found to have the virus in 1989. The monkeys were euthanized and the facility was decontaminated but eventually was torn down and rebuilt. Author Richard Preston later wrote a "nonfiction bio-thriller" called The Hot Zone about this event.

Reston experienced increasing traffic congestion as it grew in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This was a time when Reston's population was growing but the Dulles Toll Road had not been built. Commuter traffic between Reston and Washington created serious traffic congestion on the roads that connected Reston to Washington DC. In 1984 the toll road opened and in 1986 the West Falls Church Washington Metro station opened. Most recently the Fairfax County Parkway, a major north-south artery, was opened.

Reston is one of just a handful of communities in the U.S. that has been designated a backyard wildlife habitat community. Usually this designation is for single homes.

(see Reston Timeline)

[edit] Guiding principles

From the beginning Reston was designed to follow "guiding principles" in its development that would stress quality of life. Citizens would be able to live in the same community while going through different life cycles with different housing needs as they age. It was hoped that Restonians could live, work, and have recreation in their own community, with common grounds and scenic beauty shared equally regardless of income level.

[edit] Cultural and other activities

A special tax district within Fairfax County was created to fund the various educational, cultural, and recreational activities of the Reston Community Center. Its main building is located on the southern side of Reston at Hunters Woods Plaza. The center has a theater, indoor heated swimming pool with jacuzzi, ballroom, meeting rooms, and classroom space. The award-winning Reston Community Players present four stage productions annually in the high-tech theater at Hunters Woods. The Reston Chorale and Reston Symphony also have regular performances here and throughout the town. A smaller branch of the Reston Community Center is located at Lake Anne.

In the summer free concerts are offered at Lake Anne Plaza on Thursday evenings and at the Reston Town Center on Saturday evenings. Various festivals take place at these locations also. Canoes, rowboats, kayaks, and paddle boats can be rented on Lake Anne during the summer.

Restonians can avail themselves of the many cultural activities in Washington, D.C., by driving 20 miles into the city or taking buses to connect to a Metro train. Two upscale shopping centers are located nearby in Tysons Corner, as well as the shops located throughout Reston and nearby Herndon.

Four miles from Reston there are year-round concerts at Wolf Trap, a national park for the performing arts where the National Symphony Orchestra has its summer home away from the Kennedy Center. This venue offers world class performances ranging from opera and ballet to symphonic and popular music. Visitors can purchase reserved seats inside the pavilion or picnic on sloping lawns while enjoying a concert. During the cooler months bluegrass music can be heard indoors at The Barns of Wolf Trap.

Two miles from Reston on Leesburg Pike (Route 7) is the Colvin Run Mill, operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority. It is a working 1811 gristmill that won a first-place restoration award from the American Institute of Architects. The miller's house, barn, and historic post office/gift shop provide visitors with a glimpse of nineteenth century rural Virginia life. Daily public tours are offered. A few miles to the west along the same road there is the historic 1820 Dranesville Tavern, operated by the park authority and rented out for weddings, parties, and corporate functions.

Also in Reston is the 476-acre Lake Fairfax Park, operated by the county. It features boat rentals from a new marina, a large outdoor pool complex called "The Water Mine," overnight campground facilities, picnic areas, and fireworks on the Fourth of July.

The Reston Zoo is located on the northeast edge of the community. It has 30 acres dedicated to family-friendly animal interaction with wagon rides and feeding stations. The animals include zebras, antelope, bison, ostrich, alligators, camels, goats, a reptile house, and waterfowl.

Two golf courses are located in Reston. Each neighborhood has its own public swimming pool and there are many tennis courts located near Lake Anne.

[edit] Transportation

Reston is a convenient 10-minute drive from either the Tysons Corner / Interstate 495 Beltway to the east or Washington Dulles International Airport to the west. Reston has four local exits on Route 267, which is the Dulles Toll Road. Direct access to and from the airport on this highway is free, however, by using the center lanes of the expressway. Tolls apply only to travel on the outer lanes of the highway. The Dulles Toll Road splits the community along a west-to-east axis while several roads run north-south across the town: Fairfax County Parkway on the western side, Reston Parkway through the center of town, Wiehle Avenue arcing through the northeastern residential section, and Hunter Mill Road on the eastern border of Reston. Office space in Reston is primarily located along two roads with confusingly similar names, running east-west on either side of the Dulles Toll Road: Sunrise Valley Drive to the south and Sunset Hills Road to the north.

