Grand Openings Galore at Bellevue Square

This week the Lacoste store unveiled it's exterior, implying that it is getting ever so close to opening, which was originally promised for May. Next door, to the left of the Lacoste store where Gap Kids previously was located, is now showing signs that Burberry will occupy the space.

The Victoria's Secret store has been in the midst of a major remodel over the last couple of months and now appears to be opening this weekend with a brand new look!

Also remodeling these last few months, and expanding into larger spaces, are Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, and Banana Republic. Pottery Barn and William Sonoma have signs notifying customers of their opening this weekend. Banana Republic will have their grand re-opening this fall.

The Bellevue Square interior remodel, as mentioned before, is moving along at a steady pace. The most recent addition to the mall has been couches, chairs, and tables, giving customers a nicer place to sit down and relax. Where most malls might allow sales kiosks throughout the mall, it is nice to see that Kemper Development Co. is not following suit with this trend.

Palomino Opens in Downtown Bellevue!

Palomino celebrates it's grand opening in Downtown Bellevue today! The restaurant, which opened its first location in Seattle in 1989, now spans over 9 locations, with the latest hitting Downtown Bellevue.

Restaurants Unlimited Inc. acquired Manzana, and within the last couple of weeks transitioned the Lincoln Square space into a Palomino. A representative for Palimino communicated their choice of Downtown Bellevue because they look for "Hip, urban, downtown communities with growth and development."

Haven't tried Palomino in Seattle? Some of the suggested items off the menu are Grill Asparagus and Prosciutto Brushetta as an appetizer, Asiago-Almon Crusted Sea Scallops & Braised Lamb Shank as an entrée, then topping off your meal (if you have room) with Chocolate Tiramisu. They aren't like some other swanky restaurants that give you small portions, and leave you hungry. Palomino gives fair sized portions. The biggest compliment, after the first trip to Palomino in their new location would be the abundance of friendly employees on staff. We left with three new friends!

Okay, so the question that everybody has been waiting for.... "Do they have a happy hour?" Yes, they absolutely do, and it runs daily from 3-6pm and then again from 9pm-close. They offer 1/2 off all appetizers, $5 pizzas, and $4 on all draft beer, select wines, and cocktails.

In addition, the Bellevue Palomino is currently offering a "First Seating" special. For $25 you can enjoy a 3-course meal as long as you arrive within the time frame of 4:30 - 6:00pm.

Congratulations, and good luck to Palomino's!

The New York Times Recognizes Bellevue As A Strong Real Estate Market

A New York Times article, titled "Housing Prices Fall 14.1% in Sign of Continuing Slump," had a small blurb recognizing Bellevue as an area with "robust" sales.

Here is the excerpt:

As in other regions, the slowdown is hitting outlying areas first and hardest. Sales and prices are still robust in downtown Seattle and affluent suburbs like Bellevue because they are more desirable and closer to big employers like Microsoft, Starbucks, and Boeing.

"We are still getting multiple offers on properties there," Phil Rodocker, a Seattle-based real estate agent, said about the downtown area and Bellevue. But "as you move south, every 10 miles south you go, you see more and more short sales and repossessed houses."

Also included in the article is a neat interactive chart with major cities and their home prices and growth (or lack there of).

Bellevue High Schools Ranked Highly by Newsweek, Again

Any well-respected community has great public schools. In the past years, the Bellevue School District has ranked very highly on the national stage of Newsweek's ranking for high schools.

This year's report is out, and the results are good. Of the top 1,300 (or 5%) high schools, this is how the Bellevue schools ranked:

Rank / School
10 International School
31 Newport
45 Interlake
62 Bellevue
163 Sammamish

"Sex and the City" Movie Premiere to Benefit Hopelink

Over 300 people will have the opportunity to support the local social services organization, Hopeline, by attending a special premiere screening of "Sex and the City" on Friday May 30th at 9:30am at Bellevue's Lincoln Square Cinemas.

A local Bellevue mother Heija Nunn decided to put this event together after watching The Oprah Winfrey show with the movie's star, Sarah Jessica Parker. Sarah said on the show that she wished she could arrange babysitters so all moms could have the chance to see the Sex and the City movie.

Guests of the event will get entry into the movie, a "glam goodie bag," a continental breakfast, a drawing for stylish door prizes, and a special appearance by local author Jane Porter. The event will be free with a $25 suggested donation.

Donations from the event will support Hopelink's efforts this summer to help families and children in need.

