More than twenty-five years since James Rouse began laying the foundations of Columbia over the fields and pastures of rural Howard County, the city has grown into the country's most successful New Town. One Hundred-thousand people call Columbia home, and its experiments in social and urban planning have become models for communities worldwide.

Columbia’s villages include Dorsey Search, Harper’s Choice, Hickory Ridge, Kings Contrivance, Long Reach, Oakland Mills, Owen Brown, Town Center, Wilde Lake, and the newest addition, River Hill. Each village, comprised of numerous neighborhoods, has its own shopping center, and is seated on a network of streets named after poets and their works. Twenty-three pools are scattered throughout Columbia, providing refreshing exercise in the summer months, while three high-tech gyms keep residents fit year-round. Four lakes and a network of trails keep residents in touch with nature. Lake Kittamaqundi, named after the Indian word for meeting place, is one of four Columbian lakes scattered throughout Columbia and truly represents the community spirit.

Extraordinary design is not the only thing that makes Columbia a model city. Columbia is seated in Howard County, Maryland, 29 miles from Washington DC and a half-hour drive form Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Howard County School System has thirty-eight elementary schools, nineteen middle schools, and twelve high schools scattered throughout Columbia. Howard County Schools also hold the highest test scores in the state and its high schools are recognized nation-wide.

All this and more truly makes Columbia a model city, but don’t just take our word for it. Use the menu to your left, and discover for yourself, the Symphony that is Columbia!