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Downtown Bellevue is more suburban than Downtown Austin in some ways, like street width. But it's more urban in others, like over 30 years of buildings with the parking mostly below-grade and much better transport splits. On the other hand it's relatively small areas of urbanity vs. Austin's large core with the university and Capitol areas.
It's hard to compare Bellevue with a traditional big downtown, but also hard to compare it with most suburban nodes. The Domaine area looks nothing like Bellevue, with the gigantic above-grade garages being a dominant land use.
I love the Domain. But it won’t be anything like Bellevue anytime soon. I do agree that it’s the most similar thing in Austin to Bellevue though.
But do we notice a pattern here? The Seattle metro and Austin metro are down right incomparable. Austin is simply smaller scale. The Domain has similarities to Bellevue but again much smaller scale.
I don’t think it’s dumb to compare Austin and Seattle generally. But to what this thread is about, what’s the point on comparing an industry of a suburb to an entire metro? That just doesn’t make sense to me.
As I said, Bellevue is a decade ahead at least in terms of development. Austin is a smaller metro than Seattle any way that you look at it. But I think the Domain fits into Austin the same way that Bellevue fits into Seattle.
Don't completely agree about the Domain not being anything like Bellevue soon. I do think that the 2030 Domain could end up being a close approximate to 2020 Bellevue. The next big piece is the Broadmoor Campus that is now under construction. There is also a rumour of MLB coming to the area within the next decade.
Downtown Bellevue is more suburban than Downtown Austin in some ways, like street width. But it's more urban in others, like over 30 years of buildings with the parking mostly below-grade and much better transport splits. On the other hand it's relatively small areas of urbanity vs. Austin's large core with the university and Capitol areas.
It's hard to compare Bellevue with a traditional big downtown, but also hard to compare it with most suburban nodes. The Domaine area looks nothing like Bellevue, with the gigantic above-grade garages being a dominant land use.
Walkscore gives downtown Austin an medium advantage in transit and massive advantage in bike score. Both are pretty good for walking.
Overall downtown Bellevue is much smaller than downtown Austin, and I'm not seeing how it's "more urban" in any way really. Perhaps it's roughly equal in Bellevue's best blocks (I wouldn't use the word "urban" to describe Austin to begin with). They are both walkable but also driveable. Austin has much taller buildings and massively more restaurants and nightlife.
I'd say that the "Bellevue" of Austin would be the Domain area. That's a shiny new mixed-use psuedo-urban development about 10 miles from downtown. It's building a bunch of high rises and starting to form its own skyline, has several tech employees (Amazon, Indeed, some Meta, VRBO/Expedia, IBM, NI, Schwab, etc). It has rail connection to downtown, and it even has pro sports now with Q2 stadium.
Obviously Bellevue is a decade or so ahead in terms of development, though.
I've lived in both and if you look at my posting history, I'm a fan of both. The Domain is a giant shopping center with some apartments and bars. Now, is there some night life there and can it get raucous? Sure, probably more so than Bellevue honestly. Bellevue to me is like a neighborhood in Chicago. Super walkable, lots of high rise living, restaurants on every corner, it's an organic neighborhood, not a mall, even though there is one that you can walk to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whereiend
As I said, Bellevue is a decade ahead at least in terms of development. Austin is a smaller metro than Seattle any way that you look at it. But I think the Domain fits into Austin the same way that Bellevue fits into Seattle.
Don't completely agree about the Domain not being anything like Bellevue soon. I do think that the 2030 Domain could end up being a close approximate to 2020 Bellevue. The next big piece is the Broadmoor Campus that is now under construction. There is also a rumour of MLB coming to the area within the next decade.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whereiend
Walkscore gives downtown Austin an medium advantage in transit and massive advantage in bike score. Both are pretty good for walking.
Overall downtown Bellevue is much smaller than downtown Austin, and I'm not seeing how it's "more urban" in any way really. Perhaps it's roughly equal in Bellevue's best blocks (I wouldn't use the word "urban" to describe Austin to begin with). They are both walkable but also driveable. Austin has much taller buildings and massively more restaurants and nightlife.
Bellevue is more mixed use, again, more like Chicago or a northeast neighborhood. It's really hard to imagine unless you've been there.
Personally, I'm not a fan of downtown Austin. It is to me, like just about any sunbelt downtown, only with more bars and less museums. Like a Nashville or Atlanta, a great place to party. To live? Eh.
