Bellevue Lodging in a Nutshell |
by Ron Callari |
 Bellevue, Washington, started out as a pastoral market hub for blueberry fields and farms. Founded in 1869 by William Meydenbauer, the rural community did not change much until the first floating bridge crossed Lake Washington in 1940.
Today, Bellevue is a major center for cultural and economic activity in the Puget Sound area's Eastside communities. It is a town where high tech services and strong businesses thrive side by side in secure safe neighborhoods and a coastal natural environment that attracts visitors from all walks of life.
The city’s resident population of 110,000 makes it Washington’s fifth-largest city. Bellevue is a prosperous, increasingly diverse city that has evolved from a “bedroom community” into the economic and cultural hub of the Seattle-area’s Eastside. The city has developed its downtown core into a major business and retail center while maintaining the safe, comfortable family neighborhoods for which it has long been popular. Many of Bellevue's popular hotels are located downtown, including the DoubleTree Bellevue Hotel.
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the primary air transportation hub for Washington state and the northwestern United States. Located 12 miles south of downtown Seattle and 20 miles north of Tacoma, it is the only airport within the Seattle / Tacoma metropolitan area that offers scheduled commercial airline service. Sea-Tac also serves as a key connection point for air passengers and cargo traveling to and from communities in eastern Washington. Servicing 28 million passengers per year, it is the 17th busiest passenger airport in the U.S.
The Seattle Mariners, SuperSonics, and the Seahawks all play here and since tickets are scarce, it is advised to book in advance if you know the game you want to see. Beginning in 2002, the NFL Seahawks football will be played in a beautiful state-of-the-art stadium that brings the beauty of the Pacific Northwest into the NFL experience.
Located in quaint "Old Bellevue" just North of Main Street on 102nd Ave and only steps away from the Bellevue Downtown Park, The Porch is among a thriving yet old-fashioned retail community. Hosting several coffeehouses, clothing and furniture stores, hair salons, many specialty shops, and some of the best restaurants on the Eastside, Old Bellevue offers a peaceful escape from the bustling surroundings of Downtown Bellevue.
All in all, Bellevue may be a bedroom community, but for visitors there is so much to see and do that it certainly cannot be described as sleepy little town anymore.
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