July 26, 2002
Dear Newcomers:
Welcome to Loudoun County! Throughout my 18 years here, I have had a chance to discover all that Loudoun County has to offer. From the closely knit neighborhoods and organized sports of childhood to the movies and shopping malls of adolescence, Loudoun boasts an excellent environment for all ages.
The suburban neighborhoods of Loudoun are the kind that send floods of childhood memories back to adults. I spent my childhood summers playing games of kickball and capture the flag from dawn until dusk. There was a creek hidden down the street in a small patch of the woods, which seems to be present in every neighborhood I have encountered thus far. Bike paths and sidewalks that wind throughout neighborhoods can become highways and city streets for the imaginative child. An abundance of organized sports and activities are available such as soccer, swimming, basketball, dance, gymnastics, art classes and music lessons.
As children grow older and become, in fact, children no longer, Loudoun is there to cater to the realization that shopping is fun or that being in a band is absolutely necessary. Dulles Town Center is a new shopping mall and the Leesburg Premium Outlets have grown to offer a wide variety of stores. Guitar classes are offered in the middle school curriculum and plenty of concerts for local bands take place in community centers.
Loudoun County boasts one of the best school systems, and I feel privileged to have received an excellent education of such high caliber. From AP Art to AP Physics, plenty of advanced placement classes are offered to fill a high school schedule and prepare a student for college. Interesting electives are available to enrich the mind such as psychology and philosophy. The guidance staff at the high school level extends ample information on selecting the right university, filling out college applications, and financial aid and scholarships.
Loudoun is rich in history, and many of the small towns reflect this. The Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg is devoted to the history of Loudoun County. One can leaf through old scrapbooks left to the library by donors or search editions of the Blue Ridge Herald from World War II. Old Leesburg overflows with antique shops and historic buildings. A drive through the Blue Ridge district of Loudoun would reveal beautiful scenery and quaint towns like Aldie and Middleburg which seem to have jumped right out of a movie set.
Although Loudoun does have much of a small town feel, it offers much more in the way of entertainment. New restaurants overwhelm Sterling and a movie theater playing any desired movie is not hard to come by. Loudoun is only 25 miles from Washington D.C., making a night on the town easily accessible, and for those who love to travel, Dulles International Airport lies within Loudoun County.
So, whether you are shopping for vintage prom dress or just simply looking for a restaurant with delicious Pacific cuisine, Loudoun has it all.
Sincerely,
Kristen Sincavage