Once Metrorail is extended to Dulles Airport along the right-of-way in the middle of the Dulles Toll Road, Reston will have two train stops. The first will be near the Wiehle Avenue/Toll Road interchange (phase one) and the second will be at the Reston Parkway/Toll Road interchange (phase two). Until then, Fairfax County provides several commuter express bus services from free park-and-ride lots to the West Falls Church Metrorail station. From there commuters can take the train to Arlington, Alexandria, and Vienna in northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, and several points in suburban Maryland.

The Reston Internal Bus System (RIBS) is a set of four routes that circulate within the community, using Reston Town Center as a transfer point. RIBS has been operated for 20 years by Fairfax County's Fairfax Connector bus service.

Bus service is also available to Washington Dulles International Airport from Reston Town Center. Take a # 950 or # RIBS 2 Fairfax Connector bus to the Herndon-Monroe transfer stop, and then a # 5A WMATA Metrobus to the airport. This is a one-way fare of $3.00, with a free transfer provided between bus lines.

Because it is a planned community, Reston has many walking trails throughout. Bicyles are also permitted on the trails. Motor vehicles, except maintenance and police vehicles are prohibited from using the walking trails.

[edit] Geography

Boundaries of the Reston CDP as of 2003, from the United States Census Bureau
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Boundaries of the Reston CDP as of 2003, from the United States Census Bureau

Reston is located at 38°57′16″N, 77°20′47″W (38.954577, -77.346357)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the community has a total area of 45.0 km² (17.4 mi²). 44.4 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.21%) is water. Reston contains four artificial lakes: Lake Anne, Lake Audubon, Lake Newport, and Lake Thoreau. Another artificial lake, Lake Fairfax, is only partially on Reston property, but is technically Fairfax County park land.

[edit] Education

As a part of Fairfax County, Reston is served by the Fairfax County Public Schools system. Reston has one high school within its boundaries, South Lakes High School. On the same lot as the high school is Reston's only junior high school: Langston Hughes Middle School. Reston has a number of elementary schools including:

There are several private schools located in Reston, including:

Reston has a satellite campus of NVCC (Northern Virginia Community College), and University of Phoenix - Northern Virginia campus in Reston.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 56,407 people, 23,320 households, and 14,481 families residing in the community. The population density was 1,269.9/km² (3,288.6/mi²). There were 24,210 housing units at an average density of 545.0/km² (1,411.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the community was 73.62% White, 9.12% African American, 0.25% Native American, 9.62% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.12% from other races, and 3.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.10% of the population.

Reston was Virginia's best educated city, proportionately, with 68.5% of adult residents (25 and older) holding an associate degree or higher, and 62.8% of adults possessing a baccalaureate degree or higher.

There were 23,320 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.

The population is spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the community was $80,018, and the median income for a family was $94,061. Males had a median income of $70,192 versus $45,885 for females. The per capita income for the community was $42,747. About 3.2% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. A portion of the housing is set aside for Section 8 low-income housing. Subsidized senior citizen housing is also available.

The home ownership rate (owner-occupied housing units to total units) was 66.7%.

[edit] Population history of Reston

Figures are based on U.S. Census Bureau data.[1]

[edit] Proposed town status

As noted above, Reston is unincorporated; it receives "municipal" services either from the county or from the Reston Association, which operates recreational facilities across the town and maintains pathways and other common grounds. However, it has been proposed to incorporate Reston as a municipality. A referendum to incorporate Reston failed in 1980 by a 2-1 margin; however, the proposal was resurrected in 2005 by the Reston Citizens Association.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Washington Post, Sunday April 18, 2004, page C6.

[edit] External links

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