Reston

Developer Robert E. Simon designed the layout of Reston, devising planned residential neighborhoods connected to a thriving downtown area that incorporated the best parts of cities and suburbs. Today, the neighborhood of Reston Town Center serves as that bustling downtown district, with mixed-use developments making up a retail-heavy city center on a grid, with wide sidewalks and Italian-style piazzas that encourage residents to sit and stay awhile. Events are held regularly at the Fountain Plaza and Pavilion. “It’s super walkable,” says Nikki Lagouros, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway. “If you want access to city living and still be in Reston, Reston Town Center is your best bet.” Lagouros says the housing in Reston Town Center is mostly all condos with a few townhomes. As far as pricing, Reston Town Center’s housing stock starts with one-bedroom, one-bath condos for as little as $270,000, then they go all the way up to $1.5 million for spacious, four-level townhomes. Condos might be higher-rise buildings closer to the city’s center or on the outskirts but still within easy walking distance in more traditionally suburban communities with winding streets. Townhomes in the Market Square and Edgewater neighborhoods also offer private garages and small yards. Reston Town Center students fall under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County Public Schools. Kids might attend options like Lake Anne Elementary School, rated a B on Niche, Langston Hughes Middle School, boasting an A-minus, and South Lakes High School, holding a B-plus. Hughes Middle and South Lakes High both participate in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program, gearing students up to work toward their IB Diploma in 11th and 12th grades. IB students can also participate in the IB Career-related Program, which integrates the learning skills of the IB program with practical skills of career-related courses. Reston Town Center is the epitome of the town’s “live, work, and play” motto. Brand names like Apple, Anthropologie, Lululemon and J. Crew are intermingled with local boutiques, and new restaurants pop up frequently enough to keep things interesting. Jordyn Roberts, a social media strategist and Reston native for over ten years says, “I usually eat at Reston Town Center; there’s a lot of fine dining over there, some affordable spots too. I like to go to Buffalo Wing Factory from there.” Buffalo Wing Factory is less than a mile south of Reston Town Center and offers a variety of wings to order with curly fries and draft beers. On Tuesdays, head to a free group fitness class at the Pavilion hosted by a local fitness studio. Bartaco is within the town center and offers tacos and burritos with handcrafted cocktails. Harris Teeter and Trader Joe’s are within a five-minute drive for groceries. Roberts notes that a new Wegmans recently opened on Reston Parkway, less than a mile south. Although Reston Town Center’s main draw is city living, one of the area’s most famous nature trails cuts through the neighborhood. The historic Washington and Old Dominion Trail, commonly called “the W&OD,” was built on the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroads and now runs 45 miles through northern Virginia. Reston sits at the 18-mile mark, so there’s plenty of space to explore it from both directions. The Reston Association also maintains 55 miles of walking trails within the area – pick up the green trail at Fountain Square and follow it just under a mile and a half to Lake Anne to rent a boat or have a bite by the water. For a more substantial day exploring nature, hop in the car and head to Lake Fairfax Park, just 10 minutes away. In addition to the boating and fishing opportunities at the lake, there are plenty of trails to walk or bike, a skate park, a carousel and a local attraction, The Water Mine, a Wild-West-themed waterpark. Reston’s annual events usually gravitate around Reston Town Center; as Roberts mentions, “There’d be parades at Reston Town Center during Christmas time and the holidays. That’s usually the hub for the events. I used to go ice skating at RTC too.” For winter months, the Reston Holiday Parade runs through Market Street and includes caroling, a tree lighting, and pictures with Santa. Catch a summer concert here on the weekend, or attend Second Saturdays, which offers live music, activities for kids, vendors, and food. Residents of Reston Town Center are connected to the Metro’s Silver Line at the new Reston Town Center station, which allows access to D.C.’s parks, restaurants, festivals, and museums within an hour. And with Dulles International Airport just five miles away, major air travel is within reach of home. Dulles Access Road is the main road running south of Reston Town Center for highway access to Dulles Airport or D.C. in 25 miles.

