Reston

 

Reston is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. An internationally known planned community founded in 1964, it was built to revolutionize post–World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in suburban America. The Reston Town Center is home to many businesses, with high-rise and low-rise commercial buildings that are home to shops, restaurants, offices, a cinema, and a hotel. It comprises over 1,000,000 square feet of office space. Municipal, government-like services are provided by the nonprofit Reston Association, which is supported by a per-household fee for all residential properties in Reston.

 

In 2012, Reston was ranked 7th in the Best Place to Live in America by CNN Money Magazine.

 

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, an indoor heated swimming pool with a jacuzzi, a ballroom, meeting rooms, and classroom space. A smaller branch of the Reston Community Center is located at Lake Anne Plaza. Reston is home to two dedicated art galleries, one in Reston Town Center, called the Greater Reston Arts Center the other at Lake Anne. The Lake Anne gallery has space where patrons can view the artists’ studios and works. The community also has a museum about its history, called the Reston Historic Museum. It has maps, photos, and books that detail Reston in its current and past states.