Community Guide

Welcome To The Guide

Campers Julianne Donohue, left, and Lauren Smith enjoy horse grooming at Loudoun's Bay Haven Farm.

Still learning your way around Loudoun County? So are many of your neighbors. Loudoun may have dropped from second to fifth place on the Census Bureau's list of the country's fastest-growing counties, but that's not much of a slowdown in the influx of newcomers. This special edition of Loudoun Extra and LoudounExtra.com is our effort to help new residents of Loudoun and Fauquier counties get acclimated to their surroundings. The Guide provides basic information about local government, schools, health care, transportation and public safety. We've also listed major community events, described the latest trends in housing prices and explained how Loudoun residents can keep track of what's being built in the county.

The Guide has features for the area's longtime residents, too. Our restaurant critic has listed some of her favorite places to eat, and we've highlighted some of the most popular parks, museums and historical sites.

You can find an online version of The Guide here at www.loudounextra.com, as well as additional listings that couldn't fit into our print edition. The Web site has a restaurant guide covering more than 300 Loudoun eateries, profiles of the county's public and private schools, and profiles of dozens of houses of worship.

We welcome your comments and suggestions about The Guide. Send them to theguide@washpost.com or call 202-334-6005.

-- Paul Bernstein, Editor, Loudoun Extra

Guide Staff

The Guide is a collaborative effort involving many departments of The Washington Post. Contributors include:

Editors
Paul Bernstein, Maryann Haggerty, Mae Israel, Erica Johnston, Tom Lansworth, Lisa Frazier Page, Scott Patton, Bob Samsot, Suzanne Wooton

Copy Editors
Preeti Aroon, Jeff Baron, Geneva Collins, Greg Finley, Karen Funfgeld, Joseph Garaventa, JoAnn Goslin, Caroline K. Hauser, Maria L. Henriques, Amy Hitt, Carol Hutchinson, Lisa McAllister, Tim O’Connell, Eileen Rivers, Ethan Robinson, Margaret Roth, Shibani Shah, Jim Stimson, Christian Swezey, Doris N. Truong, Leslie Waugh, Nathan Willis

Layout Editors
Chris Garsson, Tony Knott, Karl Payne, J.C. Reed, Mari-Jane Williams

Office Managers
Lisa M. Bolton, Sharon Fanning, Sarah Lane, Jean Mack, Ria Manglapus, Sandy Mauck, Diane Powell-Millard, Bonnie Smith

Editorial Aides
Arianne Aryanpur, Mark Berman, Akeya Dickson, Carrie Donovan, Tamika Gittens, Christy Goodman, C. Woodrow Irvin, Jillian S. Jarrett, Brian Kuhta, Sarah Marston, Terence McArdle, Michael Tunison, Timothy J. Wilson, Joshua Zumbrun

Project Coordinator
Joyce Jones

Technology Developers
Ed Holzinger, Roland Matifas