The Reston area's design makes it a community with planned subdivisions that are always close to places to shop, work, or play. Lake Anne is distinguished from the other neighborhoods in Reston by its tree-heavy residential streets and cul-de-sacs and its central recreational hub of Lake Anne, one of Reston's four manmade lakes. Lake Anne is one of the largest in town, offering boating, hiking trails, and the promenade of Lake Anne Plaza for lakeside retail and dining. The Lake Anne neighborhood also encompasses one of Reston's most prominent business centers, Reston Station, which has expanded recently. "Lake Anne is the first part of the planned community that was established in 1965, so it's a lot more historic," says Nikki Lagouros, real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway. "People who want to live in Lake Anne are pure Restonians." Lake Anne Village Center was named on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Lake Anne is one of the bigger recreational spaces in Reston. Jordyn Roberts, a social media strategist and Reston native for over ten years, says, "I've seen a lot of people paddleboarding there, and it used to be part of the triathlon. There's usually a polar plunge that's hosted at Lake Anne too." The Lake Anne SUP Triathlon is an annual event where those who compete will run, paddleboard, and ride stationary bikes around the lake. Meanwhile, the Kiwanis Club of Tysons, a volunteer org, hosts the annual Lake Anne Polar Dip, a fundraising event where people can donate to charitable causes and dive into Lake Anne, usually towards the end of winter. Lake Anne's Polar Dip has raised over $1 million dollars in 18 years. The Lake Anne Blue Trail is one of several maintained by the Reston Association, the HOA for much of the area. Residents can access the trail network from all over the neighborhood. The Reston Association also maintains 15 pools in Reston, which residents can access by purchasing a recreation pass. Residents of Lake Anne are close to the Golf Course Island Pool, which also has water play fountains for the kids, a playground, and a grassy picnic area. According to Lagouros, many of the homes in Lake Anne are mid-century modern. Lake Anne's housing has a wide price range, keeping with city planner Robert E. Simon's original vision to include housing for people of all socioeconomic statuses. One-and-two-bed condos here come in Brutalist architectural styles and cost around $250,000, while a waterfront single-family home could run over $1.25 million. Newer developments exist farther south, in the Reston Station area. Marnie Schaar, a Reston local since the 1970s and a Realtor with Compass, says, "There's a lot of apartments and new townhouses built in Reston Station area, with some future developments happening now as well, Isaac Newton Square will be developed soon." These townhouses populate the middle of the price range from around $500,000 to over $800,000. Lake Anne's neighborhood hosts Reston Station, the community's biggest business park that continues to grow. Reston Station hosts a variety of upscale apartment complexes, restaurants like Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse, and corporate offices like Google Reston. Roberts recalls Reston Station's growth over the last ten years, saying, "I saw it expanding, it's so weird I used to go during high school years ago and only now has it become gigantic and fancy and upscale. It's really cool because there's a lot of jobs and its close to the metro. I wouldn't say it came up from nothing, but it expanded greatly, there's a ton of opportunities for people to work or gather." The Wiehle-Reston East metro station is cradled by Reston Station, allowing commuters to come in and out of town from around the greater D.C. metro area. Fairfax County Public Schools serves Reston for education. Students in Lake Anne might attend Lake Anne Elementary School, rated a B on Niche; Hughes Middle School, rated an A-minus; and South Lakes High School, rated a B-plus. At Hughes Middle and South Lakes High School, all seventh through tenth-grade students participate in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, which teaches tools for lifelong learning with a focus on independent learning. The Lake Anne Village Center Historic District is the heart of the neighborhood. Centered around its namesake lake, residents can dine and shop at locally-owned restaurants and boutiques on the plaza. Residents can spend Saturday mornings perusing the farmer's market with a cup of locally roasted coffee from Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar in hand. Bring the kids to splash around in the Plaza Fountain. Later, head over in the evenings and sip a Live-Work-Play IPA on the patio at Lake Anne Brew House. Their location on the lake makes it a popular spot for people-watching during the day or watching the sunset in the evening. Many more retail and dining options await at Reston Town Center, located on the western edge of the Lake Anne neighborhood. This city center has everything from name-brand retailers to fitness studios to salons. For grocery necessities, residents can stock their pantries at Harris Teeter or Whole Foods within a 5-minute drive of the center of the neighborhood. Sidewalk space exists throughout Lake Anne's leafy streets, but residents might be more comfortable taking their car to Reston's many amenities. Lake Anne residents are a 25-mile drive from Washington, D.C., by car along Dulles Access Road. Residents can also head to the Wiehle-Reston East metro station in the neighborhood's south end to be in D.C. in less than an hour.

