Blahvue
Lawrence Cheek nails it in his piece in today’s P-I on the new Lincoln Square development. At the end he asks, “Bellevue: What’s the point?” Totally.
Bellevue is clean. It’s pretty in a plain sort of way. And it’s completely soulless. Developments like Lincoln Square continue the trend. Bellevue is a place where shopping is the center of all activity. It’s a place where the newly-constructed art museum had to close down for over a year due to lack of interest while the shopping mall expanded. (Admittedly, the lack of interest was well deserved. The museum was not well attended partly because of uninspired exhibits.) It’s a place where the lake front is hidden and mostly private. It’s a place where nothing surprising ever happens. In short, it’s a place not worth caring about.
Why do I seem to care? I don’t really, but it is important to pay some attention to the nature of suburbia and how it effects life in the city. Bellevue-style development has invaded Seattle and will continue to do so, most likely. Know thy enemy.
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