Once considered a suburb of Seattle, Bellevue is now one of the Puget Sound’s regions most rapidly growing cities. Bellevue is located east of Seattle on the opposite shore of Lake Washington and is accessible by Interstates 405 and 90 as well as State Route 520, which directly connects Seattle to Bellevue. Bellevue is bordered by the wealthy enclaves of Medina and Clyde Hill to the west, Kirkland to the north, Sammamish, Issaquah and Redmond to the east and Newcastle/Renton to the south. As of early 2006, Bellevue had a population of 117,000. Downtown Bellevue, a mecca of glass and steel towers, is undergoing rapid expansion and change, and is widely noted to be in the vanguard of the development boom. In addition to recent improvements to the Bellevue Square Mall, other major developments, such as Lincoln Square Towers continue to pour additional revenues and people into the city. Bellevue ranks 15th of 522 communities in Washington State in terms of per-capita income. 

Bellevue was founded in 1869 by William Meydenbauer, who was the owner of Seattle’s famous Eureka Bakery. Meydenbauer Bay and Meydenbauer center, the downtown exhibition hall and performing arts theatre, both bear his name. Bellevue was officially incorporated as a city on March 21, 1953. Years earlier, in 1940, the Lake Washington Floating Bridge was opened to allow better access to Seattle, rapidly transforming Bellevue from an isolated rural community to a popular bedroom community of Seattle. In 1963, a second bridge, the Evergreen Point floating bridge (Also known as the SR-520 bridge) opened, further increasing the speed of development in the area. Bellevue Square mall, which opened in 1946, underwent a significant expansion during the 1980s and various improvements since then, making the present day Bellevue Square one of the largest Shopping Malls in the region. As a city, Bellevue has grown from its humble roots to one of the largest cities in Washington. 

Despite a construction slowdown in 2000, Bellevue is once again developing at a frantic pace. The first tower of Lincoln Square, as well as a number of retail and culinary establishments, was completed in 2005. The second tower is under construction and slated for completion soon. Lincoln tower comprises two high rise towers, one of which includes a Westin hotel and luxury condominiums, while the other tower offers ample space for retail and office use.  

Bellevue Place includes the Hyatt Regency hotel and office, retail and restaurant establishments. Bellevue Place is located at the intersection of 8th and Bellevue Way, just across the street from both Lincoln Square and Bellevue Square. 

Other developments planned or under construction include:

Washington Square
Avalon Meydenbauer
Bellevue Towers
Meydenbauer Place
The Bravern

Bellevue hosts Bellevue Community College and City University, as well as the Bellevue Beauty School, Cascade Bible College, and extended campuses of Berlitz Language Center and De Vry University. 

Bellevue is home the Bellevue School District, which includes four nationally ranked high schools: Bellevue High School (#49), Newport High School (#37), Interlake High School (#44), and Sammamish High School (#193). Each of these schools was included in Newsweek’s 2006 rankings of America’s Best High Schools, and the number following the school name indicates the numerical ranking on the list. Alternative schools include the International School (#57), Kelsey Creek Home School Center, Robinswood Middle School and Robinswood High School. Middle schools in the system include: Chinook, Highland, Odle, Tillicum, and Tyee. The primary school system includes the following elementary level schools: Ardmore, Bennett, Cherry Crest, Clyde Hill, Eastgate, Enatai, Lake Hills, Medina, Newport, Phantom, Puesta Del Sol, Sherwood Forest, Somerset, Spiritridge, Stevenson, and Woodridge. 

Bellevue Official City Webpage