Reston's planned community comprises neighborhoods based around commercial and recreational "village centers." The Tall Oaks/Uplands neighborhood makes up much of Reston's northeast quadrant. Tall Oaks refers to the neighborhood's southern half, where the Tall Oaks Village Center was initially built. The village center is no longer there, but the neighborhood retained the name. The Uplands refers to the upper half of the neighborhood. Together, they make up Reston's east end, mainly known for the outdoor attractions at Lake Fairfax Park. Tall Oaks/Uplands is also the closest Reston neighborhood to the outdoor venue Wolf Trap, a regional favorite. In recent years, the expanding commercial hub Reston Station has brought new developments to the neighborhood close to Wiehle Avenue. Marnie Schaar, a Reston local since the 1970s and a Realtor with Compass, says, "There are lots of employers in the Reston area as well; they're saying their motto is 'live, work, play,' so you can do that very easily. Big companies are stationed here, including Google." According to Nikki Lagouros, real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway, there's a range of options for homebuyers. "Tall Oaks is an older part of Reston, with houses built in the late '60s and early '70s, but they also put a new construction portion with Stanley Martin, so it's all interwoven," she says. "Uplands, like around Ring Road, has contemporary midcentury modern homes. Homebuyers will find a range of options, starting from one-to-two-bedroom condos, which cost around $280,000 and peak at $2 million for a four-bedroom single-family home overlooking dense parkland. There are also new townhomes and condos in the Reston Station area in the neighborhood's south, built within the last ten years and right next to some of Reston's major employers like Google. Fairfax County Public Schools serves Reston for education. Students in the Tall Oaks/Uplands community might attend Sunrise Valley Elementary School, which receives an A rating by Niche, before continuing at Langston Hughes Middle School, rated an A-minus and South Lakes High School, with a B-plus. At Hughes Middle and South Lakes High, all students between seventh and tenth grades participate in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, teaching them the tools they need to be successful as they work toward their IB Diploma in eleventh and twelfth grades. Lake Fairfax Park is the neighborhood's centerpiece, encompassing 476 acres of parkland. Spend a few hours out on the lake kayaking, available for rent on-site, or fish right from the dock. Walk or bike the trails or head to the skate park. Kids can ride the carousel, and the whole family can rent a campsite to sleep under dense tree canopies. There's even a Wild West-themed water park, the Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole, with slides, floats, flumes, and a lazy river. The local HOA, the Reston Association, maintains 15 pools throughout Reston, all available for residents who have purchased the recreation pass. The Uplands pool has two dedicated lap lanes, interactive water play fountains, and a splash pad for the kids. There's also the option to take group or private tennis lessons here on one of four courts. The Tall Oaks pool features diving boards and reaches 12 feet deep. Nearby is the Blue Trail, part of 55 miles of trails that the Reston Association maintains. Take it to the end of the line, almost 3.5 miles away, through the Hidden Creek Country Golf Course, the Lake Anne Village Center historic district, past Lake Newport, and finally ending at the North Point Village Center, granting simple pedestrian access throughout greater Reston. Tall Oaks/Uplands residents are 7 miles from Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, a large outdoor venue. Jordyn Roberts, a social media strategist and Reston native for over ten years, says, "Can't forget Wolf Trap; it's so nice there. They have kid and adult shows all the time, so it's family friendly." Wolf Trap hosts concerts, dance troupes, opera, standup comedy and many other live events. Within Tall Oaks is NOVA Wild, a zoo with a hayride, bird sanctuary, and a farm animals section for petting and feeding animals. North Point Village Center is a frequently visited area for homeowners in the Uplands portion of the neighborhood, anchored by Giant for groceries and other options from banking to cafes to ice cream shops. The Plaza America is one of the closest retail destinations in the southern half of the neighborhood, offering conveniences like Whole Foods Market, Michaels, CVS, Total Wine, and Gold's Gym. For more serious shopping, residents are always minutes away from Reston's flagship shopping district, Reston Town Center, providing both name-brand and locally-owned boutiques with dining options for all palettes. Residents can drive 25 miles east to Washington, D.C., along Dulles Access Road or take a train from Wiehle-Reston East metro station. Five miles west along Dulles Access Road takes residents to Dulles International Airport, a major travel hub across the DMV.

