Bellevue is nestled between the grand Lake Washington and the lovely Lake Sammamish. The city is known for its good schools, quick commutes to high paying technology employers and easy Suburban lifestyle.

Up until the 1940’s this thirty-square-mile area was mostly farmland, where lettuce, pumpkins, onions and most famously, strawberries were grown. In the early days, Bellevue residents wishing to reach Seattle had to cross Lake Washington via ferries.

Today, residents can make the three mile trip to Seattle via their choice of two floating bridges—Interstate 90 or State Route 520. I-90 crosses the southern end of Bellevue. While SR-520 crosses the northern end of the city. These east-west freeways, along with Interstate 405 which runs north-south, give Bellevue residents easy access to everywhere they’d want to go.

Bellevue is actually a series of neighborhoods. Bellevue’s downtown features shimmering skyscrapers, the enormous, upscale Bellevue Square Mall and its surrounding retail area, a charming park, and a wide variety of condominiums. All of which makes for a convenient, cosmopolitan lifestyle.

The Crossroads/Overlake district offers its share of shopping opportunities too. This area south and east of Highway 520 ranges from modern apartment units, to well-maintained, split-level and rambler type homes built in the 60s and 70s, to larger, younger homes, some featuring three-car garages.

Further east, along the western rim of the lake, just south of Redmond and north of Issaquah is the appropriately named West Lake Sammamish district. The neighborhood offers gorgeous lake views, easy access to waterfront activities and strong community spirit, especially when it comes to preserving the lake.

 The Factoria/Eastgate area, which makes up the southeast corner of Bellevue, offers transportation convenience and strong schools. But perhaps the biggest lures are the stupendous views of Seattle, Lake Washington, and Mount Rainier. Here in the Somerset and Westwood Highlands districts, the homes are built on ascending terraces and are flanked by protected greenbelts. Coal Creek Park and Cougar Mountain Park form the southern boundary.

Along the shores of Lake Washington lie the exclusive neighborhoods of Newport Hills, Newport Shores, Beaux Arts, Enatai, Clyde Hill, Medina, Hunts Point and Yarrow Point.  Homes in these communities, some of which are gated, range from newly remodeled homes with all the amenities, a few modest homes that sit on prime property, multimillion-dollar mansions, and sprawling waterfront estates. It’s no wonder Bill Gates and some of the Northwest’s wealthiest elite live there.

From the 50s through the 70s, Bellevue was a sleepy bedroom community for Seattle.  But with the high tech boom and large population spurt of the 80s and 90s, Bellevue has become Washington state’s fifth largest city.

Many Bellevue residents were attracted by the easy commutes to high tech employers such as Microsoft and Nintendo.  In fact 11 percent of King County’s jobs are located in Bellevue.  Others moved to Bellevue because of the community’s high educational standards and strong financial support for its schools. 

Bellevue is well known for its shopping districts including Factoria, Crossroads and especially the Bellevue Square Mall which is filled with classy and diverse shops.  The city also offers plenty of restaurants and movie cinemas.

Cultural opportunities abound as well.  Residents from around Puget Sound flock to Meydenbauer Center, which hosts the Bellevue Youth Theater, the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra and more than eighteen performance groups.  Others enjoy viewing the works of Northwest artists at the Bellevue Art Museum. 

And for those outdoor enthusiasts, Bellevue hosts more than 2,000 acres of parks, trails and open spaces.   Of the cities 56 parks, the most popular include:  Kelsey Creek Farm—a picturesque working farm complete with cows, pigs, sheep and ponies, the Bellevue Botanical Gardens—36 acres of greenery, including a Japanese garden and a towering, flowering rhododendron glen, Bellevue Downtown Park—an eight-block urban oasis featuring trails, a waterfall and a children’s play field, and the Mercer Slough Nature Park—320 acres of lovely wetland habitat offering ten miles of trails to hike, four miles of waterways to paddle and plenty of spots to watch the park’s majestic herons take flight.