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Reston is a planned community of about 63,000 people in Fairfax County, Virginia, about 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1964 by developer Robert E. Simon, whose initials gave the town its name, as a place where people could live, work and play in the same community, surrounded by woods, lakes and footpaths.
Reston's first village center, Lake Anne, is a modernist waterfront plaza with apartments, cafes, a weekly farmers market and the small Reston Museum. In contrast, Reston Town Center is a busy urban district with shops, restaurants, offices, a pavilion that turns into an ice rink in winter and the Greater Reston Arts Center.
Green space is everywhere: miles of wooded pathways connect neighborhoods to four man-made lakes, the Walker Nature Center protects forest and streams, and Lake Fairfax Park offers a water park, camping and fishing. Reston is also a major technology and business hub, linked to Washington by the Metro Silver Line.
Reston's original village center from the 1960s, a modernist plaza on the shore of Lake Anne with apartments, a landmark residential tower, small shops, cafes and a bronze statue of founder Robert E. Simon on a bench. It feels like a European waterfront square. Visit on Saturday morning for the farmers market.
A walkable district of shops, restaurants, offices and apartments arranged around Market Street and a central fountain, built from the 1990s onward. It hosts concerts, festivals and holiday events throughout the year and is linked to the Metro Silver Line. Parking garages are free on weekends and in the evenings.
A covered open-air pavilion at the heart of Reston Town Center that becomes a popular outdoor ice skating rink in winter, with skate rentals. In summer it hosts free concerts, festivals and community events. Skating sessions can be busy on weekend evenings, so go on a weekday afternoon if you can.
The performing arts theater of the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods, presenting professional touring performers, dance, music, family shows and local productions at modest prices. The center also has an indoor aquatics center. Check the season calendar online, as many popular shows sell out in advance.
A nature center run by the Reston Association, with an education building, wooded trails, a stream, a pond and a demonstration garden on protected land in the middle of town. It hosts nature walks, campfires and family programs. Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, and the center is a good place to see birds.
A large Fairfax County park in Reston with a fishing lake, campground, picnic areas, athletic fields and The Water Mine, a family water park with slides, play areas and a lazy river in summer. It is a full-day outing for families. Water park tickets are sold for timed sessions, so buy them early on hot days.
A small museum on Lake Anne Plaza run by the Reston Historic Trust, with exhibits about Robert E. Simon's vision, Reston's architecture and planning, and life in one of America's best-known planned communities. Admission is free and a visit takes under an hour. Pair it with a coffee on the plaza.
A nonprofit contemporary art gallery at Reston Town Center showing changing exhibitions by regional, national and international artists, with talks and family workshops. It also organizes public art in Reston and the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. Admission is free, so it is an easy stop while shopping.
A long-running Saturday morning farmers market held from spring to late autumn at Lake Anne Village Center, with local produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, flowers and prepared foods. It is a social occasion for Reston residents. Arrive early for the best selection, then relax by the lake with a coffee.
A large juried outdoor art show held each spring in Reston Town Center, featuring painters, sculptors, jewelers, photographers and craftspeople from across the country, plus live music and children's activities. It raises funds for the Greater Reston Arts Center. Expect crowds on the weekend afternoons.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Donnarg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Payton Chung from DCA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Payton Chung from DCA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Payton Chung from DCA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Payton Chung from DCA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Payton Chung from DCA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
