After the emergence of suburban tract housing on private lots in the 1950s and ‘60s, as automobiles encouraged life beyond dense urban downtowns, a visionary real estate developer offered an alternative to preserve open green space and connect people, alongside housing, offices and recreation.
That developer was Robert E. Simon Jr., and the place was Reston, Va. Simon’s vision was a place where people could live, work and play, says REALTOR® Kathy Tracey, co-founder of the Greater Reston Living team and co-host of the podcast, “Greater Reston Living,” with her husband and fellow real estate professional Graham Tracey. Both are agents with Compass Real Estate.
Selling a Lifestyle
Simon's vision came into focus with the opportunity to buy land in Virginia. “It was 6,750 acres, and he sold his shares of Carnegie Hall so that he could make the dream of Reston happen,” says Lisa Watts, executive director, the Reston Museum.
European towns with wonderful plazas and proximity to lakes, shopping and housing inspired Simon, Watts says. Opened in 1964, Reston was referred to as the first modern, self-contained “new town” after World War II. Its name derives from Simon’s initials—RES—combined with a shortened version of town or “ton.”
“He wanted this to be an area of dense urbanization surrounded by nature,” Watts says. “So, Reston really is unique in that it was the first planned community to say that we are prioritizing nature.”
As living close to nature has gained greater importance, based on scientific evidence that it can help people remain healthy mentally and physically, Reston has kept pace.
“In 2018, Reston was designated a biophilic city,” Watts says. “So that combination of urbanization and that priority of nature, it has been longstanding. Creating things like village centers where people hang out together, meet, that to [Simon] was an essential part of life and to living a good life.”
“What we're selling in Reston is not only homes,” Tracey says. “We are selling the lifestyle and the community. The beauty of Lake Anne and the Plaza, it comes alive on the weekends. Reston has an abundance of amenities. We have 55 miles of trails. We have five lakes. We have 16 swimming pools. We've got the pickleball courts. Anything that you can imagine, we have right here. You can bike, run, jog, take your kid out, teach them to bike,” she says.
And Reston keeps evolving as residents’ and business owners’ needs change. At the start there was Lake Anne Plaza as the town’s center with a scenic waterfront village, dining, shops and outdoor activities. Reston Town Center followed with a first phase in 1990, gaining a glass pavilion three years later. Kathy and Graham Tracey have an office at the Center. The Reston Museum opened in 1997, says Watts, who like many others works and lives in Reston. She puts the current number of residents at 65,000.
Diversity Was a Founding Value
“So, there is a little bit of this eclecticness, which is why I decided to open up the Ovissi Boutique here as well as my yoga studio,” says Maryam Ovissi, who grew up in Reston after her family immigrated from Iran. Her boutique, featuring the art of her father Nasser Ovissi, is part of a nonprofit family foundation that supports artists and the arts.
“My dad is … one of the major modern artists of Iran [and] was a diplomat in the Pahlavi time, and so when the regime [change] happened [in 1979], we couldn’t go back home,” she says. “One of the things about Reston that really felt at home for my dad was, number one, the nature. The other was the sense of community, of having the diversity, [which] was really important to my dad and to us as it is now.”
The concept of a diverse community was also important to Simon. “The open community concept to Bob Simon in 1960s Virginia, that was a very bold stance to take [before fair housing became federal law in 1968]. He said, ‘We’re going to have housing in a community for all because you can’t have a true community unless it’s inclusive,’” Watts says.
Community Planning That Fosters Connections
The way houses are arranged in Reston, in clusters with lots of green space to preserve nature and encourage community, was also novel. “Each cluster is unique in its own way,” Watts says. “Most houses back to green space, so you get a lot of that privacy that you’re looking for.” There are also shared community gardens and farmers’ markets.
Shubhra Sinha lived in California for 20 years before moving to Reston about eight years ago. “I walked in through the front door, and I could see Lake Audubon right in front of me—and the trees. Feeling that you [were] inside nature even though you were inside a home made me really feel like I belonged. And I just said, ‘This is it,’” says Sinha, who works as a strategic marketing advisor.
“The moment my offer was accepted, I actually started getting emails and contact from neighbors here that said, ‘Welcome Shubhra, you found a beautiful home. Here are the things that you might need.’ And that’s the first thing that made me realize that this was something different.”
Location, Location, Location Resonates for Many
In addition to its amenities and community spirit, Reston’s location is a draw for buyers. “We’re about 20 miles from D.C.,” Tracey says. “Now that we have the [Washington Metro rapid transit] Silver Line that comes to Reston, it’s an easy commute, and with Dulles Airport just 10 minutes away, it’s a highly desirable area, and it’s easily accessible.”
Many see little reason to venture elsewhere as more businesses and services open, making Reston the epitome of mixed-use living, says Tracey, who introduces people to its many possibilities on her podcast, videos and blogs.
Among Reston’s attractions are the large corporations and big tech companies that help young professionals work and settle in one place, Tracey says. There are also mom-and-pop shops and services, hospitals, schools, supermarkets, homeless shelters, an art center and even an incubator for new nonprofit initiatives. Watts believes Simon would approve of Reston’s commercial growth. “Bob cared about financial success and understood the importance of having companies,” she says.
All types of housing styles, sizes and price points are available to draw a diverse population, including affordable and workforce housing. “All new development is required to include a minimum of 12% affordable units, though the number may be closer to 15%,” Graham Tracey says.
The Traceys offer a market report on their website that shows recent sold prices ranging from $235,000 to $2.5 million—and median days on market of just 18.
As residents age, many want to remain in the community. Accommodations are available.
“We’re surrounded by those aging in their late 80s who live alone. There’s such a great support system,” says Sinha, whose parents now live with her.
Other Master-Planned Communities Followed
“Reston has influenced a lot more communities to build in this plan structure. We’re seeing that in places like Columbia, Md.,” says Watts.
James W. Rouse developed Columbia three years after Reston opened but with a more suburban feel. Many planned communities across the country incorporate Reston’s ideas, though the exact number is not known, according to John Burns Research and Consulting. The focus on setting aside acreage for permanent preservation prevails elsewhere. For example, Serenbe outside Atlanta started as an “agrihood” in 2004, then became more of a biophilic and wellness community.
Reston guidelines do not allow cutting down trees without permission, painting facades in certain colors or, to avoid light pollution, the use of streetlights. Sinha says such rules ensure that houses aren’t obtrusive and meld into nature. Ovissi agrees they help keep Reston remaining Reston.
“This is something that has been studied internationally,” Watts says. “We’ve had people contact us from Spain, even from Ukraine, saying they want to build places like Reston, and that’s pretty special.”
Appreciation of Simon’s vision resonates strongly with Reston’s residents. “These are my neighbors who become my friends, and I absolutely love it here. I love this community, I love my neighborhood, I love my home. And it just makes me feel I don’t ever, ever need to move from here,” Sinha says.
Simon agreed. He lived in Reston from 1993 until his death at age 101 in 2015. In his obituary in The New York Times, he was quoted as saying, “It’s pretty close to what I had hoped it would be.”
