Bellevue, the hub of the Eastside, has a downtown filled with high-tech corporate headquarters, luxury shopping centers and an ever increasing residential density. But tucked into this city’s growing skyline is a small neighborhood that reminds Bellevue of its small-town suburban beginnings. Old Bellevue—essentially the four blocks along Main Street between Bellevue Way and 100th Avenue NE—although not untouched by Bellevue’s residential real estate boom, still boasts small shops and independent restaurants. And now, two developments, Pillar Properties’ The Meyden and Murray Franklyn’s Park 88—both offering apartment rentals—have chosen to locate at the Bellevue Way end of this neighborhood.

“That section of Bellevue is really special,” says Diana Norbury of Pillar Properties. “It’s a small neighborhood…steeped in history.” That history is nodded to in The Meyden: a 254-unit luxury apartment building completed in February and named for William Meydenbauer, who settled in Bellevue in the mid-1800s. The property’s amenities include units with floor-to-ceiling windows, private courtyards and even a pet spa.

Murray Franklyn’s Park88 overlooks Bellevue’s Downtown Park. Photo by Jessica Blair.

Across the street from The Meyden is Park 88, a 158-unit residential development that opened last month. The building features units designed by local architecture firm Weber Thompson and a second location of Il Terrazzo Carmine, Pioneer Square’s celebrated Italian restaurant, housed on the ground floor of the building. “What makes Old Bellevue great are the businesses owned by locals and families,” says Trey Woodruff, Murray Franklyn’s director of marketing. “There is a great sense of community in this area.”

The Meyden

DATE OPENED: February 2016
DEVELOPER: Pillar Properties
ARCHITECT: Benson & Bohl Architects Inc.
NUMBER OF UNITS: 254; five residential stories
AVERAGE UNIT SIZE: 725 square feet; apartments range from studios to one- and two-bedroom units
PRICE RANGE PER MONTH: $1,395–$3,500
AMENITIES: Offers two private courtyards with large water features, state-of-the-art theater room and pet spas (taking “pet friendly” to a new level). Each unit features quartz countertops and stainless steel kitchen appliances, a washer and dryer, and central air conditioning. The building includes controlled-access parking.
GROUND-FLOOR RETAIL: The Meyden also houses CVS Pharmacy, Green Lake Jewelry Works, Whisk culinary school and tableware shop, Belle Pastry and Bellevue Barber Shop

Park 88

DATE OPENED: July 2016
DEVELOPER: Murray Franklyn
ARCHITECT: Weber Thompson
NUMBER OF UNITS: 158; eight residential stories
AVERAGE UNIT SIZE: 738 square feet; apartments range from one- to two-bedroom units
PRICE RANGE PER MONTH: $1,495-$3,895
AMENITIES: Offers full-building air conditioning, European-inspired Juliet balconies and full-vision, oversize windows to enhance spectacular views. Each kitchen features slab quartz countertops, and each unit offers central air conditioning as well as a washer and dryer.
GROUND-FLOOR business: The second location of celebrated Italian restaurant Il Terrazzo Carmine