Bellevue Apartments and Rentals

Bellevue is French for "beautiful view" and you certainly get some of that in this city. Across Lake Washington from Seattle, this metropolis is much more than a feeder for its better-known neighbor. CNNMoney recently named it the top place in the country to live and launch a business. If you're ready to put those claims to the test, all you need is a Bellevue apartment.

Bellevue has been around for a while. In 1869, William Meydenbauer founded the city. Until the Lake Washington Floating Bridge was built in 1940, however, this part of the state remained rural. After the bridge opened, Bellevue was incorporated and grew into a commuter community for Seattle. When the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge opened in 1963, the city really took off. It's now one of the largest cities in Washington.

For those looking at living in Bellevue, Bellevue Square is one of the largest shopping centers in the region. The Bel-Red Corridor Project is also being planned. This will encourage development in the city's north, where Bellevue borders Redmond. There are neighborhoods here good for equestrians, such as Bridle Trails, primarily residential areas like Eastgate, and mixed-use urban parts of town, including Factoria.

Bellevue benefits economically from its immediate proximity to Redmond and Redmond's major tenant-Microsoft. Technology companies have been springing up in the city since the 1990s. Both Bellevue College and City University are in Bellevue if you're coming in search of a higher education.

Bellevue is an expensive city to call home. Rents are fairly high, with the average two-bedroom Bellevue apartment leasing for $1,882 a month. Rents aren't the only thing you'll find to be pricey in this city. The cost of living in general is significantly higher than the United States average. One bright spot is the eight percent vacancy rate, which indicates that housing availability might help to bring rents down some.

If you're looking for a day out here, the Bellevue Arts Museum has had its ups and downs, but has recently been reborn as a center for the fine art of craft and design. The Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art contains more than a thousands dolls. It's one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. There's also the KidsQuest Children's Museum if you're seeking some family fun.

If you need a little extra entertainment, Bellevue's many community events and festivals should help. The Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair occurs annually in July. The city's delicious Strawberry Festival celebrates the area's farming history with fruit. There's also the Bellevue 24-Hour Relay if you're athletically inclined. Every other year, the Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition fills Downtown Park with artistic creations from around the country.

To find your ideal Bellevue apartment, search through the listings on Rent.com®. We hope to help make your housing search as easy as possible.