Six Decades of Earth Tones? Let's Celebrate!

So Reston turns 60 this year — not a bad run for our favorite plastic fantastic planned community. Like most of us approaching our sixth decade, Reston might have a few wrinkles around the edges, but otherwise still has plenty of vim and vigor to continue living, working, and playing for decades to come. But how does Reston stack up against other people and things from way back in 1964? Let's find out!

Among celebrities born in 1964 are Nicholas Cage (no truth to the rumor that his next film will be called “Raising Audubon”), Jeff Bezos (whose website is slightly more popular and functional than the RA's), Mariska Hargitay (look for her new TV series, “Law & Order: DRB Violation Unit”), Michelle Obama (whose memoir, “Becoming,” is surprisingly not about reviewing the 150-page disclosure binder before buying a Reston townhouse), and Rob Lowe (who will soon launch a spinoff called “Parks & Recreation & Pool/Pickleball Passes”).

But that's not all! The Beatles had five big hits in 1964, including “I Want to Hold Your (DRB-Approved Door) Hand(le).” The Beach Boys were at the top of the charts with “I Get Around (But Have Trouble Figuring Out The Parking App).” And then there were some old standards, like “Hello Dolly (Goodbye Dues),” “Under the Boardwalk (Down By Lake Anne),” and Barbara Streisand's immortal classic, “People (Who Love Earth Tones Are The Luckiest People in the World).”

Also brought to life in 1964? The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which, like its smaller but equally impressive counterpart now spanning Wiehle Avenue, was talked about for decades before it was finally built.

So let's celebrate! As a gift-giving tip, the 60th anniversary is also known as the Diamond Anniversary, and its official color is "diamond white," which is something you'd see in a cluster list of approved trim colors, no notes, the end.

This post was originally published in the Reston Letter.