The event is be sponsored by Bellevue's Palomino, Bellevue's Nordstrom, Tully's Coffee, Alki Bakery, and Lincoln Square Cinemas.

To RSVP send an email to breakfastwiththegirls@yahoo.com or call 425-869-6022.

Ask Lea: Sunny Day Seating

Dear Lea,

Last weekend's weather was so nice that I was just dying to find a place to eat outside so that I could enjoy it! My friends and I ended up heading down to Kirkland, but what places in Bellevue have outside seating?

- Waiting for Warmer Weather

Dear Waiting for Warmer Weather,

Downtown Bellevue has a lot of great restaurants that offer outdoor dining! Depending on what type of cuisine or restaurant you're interested in, you have quite a few to choose from. For the next beautifully sunny day, here's a quick list to pick from:

• Tap House - heat lamps for cooler nights, 160 beers on tap, always a good crowd
• Rock Bottom Brewery - beer brewery, familiar bar food, loud outside crowd
• Joey's - hot meeting place, great food, large outdoor courtyard
  
• Cheesecake Factory - something for everyone, shaded seating, at Bellevue Square
• 520 Bar & Grill - intimate outside space, romantic at night, garden-like patio
  
• 0/8 Seafood Grill - view of Bellevue Way, variety of wines, mature crowd
  
• Bis On Main - limited outside seating, romantic setting, gourmet cuisine

Something to note is that California Pizza Kitchen currently has their outdoor dining area under construction. They are building a larger patio area to accommodate guests on our beautiful Bellevue summer nights. It should be completed in July!

I hope that on the next sunny day this helps you and your friends stay in Bellevue. Another idea - picnic in the Downtown Bellevue Park?

Waiting With You,
Lea

Have a question you'd like to ask? Email me at lea@downtownbellevue.com!

Growth Stunted: European Tower Project Delayed

After recently receiving the proper permitting from the City of Bellevue this month, the European Tower project has been put on hold. This ultra luxury, 16-story project, which contains one residence per floor, has been delayed until further notice.

According to the COO of GIS International Group (developer), Eugene Gershman, "We'll watch this market cycle very carefully and make a decision on when to break ground based on how quickly the market shows signs of improvement, currently planning for the fall of 2008." Originally the project was slated to be complete in fall of 2008.

The units at European Tower range from $2 Million - $10 Million. According to the developer about 1/3 of these units had been reserved, and they will continue to take reservations. Gershman also reinforced their commitment to this project stating, "European Tower is our cornerstone project - and it will happen."

Yahoo Subleasing Downtown Bellevue Office Space

Downtown Bellevue has been a focal point in the strategic plans of software and dot com giants such as Yahoo, Google and Microsoft, as the three competitors can’t seem to acquire enough office space. Microsoft has leased nearly every large vacancy in Downtown Bellevue, Google attempted to lease Tower 333, and Yahoo has expanded into One Twelfth @ Twelfth. However, to add another minor twist to the much talked about Yahoo-Microsoft situation, Yahoo has decided to market their new Downtown Bellevue office space for sublease.

Yahoo announced in October its plans to lease nearly 120,000 square feet in the East building at One Twelfth @ Twelfth and now, only 8 months later, they have decided to market 60,000 square feet of space for sublease. Floors 3 and 4 are being marketed as available, allowing for occupancy in August of 2008. At the rate Microsoft leases space these days it would be humorous if Yahoo became Microsoft’s sub-landlord.

-Brian Biege

Culinary & Wine Showcase @ Bellevue Collection Begins Monday

The Bellevue Collection's Culinary & Wine Showcase kicks off this Monday, May 26th, on Memorial Day. There are over 30 events taking place in one week's time, from May 26th - June 1st, all centered around food and/or wine!

The many events range from free to over $100. We think the best value is the Bite and Flight for $25. You'll get a "passport," which you can bring to a selection of seven restaurants within the Bellevue Collection, that will allow you to sample a food item and glass of wine. The Bite and Flight starts this Saturday, May 24th, a couple days earlier than the official start date of the event and runs through June 8th. Pick up your "passport" at Bellevue Square Guest Services.

Here are a few of the headlining events:

Tasting Lounge
May 28th - 30th @ Bellevue Sq Center Court (see site for times)
Five Tastes for $5

Cooking Demos
May 28th - June 1st @ Bellevue Sq Center Court (see site for times)
Free

The Showcase: A Night of Perfect Pairings
Thursday, May 29th 7pm @ The Westin
$50

Women Wine and Shopping: Dishing with Kathy Casey
Saturday, May 31st 7pm @ The Westin
$35

What is The Bellevue Look, and How to Get It.

