Once a sleepy rural community under the Cascade Mountains and across Lake Washington from Seattle, Bellevue – French for "beautiful view" – has since become one of Washington’s largest cities.

The city’s downtown is anchored by many high-rise structures and a burgeoning business community. Wooded neighborhoods and a vast network of green spaces, including Mercer Slough Nature Park, a 320-acre wetland preserve, remind of the city’s rural past.

Bellevue’s famed shopping district, Bellevue Square opened in 1946. After undergoing significant expansion through the 80s, recent expansion along Bellevue Way up to Bellevue Square, as well as the new One Lincoln Tower, have made the area an energized shopping and dining destination.