Bellevue, WA
Bellevue is a mid-sized city across Lake Washington from Seattle. With a booming high-tech economy, vibrant downtown, and an abundance of breathtaking scenery, it is consistently ranked one of the top places to live in America. If you’re coming from a big city, Bellevue might feel like a quiet retreat to the wilderness; but access to quality education, green spaces, free parking, and low crime rates give it a major advantage over larger cities in the area.
If you love the outdoors, Bellevue is the place to go. In fact, the word Bellevue is French for “beautiful view”! Situated between two lakes atop rolling hills, the city offers stunning views of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges in the distance. Bellevue is a short drive from numerous hiking trails, forests, national parks, and even beaches. There are some cons of living here, though. High living expenses, traffic congestion, and frequent bouts of heavy rain are all common.
You might be surprised to learn that Bellevue is a thriving economic hub. The third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area, it is home to some of the most well-known tech companies. There are also plenty of things to do: the Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair and Sculpture Exhibition are two of the many cultural events the city holds downtown. Looking to escape the rain? Bellevue has hundreds of restaurants, shops, and museums to explore. In addition, Crossroads Bellevue offers a wide variety of community events and live performances.
Bellevue has plenty of options for getting around. The city is especially proud of its transit system, which services multiple hubs throughout the Puget Sound region (coastal area of the Pacific Northwest). Bellevue is a major proponent for environment-friendly transport such as walking, biking, bussing, and vanpooling. In 2015, the city launched the Transportation Demand Management program to promote alternative forms of transportation, including telecommuting and flexible work hours. Today, the city maintains an online resource, Choose Your Way Bellevue, to continue educating employees, residents, and students of the many benefits of green transportation.
Moving to the Pacific Northwest means inhabiting a world all its own. Bellevue may seem far from the rest of the country, but its floating bridges give you easy access to Seattle and other vibrant downtown spaces. Bellevue’s idyllic setting makes it a well-known favorite for outdoor enthusiasts, and its sleepy coffee shops welcome wanderers from all over America. If you don’t mind the rain, it may be the perfect place to settle down. Come to Bellevue, and it won’t be long before you find yourself nestled in with a warm cup of java and a treasured book.