Women
In Bellevue, it's all about being functional yet fashionable; the best of both worlds. According to Rachal at La Ree Boutique in old Bellevue, we are evolving into casual chic. She is pairing designer with non-designer pieces. She recommends high quality tee shirts by Monrow, Zooey, or 0039Italy, put with jeans and a piece of her hot seller: Jamie Joseph jewelry.

At Derek Andrew in Downtown Bellevue, the Twisted Heart tracksuit is the hottest item. Paris Hilton had just called requesting a particular design. There are several to choose from. For a sophisticated look on an afternoon of running errands, picking up the kids, or enjoying a shopping spree, this is a perfect choice.


Derek Andrew carries 700 pairs of jeans, with one of their most popular being their own in house design, Robin Jeans. White denim is white hot. Just don't spill the grape juice or wine on these! Dresses that go from day to evening are selling here. Styles are casual, effortless, and chic. Add some jewelry to spice up anything from the daytime dress to a cocktail dress.

Men
At Road for men in Bellevue Square, they take all the elements of the Boomer male’s lifestyle - progressive attitude, sophisticated style, propensity for activism - to create a unique style that appeals to the modern male’s values and unique fashion sense. The Bellevue man is demanding a business look that is not his father's look. Blazers with dress pants to conduct business instead of a stuffy suit. This store has its own private label. The finest fabrics with an organically draped cut, paired with comfortable fit are what are selling here.

Hair
When it comes to hair, what is the "Bellevue Look?” At Beaux Arts Hair, women are asking for sassy bobs and multi-tonal hair color in shades of caramel, sand, and toffee Chocolate with mocha highlights and shapes that are cut to fall into place organically are what’s in style. Everyone's hair is different, so the hair must shaped to go with the texture of each persons hair. Color is placed according to the shape of the cut to bring out eye and skin tones. The right cut is a woman's most important fashion accessory here in Bellevue.

-Trisha

The Bravern Announces Elizabeth Arden to Open

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa is the newest retail tenant, as announced by The Bravern this week. This New York originated day spa, will bring the first Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa to the Pacific Northwest.

As stated in the press release, "The Spa will feature nine treatment rooms together with top of the line manicure stations, pedicure thrones and a hair, color and styling salon complete with men's and women's spa locker and relaxation areas."

The spa will occupy a 6,000 sq ft footprint at the Bravern and will offer services such as skincare, massage and body treatments, nail services, hair styling, makeup artistry and more.



Also in less exciting, yet still newsworthy news, Bank of America announced that they will occupy 4,700 sq ft of retail space at the Bravern, facing NE 6th street adjacent to Wild Ginger.

View King 5 Video on the announcement

Bellevue Towers Tops Out Top Floor

The city's new tallest peak in town has arrived! Bellevue Towers had their "Topping Off Ceremony" Wednesday afternoon, celebrating the freshly poured concrete on the 43rd story of the South Tower building.

The views from the top are absolutely breathtaking. From this vantage point, there are views of Lake Washington, downtown Seattle, and the Cascade & Olympic mountain ranges.

To help celebrate this milestone, the Mayor of Bellevue, Grant Degginger was on hand congratulating the Bellevue Towers team on such a fabulous feat and accomplishment.

This event signifies the last pouring of concrete, but residents won't start moving in until November of this year. The 540 unit condo building currently has over one third of the building sold.

View King 5 Video of the event

The Village Bellevue - Open House

Today, from 4-8pm, The Village Bellevue will be hosting an open house to show off their rentable office space concept that will occupy a portion of Su Development's Element's Too building, which is currently under construction.

We previously reported the announcement of this project back in March. They now have their presentation center up and running on 106th Ave.

They encourage you to come by for some hors d'oevres, served by Bis on Main, and some bubbly to toast to their beginning.

Event Details:
Thursday, May 15th 4 - 8pm
121 106th Ave NE

City of Bellevue "Expo" to Highlight City's Major Projects

The City of Bellevue will be hosting a Spring Forward Expo Thursday, May 15th, highlighting the major events in Bellevue. This will allow for an in-person forum to provide feedback to the city about it's current projects that are in the works.