I've lived in both and if you look at my posting history, I'm a fan of both. The Domain is a giant shopping center with some apartments and bars. Now, is there some night life there and can it get raucous? Sure, probably more so than Bellevue honestly. Bellevue to me is like a neighborhood in Chicago. Super walkable, lots of high rise living, restaurants on every corner, it's an organic neighborhood, not a mall, even though there is one that you can walk to.
When I mention the Domain I'm not referring specifically to the mall, I'm talking about the entire North Burnet corridor that is under heavy mixed use development. In area North Burnet is actually larger than downtown Austin so there is an enormous amount of development potential. I think in future decades we will look at that area as something like Bellevue, and it fills a similar niche (on a much smaller scale) today.
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Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker
Bellevue is more mixed use, again, more like Chicago or a northeast neighborhood. It's really hard to imagine unless you've been there.
Personally, I'm not a fan of downtown Austin. It is to me, like just about any sunbelt downtown, only with more bars and less museums. Like a Nashville or Atlanta, a great place to party. To live? Eh.
Maybe it's semantics, but I think the word you are looking for is residential. Austin is more mixed use to me. Bellevue is high density suburbia.
Maybe it's semantics, but I think the word you are looking for is residential. Austin is more mixed use to me. Bellevue is high density suburbia.
Have you been to Bellevue? Not sure what would make you think it’s less mixed use than the Domain. It definitely functions more like a neighborhood than the Domain.
Not to knock the Domain or anything it’s one of the best relatively recent developments in Texas.
When I mention the Domain I'm not referring specifically to the mall, I'm talking about the entire North Burnet corridor that is under heavy mixed use development. In area North Burnet is actually larger than downtown Austin so there is an enormous amount of development potential. I think in future decades we will look at that area as something like Bellevue, and it fills a similar niche (on a much smaller scale) today.
Maybe it's semantics, but I think the word you are looking for is residential. Austin is more mixed use to me. Bellevue is high density suburbia.
Oh, I know. It's like King of Prussia in the Philly metro. There are some things I like about the Domain, but it's very contrived where as Bellevue is organic. It is a suburb that happens to be as densely populated as Austin.
Have you been to Bellevue? Not sure what would make you think it’s less mixed use than the Domain. It definitely functions more like a neighborhood than the Domain.
Not to knock the Domain or anything it’s one of the best relatively recent developments in Texas.
The Domain would not impress many people outside of the south TBH. It's a business park with apartments, a mall, Whole Foods and a soccer field. I would absolutely live there but it's just not organic.
Bellevue to me, as a family guy who likes walkability, order, and cleanliness is pretty close to perfect. I lived in downtown Bellevue. Incredibly walkable, without the hoodlums and crazy drivers (for the most part). It's definitely not a place to party. It does have businesses though. Salesforce, Microsoft, UiPath and quite a few other tech companies have offices there. Amazon will as well. On the drive into Bellevue, it's downtown is comparable to many cities, though probably not Austin level.
His comments lead me to think he has not been to Bellevue.
Have you been to Bellevue? Not sure what would make you think it’s less mixed use than the Domain. It definitely functions more like a neighborhood than the Domain.
Not to knock the Domain or anything it’s one of the best relatively recent developments in Texas.
I was referring to downtown Austin vs. Bellevue. Bellevue more residential, Austin has some residential but a lot more of other stuff.
The Domain would not impress many people outside of the south TBH. It's a business park with apartments, a mall, Whole Foods and a soccer field. I would absolutely live there but it's just not organic.
Bellevue to me, as a family guy who likes walkability, order, and cleanliness is pretty close to perfect. I lived in downtown Bellevue. Incredibly walkable, without the hoodlums and crazy drivers (for the most part). It's definitely not a place to party. It does have businesses though. Salesforce, Microsoft, UiPath and quite a few other tech companies have offices there. Amazon will as well. On the drive into Bellevue, it's downtown is comparable to many cities, though probably not Austin level.
His comments lead me to think he has not been to Bellevue.
I wasn't implying that the Domain matched Bellevue, simply that it is Austin's closest analog, understanding that Austin is a smaller and less urban metro across the board. It's a "second downtown" that is roughly the same distance from the real downtown. It offers a polished "walkable" lifestyle without real city problems (homeless and whatnot). It is a dense employment node, particularly for tech. It's a convenient place for people in further away suburbs to do city things like go out to eat (rather than trekking all the way downtown). Etc, etc. As I've mentioned a number of times, it will take substantial development for the area to match present day Bellevue, much less future Bellevue.
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