Bellevue
By Amy Morgan
The first thing that usually comes to mind when you say "Bellevue" is shopping. Seattle might be famous for its low-key, dressed-down vibe, but that doesn't mean that its residents don't need a place to spend some of their hard-earned tech-industry lucre - and Bellevue is where they go to do it. This glossy suburb has transformed itself over the last 30 years from a sleepy farming community into a high-rise mecca of consumerism.
The jewel in the crown is Bellevue Square, a three-story shopping center that features standard mall fixtures like J. Crew and Victoria's Secret, but that also offers yummy extras like Lush (the U.K.-based bath store where you buy fresh, handmade soap by the pound), the Apple Store and the Armani Exchange. Its restaurants are a cut above the usual pizza stands, up to and including Ruth's Chris Steak House, Daniel's Broiler, and Z'Tejas (the only place in town where displaced Texans can get real chile con queso).
The Westin hotel chain has also decided to get a piece of the Bellevue pie, and recently opened in Lincoln Square across the street from Bellevue Square. Lincoln Square is a "mixed-use hotel, luxury condo, and retail project" that features a giant movie theater, a fancy hotel, condos, and even more shops and restaurants. What does this mean for Bellevue? It means that instead of the town hosting the shopping center, the shopping center has become the town: a three-block square, luxury megaplex smack in the middle of everything.
But what do you do in Bellevue if (perish the thought!) you don't feel like shopping? Fortunately, the other two pastimes of the affluent and genteel are readily available: art and gardening. The Bellevue Arts Museum is nestled between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square, and when your soul is weary of commerce you can duck in to admire works from both local and international artists. The Bellevue Botanical Garden is a short drive from the shopping district, and features 36 stunning acres of show gardens. If you're the type who really likes to get involved, the museum offers lectures and classes year round, and the Bellevue Botanical Garden seems to always be sponsoring a plant sale or garden tour.
As you'd expect, the cost of living in this gracious and luxurious 'burb is quite high. According to Laura Brodniak of Windermere Realty, a two-bedroom home sells for an average of nearly $600,000 - that is, if you can find a two-bedroom home. Most of Bellevue's houses have a minimum of three bedrooms and sell for well over $600,000. Condos aren't far behind, with a two-bedroom selling for an average of almost $500,000.
Bellevue's school district is one of the reasons so many people choose to live in this pricey town. Its schools have a reputation for nurturing academic excellence, and with all the Microsoft employees in the neighborhood, you can be sure your kids' classmates will be whip-smart and multi-cultural to boot. And, back to the shopping, you can sustain your family on organic groceries from Whole Foods, Asian delectables from Uwajimaya and reasonably priced sushi at the ever-popular I Love Sushi. You can even dig for cool books and records at Half-Price Books and Silver Platters Records in the funky Crossroads Mall.
If you get sick of sitting in traffic on Highway 520 and I-405, Bellevue has a surprisingly efficient public transportation system. It's the main Eastside hub for Sound Transit, so you can skip from glossy Bellevue Square to gritty downtown Seattle in a matter of 20 minutes or so. Sure, it might hurt to pry yourself away from your new BMW or Land Rover for a while, but it'll be there when you get back, safe and sound. Bellevue has a wonderfully low crime rate, too.
