Once thought of as an overspill from Seattle, the burgeoning city of Bellevue Washington continues to prosper as a commercial district and is considered to be a desirable place to live. The city skyline is made of high-rise office space and apartments. The current boom began in the 1990s when several blue chip companies, including Microsoft, set up offices here. The city was ranked 21st in the Top 100 list of Best Places to Live in 2006 in Money Magazine. This poll looks at air quality, commute time, leisure and sporting facilities, crime figures and other factors.
Neighboring Seattle is reached via the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. Built in 1940, it is in the record books as the second longest floating bridge anywhere in the world. The bridge was important for the local economy, which received a further boost when another bridge was constructed across the lake in 1963. This was named the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge.
Shoppers are well catered for at the Bellevue Square shopping mall, with 200 retail outlets and children's play areas. This center has attracted well known stores to Bellevue Washington, including Pottery Barn and Macy's. There are also restaurant chains such as the Cheesecake Factory and Red Robin.
The natural world can be found at the Botanical Garden in Bellevue Washington, which boasts an impressive dahlia and fuchsia garden. Visitors can wander through woodland, meadows, wetlands, a rock garden, colorful maple trees and different varieties of shrubs.
Cultural pursuits are also celebrated here and there has been an annual Arts and Crafts Fair held in Bellevue Washington since 1947. The Bellevue Arts Museum has visiting exhibitions but its main activity is outreach work. The museum hosts workshops, classes, demonstrations and lectures for the local community. Doll collectors flock to the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, which houses one of the largest collections of its kind in the world with over 1,000 dolls.
The KidsQuest Children's Museum is a fun and educational place for a day out, appealing to pre-school children up to twelve year olds. There are play areas for the kids to let off steam, exhibitions and educational activities. Several subjects are covered, including art, science and technology. It's a hands on environment and children are given the opportunity to create artwork or work with machines and mechanical tools. The children of Bellevue Washington learn about things that are relevant to their region and gain an understanding of how their local area developed.
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