My Short History of Why I Love Living in Bellevue

I am a transplant in more ways than one. In 1998 I came to Seattle having migrated north from California for work in advertising. And I've got to say: I loved living in Sodo near the Kingdome and walking to the Market on Saturday mornings with my roommate, as we planned our dinner parties and shopped like we lived in Europe. 

I'll never forget the view from her fourth floor loft that faced downtown that evening on Feb. 6, 1998. I understood completely why they called it the Emerald City: the Gillette Building, as I called it, rising up out of the downtown core, in glorious blue-green.

I next spent four and a half years living in West Seattle, island-like and self-contained. Alki was a regular walking date on Sundays. My daughter was born and raised there and I have to wonder what state the garden is in at that postage stamp of a house we lived in for those years. 

Circumstances in life often cause moves that we don't always understand right away, but when it came to moving to the Eastside in June 2004, I was genuinely excited, for it put me that much closer to the mountains and on the right side of the bridge and closer to them. 

I've specifically enjoyed living in the Crossroads area since 2004 and I marvel at the diversity. I have to wonder how many miles I have logged at the Crossroads Park thus far? Or how many bike laps my daughter has made passing the  Water Park that fills up in no time when there is a little sun and the water is on. Family life is rich in that corner of Bellevue. 

I love living in Bellevue for a whole lot of reasons but here is the short list for now:

1. Crossroads Community Park and that awesome cultural center at the mall. It's been a second home to my growing family and has the best Starbucks in the lot of them, and that Foodcourt! If I could just break my Dragon Wok habit of Cashew Chicken and branch out...

2. Friends, Philosophy and Tea House and Event Center where I orbit practically daily as we add ever more fine and fascinating events to attend and the tea list grows with new offerings that are magical and great tasting. 65 and counting bulk teas to choose from and no,  no coffee served. The serenity of that place is palpable.

3. Bellevue Youth Theater has the best staff and the productions are so great for developing a kid's inner strength and creativity and sense of self. My own daughter has participated twice now, and I'd be hard pressed to move from Bellevue till she graduates high school for she wants very much to go from young actor to volunteer and mentor to young ones. The recent production of Cinderella was a great treatment of a REALLY popular story... Loved the Jersey Rats! The idea of the new theater location keeps me smiling, although the use of Meyedenbauer with its easy proximity to the Bravern is "sweet."

4. Bellevue feels so family friendly, as a mother to a growing one, I am extra pleased. Growing up as a kid we had a friendly neighborhood but it was hardly central to all the other things that feel mighty convenient to walk to for now.

5. I am struck by the sense of involvement I feel community members are engaged in.

6. The Parks! Yes, more on the parks, and the fine winter dressing of the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. It's become a tradition to visit the Garden d'Lights every holiday season now for over five years. 

I plan to have fun sharing my experiences of living in Bellevue as someone who regards this blossoming city and its surrounding neighborhoods as my home base.

And for the time being, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Bellevue as I see it, is home sweet home.