Bellevue City, Washington is situated in the state's King County. It's situated right across Lake Washington from the city of Seattle and for lots of years was considered a satellite city or suburb of Seattle. Nowadays, it is categorized and known as an edge city or "boomburb." The 2010 census recorded the population to be 122,363.
The downtown core of Bellevue has been experiencing fast growth and change and is presently the 2nd largest city center in the State of Washington. There are approximately 5000 residents and over 35,000 workers in the region. The city of Bellevue is the 6th richest out of 522 communities in Washington State based on per capita income.
Initially settled in the latter part of the 1860s and the early part of the 1870s, the city of Bellevue quickly became a popular location for residents of neighboring Seattle City to enjoy their summer homes. The original towering evergreens within the region eventually were removed in order to make way for agriculture. For the first half of the 20th century, the city of Bellevue was recognized for its abundance of blueberry and strawberry farms. During 1940, the first floating bridge across Lake Washington was completed and instantly, the city of Seattle became a much more accessible and suburban location. Because the individuals flocked to the community, the whole region underwent much growth that continued for several decades when more businesses and families ushered in. In 1953, Bellevue was incorporated as a city.
Because of the highway access through Interstate 90 and State Route 520 into downtown Seattle, the city of Bellevue began to flourish. The city of Bellevue is situated near Microsoft's home in Redmond Washington. Currently, the city is home to several headquarters of a variety of small and big companies, a good portion of which are companies that started during the 1990s. There are many thriving commercial districts within the area like Bellevue Square other than the 3 shopping centers. These shopping places are: Crossroads Mall to the East, Overlake Shopping District in the North and Factoria Mall located in the south.
The city of Bellevue has held ever since the year 1947, the yearly Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair, that operates at the end of the month of July. This fair is able to attract thousands of visitors to the region every year. In addition, the city likewise holds a yearly Strawberry Festival in order to pay homage and celebrate its strawberry farming history.
There is a biennial Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition held every year which draws thousands of visitors to the Downtown Park to be able to view up to 46 three-dimensional art creations from artists from around the nation. There is likewise the annual Bellevue 24-Hour Relay which happens in the Downtown Park every month of July.
Bellevue offers various places of interest which are located in a short driving distance. For instance, within the downtown area there is The Bellevue Arts Museum. This is considered to be the main center within the Pacific Northwest for the exploration of design, arts and crafts. There is a special emphasis placed on local artist's works.
Another gem within the city is the KidsQuest Children's Museum, where kids could interact with play areas, educational displays and exhibits. Within the museum are a variety of discovery areas and classroom spaces which could be utilized by large school groups. Another excellent location to visit is the Bellevue Botanical Garden. This huge wonderland consists of 53 acres showcasing meadows, wetlands, woodlands and display gardens. Throughout December, the Garden hosts the annual Garden d'Lights Festival. Scores of families visit to be able to enjoy the three-dimensional sculptures of plants and animals that are made using bundled Christmas lights depicting nature-themed scenes.