Board President Sees Big Things for Small Cluster

By Julie Weckerlein
Carriage Gate correspondent

RESTON, Va. -- There are no sticky floors in Greg Howell's movie theater.

The seats are comfy, there's ample free popcorn and absolutely no long lines streaming out the bathroom door.

That's because his movie theater is located in the basement of his Carriage Gate townhouse, and it's already attracted worldwide attention.

"It was the floor rumblers [speakers that vibrate to low frequency] that got us recognized," said Mr. Howell, referring to the attention given to him and his partner, Richard, by the audio and visual equipment giant, B & H photo. "There was a contest for people to submit photos of their home theaters, and we were picked." (See the article on B & H photo's website.)

But it's really the praise he gets from his friends that mean the most.

"I had a German distributor from my company come over to watch 'War of the Worlds' and he left some feedback - in both languages - on our blog," he said.

The movie theater is just one of the changes the Ohio-native has made since moving into the cluster in 2004. Home repairs have included replacing the railing on his stairs, fixing up the back deck and replacing the front and back doors since the originals "sounded like a bowling alley when you opened it," he said.

Yet, he said it's more than repairs that have made the townhouse his home. He said he enjoys the proximity to Lake Audubon, which fits nicely with his interests, which include kayaking and backpacking.

He also likes his commute to work as an applications specialist for HunterLab. While he does travel to manufacturing plants around the world - such as in Europe, South America, Australia, China and Pakistan - to measure the color in foods, building materials, clothing, glass and just about everything, his office is just two miles away.

"It takes just a few minutes to drive, or if I feel like it, I can hop on my bike," he said.

According to the Reston Association's Web site, more than 30 clusters similar to Carriage Gate call Reston home. With only 66 families, Carriage Gate is one of the smallest. Recently, Mr. Howell was named Cluster Gate board president, a job he took on with enthusiasm.

"We're lucky because we have all the positions filled on the board by very energetic and motivated people," he said.

His goals for the families of Sentinel Point Court are simple. He'd like more interaction between the "branches" of the cluster, through picnics and other cluster events. He also wants more efficient communication between neighbors through e-mail and the Web site.

"There was a big turnover [in the cluster population] a year or two ago," he said, "and I think we now have a good balance of new people mixed in with those who have been here for 20 years."

He said he's noticed the mingling already starting, pointing out the kids playing with light sabers or basketballs in the street.

"Children are really the best at bringing neighbors together," he said. "Maybe it's the weather, or maybe it's the children getting older and being able to play outside more, but the kids from one part of the street sort of migrate with the kids from the other."

And while it's tempting to call it a night deep in the dark, cushy corners of his basement home theater, Mr. Howell thinks it's better to get outside and meet his neighbors.

"Families are sitting out on their front steps more and getting to know each other," he said, "and that's a good thing."

Fast facts about Greg
Photo by Julie Weckerlein
He used to be backpacking instructor. He hiked the Inca Trail for five days in Peru to reach the lost city of Machu Picchu, an "awesome experience," he said. He also backpacked 80 miles through the length of the Smokey Mountains in one week. He studied color science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. When he bought the townhouse two years ago, it was a lot more expensive than he expected. "I thought I was getting ripped off," he said. "I mean, I had a house on a third of an acre in New York for about $75,000 and I couldn't even find a decent townhouse for twice that much." But since then? He estimates the worth of his townhouse has increased 50%. "It has been a crazy housing market the last few years." His backyard boasts a two-level deck, a grill, fern garden, potted herbs and the perfect lawn furniture for hosting a barbecue. His secret? "Costco and Sam's," he said. "I bought the furniture there a few years ago and it looks the same today as it did when I bought it."

Last Updated: 05/26/2006