Vaccination rates are rising, and people are returning to those favorite places, the feel-good spaces that are easily accessible and evoke emotion. A good place draws us in through all our senses and what is or is not happening there. 

In an informal survey, we asked people to name a few places in their communities that mattered to them in 2021, which made them feel good, prideful, and alive. Spots they can be themselves, and where stress melts away. They may not make the iconic sites global travelers have on their bucket lists, but they are the most rewarding to people living in Reston, the Town of Herndon, and Herndon.