Here are a few of the projects to be highlighted:

• Bel-Red Subarea
• Light Rail
• Pedestrian/Bicycle Plan
• Great Streets
• Meydenbauer Bay Park
• Downtown Circulator

...and more!

Event information
Thursday, May 15
4:00 - 6:30pm
Bellevue City Hall
1st Floor Concourse

Downtown Bellevue Network Turns 1 Year Old!

Last night The Downtown Bellevue Network celebrated it's 1 Year Anniversary at 520 Bar and Grill! Thanks to our readers, we had a fabulous turn out and got feedback that people had wonderful time. We are looking at having events, like yesterday's, on a quarterly basis...so stay tuned for the next announcement!

We want to give special thanks to 520 Bar and Grill for allowing us to host our celebration at their cozy restaurant. We also want thank our great sponsors that made last night possible, providing us with great gifts for our guests:

520 Bar & Grill
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
0/8 Seafood Grill and Twisted Cork Wine Bar
The Spot Off Main
The Purple Cafe
Lucky Strike Lanes
Bellevue Arts Museum
425 Magazine
Starbucks at the Lodge
Joey's
Elite Fitness

Koots Green Tea, Nau, and More - Close Their Doors

Koots Green Tea
Not even two years since it's opening, Lincoln Square's Koots Green Tea has closed it's doors effective yesterday. The company, which has several locations in Japan, opened it's first store in the US here in Bellevue. After expanding to Seattle as well, both stores have now closed.

Nau
Over at Bellevue Square, Nau Inc. (clothing company), is nationally shutting down their operations and have already vacated their Bellevue Square store location. Nau had stores sprinkled around the country and was dedicated to sustainability and giving back to the community and environment. They gave back 10% of their purchase prices to particular non-profit associations. They have now closed, due to the lack of funding and financial support.

Porcella Urban Market
On May 18th the Porcella Urban Market on Main Street will cease operations and close. With the many projects planned for Main Street, in the next few years there will be an abundance of retail space open in this particular area.

Presidential Candidate, John McCain, Visits Bellevue Tuesday

John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, will be visiting Downtown Bellevue on Tuesday, May 13th at the Hyatt for a fund raising event. According to the event's Website, the pricing to attend are as follows:

Reception $1,000
VIP Reception $2,300
Photo Reception $10,000
Victory Dinner (per couple) $33,100

Trader Vic's Now Offering Free Valet Parking

In an attempt at driving more business, Lincoln Square's Trader Vic's is now offering free valet parking to it's customers while dining.

There has been a rumor floating around for the last year that Trader Vic's is actively looking to unload their lease, due to poor business in this location.

$40 Million Bellevue Square Face-Lift, Uncovered By PI

Yesterday, featured in the Seattle P-I, was an article reaffirming all the new upgrades Bellevue Square is and will be doing in the coming months.

The Seattle newspaper quoted Kemper Freeman explaining that, "Shopping centers, as a rule of thumb, need to be remodeled every 10 years." The last major remodel was the transformation in the 1980's that turned Bellevue Square from an outdoor mall to an indoor mall, making this current remodel long overdue. The story also uncovered an interesting fact, that Kemper Development Co. owns about 10% of Downtown Bellevue.

One change to Bellevue Square, not yet reported by the Downtown Bellevue Network, is that the center court clock tower will be moved to the corner of NE 6th street and Bellevue Way NE. (The renderings show that it will have a stylish upgrade to it as well).

Although a large part of the country is currently in a downswing, Bellevue (and many parts of the Puget Sound) continue to bring positive financial results and outlook for the future. Within a 10-minute drive of the Downtown Bellevue shopping areas, there is 102% of the population that Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills has, and 98% of the household income.

The article confirmed that all upgrades should be complete by this coming holiday season, which is a year later than originally planed.

Ask Lea: "I Love Sushi"

Dear Lea,

I see that Blue C Sushi is coming to Downtown Bellevue this fall. My co-workers and I have been wanting to go to a good sushi restaurant, but we don't know of any places near by right now.

- Sushi Seeker

Dear Sushi Seeker,

You've asked the right person because sushi is my second favorite food, second to Thai. I am really looking forward to the opening of Blue C Sushi at the end of this year, but there are quite a few places you can go to right now for good sushi.

