The future of Bellevue and the Eastside

[Heiwos]

Originally Posted by toughguy

I've never had to push a button and wait over 5 minutes to cross a freeway overpass like I have in Issaquah (actually this happens in Bellevue too).

You can walk under the freeway in Issaquah, no waiting. There's a trail from Pickering Place (movie theater, bookstore, good sushi, Trader's Joe's, Tully's) to the old downtown (library, restaurants, live theater). One need only wait to cross one street (Gilman), at a crosswalk. This trail connects to other trails too.

There's also no waiting to cross over I-90 at Eastgate (pedestrian overpasses).

I've never had to walk over a mile just to get some decent food, like I have in Issaquah. Working in Seattle vs. working in Issaquah is like night and day. Nothing in Issaquah is scaled to enable walking, save for a few tiny pockets here and there.

Well I never said you wouldn't have to walk far . Two miles each way is not far in my book. That trail in Issaquah is all flat, so it's good for bikes too. About one mile between Pickering Place and the library. Safe to say there's not many places in the nation where you can get good sushi, pick up a cappucino nearby, then walk across the street to the park, venture a half mile in and see no sign of human habitation save a few houses on the distant hills. A little ways further and you can sip that cappucino on a bench at the lakeshore.

Also, no offense, but you'd have to be scared of your own shadow to feel threatened by the panhandlers around here (yes there have been recent incidents of violence, but that has been late at night with people failing to use common sense).

It's not just about being threatened, it's also the nuisance of being constantly asked for money, and how they spoil the parks with their filth and littering. In contrast, Bellevue's public restrooms & parks are pristine.

[dxenopoulos]

I will say that there are definitely advantages to living in Bellevue, if you are that suburban-living type, which I'm pretty sure I am. I like Seattle and generally don't fear for my safety when I walk around. The panhandlers are harmless, but I'm just not a fan of the meth-addicts going nuts or peeing on the floor in the bus. I like the culture of Seattle - your hippies, your scenesters, your goths, what have you - but I'm happy experiencing them on my own terms instead of living among them (I swear that's not supposed to sound as offensive as it does).

I think there probably are some limits to Bellevue's growth as a city. I definitely don't think it will rival Seattle in terms of the hub of the region, ever. But it's just little things, like hearing the phrase "Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area" as opposed to "Seattle-Tacoma-Everett area". A lot of people work in Bellevue and it is incredibly diverse. The whitest school is Medina (72% white) - this is Bill Gates' neighborhood. Asians are definitely the largest minority group (about 25% of the population), and they are Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc - just as diverse as Seattle's Asian population. I agree there is a lack of Black and Latino people, though the school district is about 10% Latino compared to Bellevue's 5% for the general population. The school district keeps record of multiracial students because they are the second largest group - at about 10%. I think it's pretty significant that 1 in 10 Bellevue students is multiracial. 1 in 3 speak a language other than English. There are poor minorities in Bellevue and wealthy ones. I would say Bellevue is a pretty diverse place in that regard. And the people are surprisingly middle-ground - I hardly meet your hardcore conservatives or your ultra-liberals.

I kind of hope Bellevue doesn't become Seattle. I like suburban living, I like the greenspace, the parks, the convenience, the shopping, the diversity, the schools, the neighborhoods, etc.

[HeyHolliday!]

Bellevue has no culture and vibe. Once the mall closes the whole city becomes a ghost town. Bellevue needs some nightlife or something to make it interesting. As of now its just a playground for rich people.