Reston, Virginia is a unique community, part of the “New Town” movement of towns specifically designed so that residents’ needs would always be met, from youth to the elder years. Located 20 miles west of Washington, DC, Reston is part of Fairfax County. The Reston, VA real estate market is an eclectic blend of single-family and multi-unit housing nestled amongst commercial and retail locations. Far from the rows of dull McMansions that one might expect from a planned community, Reston features a unique mix of architectural styles, from Georgian to Contemporary. Read on to see why the community of Reston, home to more than 58,000, made Time magazine’s 2014 list of the 10 Best Places to Live.
Reston’s early 20th century background is delightfully bourbon-soaked. The land which is now Reston was once a 7,200-acre estate called Sunset Hills. Abraham Smith Bowman purchased the land in 1927 and initially ran it as a granary. Bowman soon had a surplus of grain that coincided with the repeal of Prohibition in 1934, and he opened Bowman Distillery the following year. His operation was quite successful, perhaps because it was the only legal whiskey operation in the state for two decades. One of the bourbons that it manufactured, Virginia Gentleman, is still produced today.
In the 1960s, all of the Bowman land with the exception of 60 acres was sold to a visionary real estate developer, Robert E. Simon – his initials give the town its name. Simon planned the Reston community, the first of its kind in the post-war era, with money from his family’s recent sale of Carnegie Hall. He envisioned it as a realization of the American Dream. Reston’s Lake Anne Village district was modeled after the Italian resort town of Portofino.
Science and technology jobs make up Reston’s largest employment sector, providing jobs to more than 20,000 people. The information sector has a significant presence as well. Sprint Nextel employs about 5,000, and other major employers include Sallie Mae, NVR Inc, XO Holdings, and SI International. There are five major venture capital firms in the town, and Rolls Royce and Google have offices there as well.
The median household income in Reston is about $106,000, placing it among the top five wealthiest locations in Virginia. The unemployment rate is about 4.7 percent, slightly higher than the state average, but lower than the national figure of six percent. Just eight percent of Reston residents live at or below the poverty level, compared with the overall US rate of nearly 15 percent.
It’s no secret that science and tech jobs are among the country’s fastest growing; the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that information technology jobs will grow by 12 percent over the next 10 years. The Northern Virginia job market is robust, with an overall noticeably downward trend in unemployment claims since 2009. Some sectors are healthier than others; a high percentage of jobs in Northern Virginia depend on the federal government, so factors like sequestration and rocky election cycles affect the workforce.
Reston scores well on some of the topic metrics for family-friendliness, including schools and crime rates. Average test scores among Reston students are higher than the state average, and the community has a 93 percent high school graduation rate – the state average is 83 percent. There are six private schools in Reston, including a Montessori. Crime rates in Reston are about half the state average, and it’s statistically safer than 77 percent of all US cities.
Lake Fairfax Park has plenty of family fun available, including a carousel and a huge swimming pool complete with a lazy river. The Reston Zoo delivers 30 acres of animal adventures, and the museum and library offer up educational opportunities for kids, as well. The Reston Association Youth Enrichment Programs provide a wide variety of fun recreational camps during the summer and school breaks. Families can choose from themes like sports, nature, or even niche specialty camps like skateboarding or Lego building.
Reston is one of the most walkable communities in Northern Virginia by design. The town is made up of several “villages,” all of which are connected by more than 50 miles of walkways. The Reston Association maintains more than a dozen swimming pools throughout the town, and there are 52 community tennis courts. The community includes 800 acres of woodlands for hiking and bird watching, and there are four lakes open to water recreation. When weather prohibits an outdoor workout, residents can visit the YMCA, Gold’s Gym, or one of several other fitness clubs.
Fresh, healthy food is in plentiful supply, whether you’re searching for organic, vegan, or just a good alternative to greasy fast food. Sweetgreen is a popular dining destination, featuring signature dishes like their “Avocobbo” salad. The Reston Farmer’s Market is a locavore’s dream, with more than two dozen vendors. It’s open on Saturdays in May through November. Health food stores include Whole Foods, Fresh World, and MOM’s Organic Market.
