Robert Simon overlooks Washington Plaza at Lake Anne, where Reston’s opening ceremony was held in 1965. Photo by Reena Singh.
Reston’s founder, Bob Simon, in last year’s Connection’s Newcomers Guide shared his list of top ten favorite events and places in Reston:
Events
- 1960 — Signing of contract to purchase 1,750 acres of farmland and woods located between DC and the airport under construction (to be named Dulles)
- 1962 — Adoption by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors of Residential Planned Community Ordinance (RPC)
- 1964 — Singer Electronics Laboratory and Air Survey Corporation open for business. First residents move in.
- 1966 — Official dedication with presentations by Poet Laureate Steven Spender and NYC Parks Commissioner August Hecksher, Interior Secretary Stuart Udall and representatives of 37 countries with "New Towns"
- 1997 — I return to Reston and move into condo on 13th floor of Heron House
- 1998 — I meet Cheryl Terio
- 2009 — Dedication of Nature House at Nature Center
- 2010 — Asian Festival at Brown's Chapel
Places
- My bed in 1301 [Heron House] — I love to sleep and nap
- Lake Anne Plaza (officially designated Washington Plaza) — Modeled after plazas throughout the rest of the world as the social glue of communities
- Jasmine and Montmartre restaurants on Lake Anne Plaza — good food, reasonable prices
- Pathways going all around Lake Anne — beautiful views, lovely gardens
- Fountain Square in Town Center — a true gathering place with its pavilion for skating in winter and events the rest of the year; restaurants and shops
- Nature Center — 70 acres of natural beauty and its Nature House for permanent exhibits and frequent classes
- Center Stage at Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods — a fully equipped stage with orchestra pit, seating 300 and offering a full schedule of concerts, plays and events