North Reston is one of the more residentially dense neighborhoods in Reston. The concept of live, work, and play was at the forefront of the developer's plans when plotting out Reston's layout. Marnie Schaar, a Reston local since the 1970s and a Realtor with Compass, says, "Reston isn't a town; they call it a place. It's a planned community developed by Robert E. Simon with different village centers, and things were developed around those village centers." Simon carefully balanced residential housing with commercial conveniences and recreation for a well-rounded experience for all residents. North Reston was one of the last parts of the neighborhood to take shape, with homebuilding beginning in the 1980s. "It's the most coveted part of Reston," says Nikki Lagouros, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway. "It's the newest part of Reston, so it has all your big colonials. But there are condos and townhomes over there as well, so it has a little bit of everything." The lower end of North Reston's housing stock starts at around $425,000 for two-bedroom condos, while on the higher end, waterfront homes on Lake Newport or bigger lots with a large colonial on them can sell for around $1.75 million or more. It's normal to see condo communities here cloaked in trees, mostly represented by the Reston Association, but not all. Fairfax County Public Schools serve the North Reston area and are ranked the No. 6 best school district in the state. Students might attend Aldrin Elementary School, which receives an A-minus rating on Niche, before continuing to Herndon Middle School and Herndon High School, both holding a B-rating. At Herndon High, students can join unique clubs and activities like STEM Club, Broadway Cabaret, Medical Pioneers, and Robotics. Residents can play ball on the weekends at Baron Cameron Park, which features nine athletic fields, a baseball diamond, a playground, and a dog park. Rent a boat at Lake Fairfax Park or take the kids to an Old West-themed water park, the Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole. Schaar mentions, "The Reston Association is the main HOA and there's pools and tennis courts that they take care of." The Reston Association maintains more than a dozen pools throughout Reston, and members who have purchased the recreation pass can visit any of them. Most residents of North Reston end up being members for that reason. The Lake Newport pool in the neighborhood is the largest, at 50 meters, and features two diving boards, a wading pool, and a sand volleyball court. Residents can also stroll along the Pink or Blue Trails, part of 55 miles of trails maintained by the Reston Association in multiple spots around the neighborhood. For daily conveniences, dinner, groceries, and the odd errand, North Point Village Center is anchored by Giant and located about a mile from most homes in the neighborhood. Glory Days Grill is a regional chain bar & grill located in North Point Village Center, great for a night out. They are a popular destination for their wings, draft beers and for hosting sports watch parties. Grab supplies for weekend home projects at the Home Depot on the southern end of North Reston, or stock up on snacks next door at Trader Joe's. Reston's flagship shopping district, Reston Town Center, is about three miles away for more serious shopping at both name-brand and locally-owned boutiques. With access to major highways like the Dulles Toll Road and Leesburg Turnpike and the newly built Reston-Wiehle East Metro station, residents of North Reston are connected to the greater D.C. metro area by car or rail.