Downtown Bellevue facts for kids
Downtown Bellevue is the main city area of Bellevue, Washington. It's like the heart of the city! This busy area is surrounded by I-405 to the east, NE 12th Street to the north, 100th Ave NE to the west, and Main Street to the south. It covers about 400 acres. Downtown Bellevue is the second largest city center in Washington state. Over 50,000 people work here, and about 12,000 people live here. It's a big hub in the Puget Sound region, offering lots of office space, shops, fun places, hotels, and homes.
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Getting Around Downtown Bellevue
Downtown Bellevue is a major travel spot for the Eastside. You can catch buses from both King County Metro and Sound Transit here. The Bellevue Transit Center is right in the middle of Downtown Bellevue. It connects to Interstate 405 with special ramps. Soon, a new East Link Light Rail station will open next to the Transit Center in 2023. Local buses can take you to nearby cities like Kirkland and Redmond. Regional buses go to places like Seattle, Lynnwood, and Everett.
Bellevue Way is the main road that goes north and south through downtown. NE 8th St and NE 4th St are the main roads going east and west. There have been improvements to the roads, like a new bridge over the freeway. This helps traffic move more smoothly.
Shopping and Fun in Downtown Bellevue
Downtown Bellevue is a great place to shop! It has big shopping areas like The Bellevue Collection and The Shops at The Bravern. The Bellevue Collection includes three connected areas: Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square, and Bellevue Place. These spots have over 200 shops and restaurants. You can find department stores and a big movie theater with 16 screens.
Bellevue Square has popular stores like Macy's and Nordstrom. It has also welcomed new stores like Uniqlo and Zara. The first 365 by Whole Foods in the Northwest also opened here.
The Bravern opened in 2009. It's a fancy complex with shops, apartments, and offices. It's located near I-405. The Bravern is home to the only Neiman Marcus store in the Northwest.
You can also find grocery stores in Downtown Bellevue. These include QFC, Safeway, and H-Mart. Other stores like Whole Foods and Uwajimaya are just across I-405. A new Trader Joe's will open soon. It will be part of a new development with REI and Home Goods stores.
Parks and Green Spaces
Bellevue Downtown Park and Rose Garden is a large 20-acre park. It's located in the southwest part of downtown Bellevue. The park has a half-mile walkway lined with trees. There's also a canal, beautiful rose gardens, and open grassy areas. Kids can enjoy a fun playground too! Many holidays and events happen here. These include the Bellevue Family 4th of July celebration and Summer Movie Nights. The park is getting bigger with the "Complete the Circle" project. Soon, it will have the Inspiration Playground and Sensory Garden.
Ashwood Park is a smaller green space. It is located near the Bellevue Library, which is the biggest library in the King County Library System. The KidsQuest Children's Museum will also be moving nearby soon.
Businesses and Jobs
Downtown Bellevue is home to many big companies. Some of these include Paccar, Expedia, Eddie Bauer, Valve, Bungie, Apptio, Concur, Symetra Financial, and Puget Sound Energy. Even though Microsoft has its main office in Redmond, it is the biggest employer in downtown Bellevue. Over 6,000 Microsoft employees work here.
The Meydenbauer Center is a large venue in downtown. It hosts many big meetings, trade shows, and events. It also has a theater called the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center. It can seat 410 people.
Tall Buildings in Bellevue
Images for kids
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Bellevue Skyline in 2011
