The Bellevue High Life

I have been thinking about living in small(er) spaces for a while now. When we sold our house in the Seattle area, we downsized to a much smaller space. As a matter of fact, we originally planned on buying a condo right on Elliott Bay. As part of our planned downsize, we sold virtually all of our furniture. We kept one couch and one chair for the living space and we kept our bed and bedroom dresser. Other than that...gone.


Our house did not sell in time to meet the condo contingency deadline. With 20/20 hindsight, I'm grateful for that the Seattle condo didn't become our reality. Why? Well, less than 24 months later we moved back to NC.

This was right as the Real Estate market went sideways. We sold our house before the bubble burst. --The bubble was leaking air but hadn't popped. Anyhoo, by the time we closed on our sale, it was becoming clear that owning a home was a long term proposition for real.

It became a really great time to rent in the Seattle area. Many of the apartment-condo conversions ended up converting back to apartments with steep rental discounts. Our first apartment was in Kirkland overlooking Lake Washington. The interior was not updated (it was pulled from the condo conversion updates), but the view was to die for.

When the lease matured we took the opportunity to move to a high-rise in downtown Bellevue. For me, it was the epitome of urban living. It was love! And this view was quite different than the lake view. Through our kitchen window, we could see the Space Needle. It was small....(far)...but very recognizable.

This was the first time we lived in a place where we could walk to a restaurant. We thought that was pretty cool. On the first floor was a little urban market. In fact, one night I posted on FB:




Today I'm showing you pics of the Bellevue High-Rise This was the beginning of our "small footprint" living, all 736 square feet of it. The lovely blonde in the pics is my daughter.

I found some pics of the condo that got all of this started...Here they are:

Located 2 blocks from the SAM Sculpture Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, and the Waterfront, the location is ideal; perfect for city living plus quiet street at night. This large open plan 1BR/Den in the Bellora has much to offer; open kitchen with concrete counters, SS appl, maple hardwood floors, baths w travertine, gas FP, central heat/AC, "winter-water-view" & more. Bldg amenities incl well-equipped fitness center, concierge & common view terrace. Parking & storage included.