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Courtesy of the City of Reston

No. 29

Reston, Virginia

Reston was once just an idea. In the early 1960s, architect and economist Robert E. Simon mapped out a vision for a community that upheld open space, recreational facilities, and aesthetic beauty.

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Today, the thriving Washington, D.C., suburb offers a woodsy atmosphere that includes expanses of parks, lakes, golf courses, and bridle paths. Over 50 miles of pathways were designed to weave in and around its communities to increase pedestrian safety and to ensure that most residents’ homes were no more than a half-mile walk to village centers.

Reston Town Center, the community hub, provides an array of dining, entertainment, and shopping venues, along with headquarters for ComScore and Rolls-Royce North America; the town is also the site of a Google office and five of the largest venture capital firms in Virginia, as well as a Metro rail station for Washington commuters. Those help keep the town’s unemployment rate well below the national average. —Gabriela Fernandez

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