The Greater Reston Living Podcast

Kathy & Graham Tracey
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Leisure
  • Updated Weekly

Greater Reston Living is a weekly, video-first podcast covering everything happening in Reston, Herndon, and the surrounding Northern Virginia area. Hosted by local residents and real estate professionals Graham and Kathy Tracey, the show breaks down the news that actually matters to people who live here. That includes new developments, restaurant and retail openings, transportation updates, local events, and the broader trends shaping life in our community. Each episode mixes quick headlines with deeper conversations and practical context, all delivered in a relaxed, conversational style. Whether you’ve lived here for years or are just getting to know the area, Greater Reston Living is your weekly rundown of what’s new, what’s changing, and what’s worth paying attention to.

  1. Jun 7

    Is Reston Losing Its Architectural Soul? The Lofts II Fight Explained

    Reston was founded on a promise that its buildings would be worth looking at. So what happened to that idea? In this episode we dig into the Lofts II proposal at Reston Station, a 158-home project on Samuel Morse Drive, and ask why so much of Reston's new construction is arriving flat, boxy, and forgettable. Kathy and Graham are just back from two weeks in London, where renting e-bikes to zip across the city became the highlight of the trip. That experience sent them home thinking about Reston's own bike share, which already draws strong ridership at local stations. We pull up the Capital Bike Share map and talk about what could make a popular system even more useful: more e-bikes, and better infrastructure to ride them on. Along the way we cover the Paris Baguette grand opening at the Fannie Mae building, the Innovations in Flight event coming to the Udvar-Hazy Center on June 13th, the A. Smith Bowman Distillery landing on Virginia's endangered historic places list, and a Washington Post tree-cover map that shows South Reston sitting around 80% canopy. The architecture conversation closes with the heart of the episode: Lofts I residents have filed concerns about pedestrian gaps, missing green space, parking shortfalls, and stalled bike-lane striping along Reston Station Boulevard, and those concerns are now holding up approval for the next phase. We look at award-winning multifamily projects elsewhere to ask a simple question. Could Reston do better?

    34 min

  2. May 9

    Reston's Historic Bowman Property Is Getting 57 Townhomes. Does It Fit?

    Old Reston Avenue has a story most people drive past without noticing. Tucked behind a wall of trees sits a 127-year-old stone manor house built in 1899, the old Bowman Manor, now used as office space and surrounded by two buildings slated for demolition. A joint development between the Armed Forces Mutual Association and EYA Townhomes would replace those buildings with 57 new townhomes, all designed in an English cottage style meant to complement the manor itself, which Fairfax County requires to remain as a historic landmark. In this episode, Graham and Kathy walk through the full set of renderings, the site plan, the four-story townhome elevations, and what the promenade and green space between units would look like. They also get into the traffic concern on Old Reston Avenue near the W&OD Trail, the timeline for the July 14th planning board hearing, and whether this project actually reflects what Reston was built to be. Before the main story, the episode covers Davio's at Reston Station expanding into the old Plaza Bar space where Matchbox used to operate, the upcoming Tephra ICA Arts Festival marking its 35th year on May 16th and 17th, and a firsthand walk of the Rails to River Trail from Lake Fairfax to Colvin Run Mill with tips on crossing Route 7, what's at the mill, and why the hike is good for families.

    25 min

  3. May 3

    Rivana Just Broke Ground Near Herndon, And It Could Rival Reston Town Center

    Ground just broke on what could become the most significant development along the Silver Line since Reston Town Center started filling in. The project is called Rivana, and it sits on the Fairfax/Loudoun County line near Innovation Center Metro — a 9-million-square-foot development with 3,700 residential units, 3.5 million square feet of office space, an entertainment district, 16 acres of green space, and a restored stream running through the heart of it. For scale: the whole thing is roughly a third larger than the Pentagon. That's the main event. Before we get there, we stop at the JW Marriott Residences in Reston, where a buyer just set a statewide condo record — $10.25 million for a combined 5,700 square foot unit. We were at the open house just before that news broke, so we walk through what the available units actually look like, what they cost, and what kind of lifestyle the building is built around. We also round up the summer concert scene across Reston and Herndon. Seven different concert series are running this summer, including Herndon's Friday Night Live approaching its 500th show. The full list is on our website for anyone trying to plan ahead. Topics covered: Rivana mixed-use development at Innovation Center, JW Marriott Residences Reston record condo sale, summer concerts in Reston and Herndon, Silver Line corridor growth, Dulles technology corridor, Horse Pen Run restoration, Boulder Ridge preservation, and what Rivana means for housing demand in Reston and Herndon.

    32 min

  4. Apr 26

    Lake Anne in Reston Is Getting New Signs. Not Everyone Is Happy About It.

    Lake Anne has been a cornerstone of Reston since the community was founded in the 1960s, but for years it has had a wayfinding problem. A significant number of Reston residents have never made it there, partly because the signage does not exactly announce itself. That may be changing. In this episode, Graham and Kathy break down the proposed new Lake Anne signage package that StreetSense recently unveiled at a virtual public meeting. The concept draws from mid-century color palettes and Mondrian-influenced geometry, with a full wayfinding system planned for cars and pedestrians entering and moving through the area. Reactions in the comments have been mixed. Some residents find the new proposals clean and directional. Others think the existing sign has a character the new concepts do not match. Graham and Kathy weigh in. They also run through a packed spring events calendar, from the return of the Lake Anne Farmers Market and the Earth Day Chalk Fest at Reston Town Center to Polar Heat on Lynn Street in Herndon and the Tour de Hunter Mill cycling ride hosted by Supervisor Walter Alcorn. And if you have been watching the Reston Town Center Next development take shape, there is a notable wave of restaurant openings coming, including Paris Baguette, Clarity's second location, Dogfish Head Ale House, Grazi Nona, and Yunnan Noodles.