A local favorite that has been around for quite awhile, and is always packed, is Marinepolis Sushi Land. It's tucked away on 107th Ave., snug between an office building and condominiums. You'd never know it was there unless you happened to drive past it down the street, which is more like an alley to me. The parking lot is always full, but if you're patient, a spot will turn up. The sushi there is served conveyor belt style, so once you're seated it's a quick in and out. The sushi is very inexpensive, and I wouldn't call it gourmet. I think it's good, but if you're somewhat of a sushi connoisseur, you'd probably want to pay a little bit more somewhere else for better quality. My favorite part about the place is that they play loud hip hop music, and have a staff of distracted adolescents. But seriously, if you haven't been there, it's worth the experience and the food for the price you'll pay.

Another great find is Sushi Yama. In fact, I just went there last night. It's located on 105th Ave. behind the new Avalon Meydenbauer Safeway site. They are also a conveyor belt restaurant with low prices. The place is about half the size of Marinepolis, but I thought their sushi was great! I highly recommend the Bellevue Roll and Strawberry Roll. I ate until I was very full, and my bill was about $10. I think that's a pretty good deal for a full dinner meal.

Lastly, if you're willing to spend a little bit more or looking for something more upscale, try Yama at the Galleria. They specialize in sushi, but also offer a variety of Japanese dishes. The atmosphere is tasteful, highlighted by a sushi bar, regular bar, and a plethora of tables for dining. If you want to try it out, head there on a Sunday. They have happy hour after 4pm, and all bottles of wine are 50% off with your dinner.

I hope this helps, until you get your Blue C fix come November.

Stuffing You With Sushi,
Lea


Have a question you'd like to ask? Email me at lea@downtownbellevue.com!

Manzana Gone, Palomino In

If you were in Manzana this weekend you might've realized a bit of construction going on inside of the restaurant.

Palomino, in two weeks time, will take over where Manzana has left off. The remodeling has started a bit early and will go into full effect when Manzana closes their doors for good this Sunday, May 11th.

Palomino has 8 restaurants across the United States, with one in our own backyard: Seattle. No other state has two locations, which will make this area special, with Bellevue and Seattle locations to be the first.

For those not familiar with Palomino, it is described as a "Euopean-inspired Regional American Cuisine." The prices range from mid-teens to mid-20's. Look for the opening of Palomino at Lincoln Square, if goes as scheduled, on May 29th.

Largest Employeers in Bellevue

As reported in the PI, here are the largest employers in Bellevue.

Bellevue Employers

1. Microsoft 7,500
2. T-Mobile 3,200
3. Boeing 2,800
4. Overlake Hospital 2,200
5. Expedia 1,650
6. Verizon 1,500
7. Safeway 1,200
8. Nordstrom 1,100
9. Puget Sound Energy
10. Symetra Financial 900
11. Eddie Bauer 680

Number of employees are projected out through 2009.

Microsoft Leases City Center Plaza

As rumored last week, Microsoft has fully leased City Center Plaza on 6th Street in Downtown Bellevue. The 26-story, 571,806 square foot building will add to the already large footprint Microsoft has in Downtown Bellevue, which will make them Bellevue's largest employer. City Center Plaza building will allow for about 2,000 Microsoft employees.

Microsoft, when all buildings are complete in Downtown Bellevue, will occupy office space at the following locations: The Bravern, City Center Plaza, Lincoln Square, Civica Building, and Bellevue Place.

This is especially positive news for the economic status of Downtown Bellevue, creating even lower vacancy rates and potentially driving up the already high price of office space in the area!

Bellevue Square Update

Bellevue Square, as we all know by now, is in the midst of some major construction upgrades. Many sections in the mall are now in the process of being re-floored, from the prehistoric brown tile to the new cream colored marble.

In the past week there have been a couple of new things that attracted our attention in the mall. First, it looks like we've caught a glimpse of the new stylish silver trash bins that replace the dated concrete looking containers. Secondly, the sky bridge, which takes people from the garage to the mall, is going through some structural and aesthetic upgrades as well.


Aside from the construction and mall upgrades, some new stores have opened, some old stores have closed, and others are coming soon.

New Stores- Gap Kids has recently moved into a larger location, leaving their old spot next to the Apple store, and moving into what used to be Limited (which recently closed).

Coming Soon- Across the way from Gap Kids is Aldo, the shoe store. From the looks of it, unless they plan to have two stores next to each other, they will open a new store with a new look, one store down. Eileen Fisher, which is currently located in Redmond Town Center, will relocate to a Bellevue Square location on the second floor next to Tully's.

Closed Stores- New York Cupcakes next to McDonalds and Limited, as mentioned above, have both closed.