    22 min

  5. Apr 5

    Reston Has Been Paying Extra Taxes for Traffic Fixes Since 2017. So Where Are They?

    Restonians have been paying a dedicated property tax surcharge since 2017 to fund intersection improvements across the area. The advisory board overseeing that money is now, nearly a decade later, pushing to actually allocate it. The catch: the original $44 million estimate for eight priority intersections has grown to $82 million, and the broader transportation plan could be approaching three or four billion dollars before it's done. In this episode, Graham and Kathy walk through the ranked list of eight intersection projects inside the Reston Transportation Service District. They spend time on the top priority, Reston Parkway and Blumont Way near the Hyatt and Reston Town Center, which holds the area's highest count of total crashes, pedestrian injuries, and severe incidents. Using Google Street View, they show exactly what makes the intersection confusing and dangerous, what changes are being proposed, and why the numbers have climbed so sharply. They also cover Reston Parkway and New Dominion Parkway near Not Your Average Joe's, Hunter Mill Road and Sunset Hills, and the pedestrian and bike access challenges along Blumont and the W&OD connection points. The episode closes with a look at Fairfax County's longer-range grid extension plan, including the planned stretch of Library Avenue south of the W&OD and a future connection that would eventually reach Baron Cameron to the north. Also in this episode: a visit to MindShift Gym, Reston's parkour and acrobatics facility; a sad update on the 108-year-old carousel at Frying Pan Park; and some Easter treat picks from Chiboo Macarons at Lake Anne and Ted's Bulletin.

    31 min

  6. Mar 21

    Reston RA Election 2026: Dues, Development, and What’s Really at Stake

    A lot of people probably scroll right past the Reston Association board election. This week, we break down why that may be a mistake. In this episode, we look at what is actually at stake in the 2026 Reston Association election, from rising dues and the $24 million RA budget to growth, open space, amenities, and the bigger question of what kind of Reston residents want going forward. We also talk through the seats that are up this year, the hot races on the ballot, why the Hunters Woods/Dogwood seat has no candidate, and how issues like golf course land, development pressure, and the Fairfax casino debate fit into the conversation. We also open with a few local updates, including Hawkes Brewing’s grand opening in Herndon, the latest on the W&OD rail idea, and a fun detour into the 90s photo trend that had us digging through old pictures. If you live in Reston, care about how the community grows, or want a clearer sense of what this election means beyond the usual HOA language, this one is worth a watch.

    28 min

  7. Mar 15

    Reston Crossing, the W&OD Rail Debate, and What Could Change Next

    Two of the biggest local conversations in Reston right now are about growth and mobility, and this week we dig into both. We break down the latest Reston Crossing redevelopment plans near Wegmans and Halley Rise, plus the surprising idea of bringing rail service back along the W&OD corridor without removing the trail. In this episode, Graham and Kathy talk through what the Reston Crossing proposal could mean for the skyline, housing, office space, retail, and how that whole area connects with the rest of the community. They also get into the debate over whether the W&OD right-of-way could someday carry both a train line and the trail, and why that idea is already stirring up strong reactions from locals. Along the way, they also touch on the CVS reversal at Reston Station, what that says about retail and foot traffic near Metro, and why these development stories matter to anyone living in or following Reston and Herndon. If you care about where Reston is heading, how growth is taking shape, and which local proposals could actually change daily life here, this episode is worth a watch.

    32 min

  8. Mar 7

    Reston Can’t Sleep? The JW Marriott Sign Controversy Explained

    The JW Marriott sign in Reston is so bright, some neighbors say it’s keeping them up at night. In this episode of the Greater Reston Living Podcast, we dive into the growing controversy around the JW Marriott sign at Reston Station, why Fairfax County says the permit was issued in error, and how Comstock has already started dimming and warming the light in response to complaints. We also get into the bigger question underneath the debate: what kind of future does Reston want? More city energy, or something that still feels distinctly Reston? Beyond the headline story, we cover a lot happening across Reston and Herndon, including: our visit to the Herndon Historical Society museum and caboosea new farmers market coming to Haley Risethe final weekend of the Reston ice skating rink with a disco partya first look at Toastique in Restona major new housing development planned at Worldgate in HerndonIf you care about what’s changing in Reston and Herndon, this episode is packed with the local context you won’t get anywhere else. Subscribe for weekly conversations on local development, real estate, community news, and everything shaping life in Reston and Herndon. #Reston #Herndon #JWMarriott #RestonStation #FairfaxCounty #NorthernVirginia #LocalNews #RealEstate #GreaterRestonLiving

    25 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Greater Reston Living is a weekly, video-first podcast covering everything happening in Reston, Herndon, and the surrounding Northern Virginia area. Hosted by local residents and real estate professionals Graham and Kathy Tracey, the show breaks down the news that actually matters to people who live here. That includes new developments, restaurant and retail openings, transportation updates, local events, and the broader trends shaping life in our community. Each episode mixes quick headlines with deeper conversations and practical context, all delivered in a relaxed, conversational style. Whether you’ve lived here for years or are just getting to know the area, Greater Reston Living is your weekly rundown of what’s new, what’s changing, and what’s worth paying attention to.

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