Is the snow storm over yet?? Are you Prepared??

Posted on January 16, 2012 by

They say one storm down and two more to come? A major snow storm is expected to hit Western Washington, piling 6 to 12 inches according to the National Weather System Monday. The National Weather System of Seattle said a wave of cold air is moving through Western Washington and could drop several inches of snow in areas along the Washington coast, as well as areas north of Seattle by early Tuesday. On Wednesday widespread snow fall and below-freezing tempuratures are likely throughout the state and the service issued a winter storm watch from Tuesday night through the day Wednesday. They are comparing Wednesdays snowstorm to a Decembers 1996 snowstorm when over a foot fell over most of the region. Snow could change to rain late Wednesday and in some areas early Thursday and although the snow on Wednesday is going to cause a tremendous amount of messy commutes in the morning and evening, it’s not supposed to stick around for very long.

Is your car prepared for the snow fall?? Here are some tips:

1. Make sure you have full tank of gas

2. Chains for your tires

3. Bottles of water

4. Snacks, like Power Bars or granola bars

5. Blanket

6. Comfy walking shoes

7. Gloves

8. Flashlight

9. Car charger for your cell phone.

Medina Makes List of Most Expensive Neighborhoods

Posted on March 31, 2011 by

Hunts Point Waterfront Home

Bloomberg Business Week recently published an article on the most expensive neighborhoods in the nation, and one Bellevue community made the list-Medina. More specifically, the list pinpoints the most expensive blocks, identifying the area from 84^th Avenue to the waterfront at Lake Washington. These homes have a median value of $1,452,523 and the Lake Washington waterfront homes average a price point of about $3,000,000. The article features data from Neighborhood Scout Reports website, which regularly reports the data taken from neighborhoods across the U.S. Bellevue luxury real estate can also be found in nearby communities Yarrow Point and Hunts Point. Follow the link to search for Bellevue luxury homes for sale.

Possible Tolling on 405

Posted on March 18, 2011 by

Now that the 520 tolling is set to begin in April, Washington lawmakers are thinking about tolling 405 too, but just the carpool lanes of 405 running from Bellevue to Lynwood like those that are on Highway 167. The expected start date, if a proposal is accepted, would be in 2014. The first phase location would be near Kirkland. After the highway is expanded, the 2 carpool lanes on 405 will be converted to HOT lanes (High Occupancy or Tolling) lanes. The tolling will make up for “flat gas tax”. The tolls on 405 are expected to be slightly higher than those on other highways like 167, averaging about $ .74/mile. The tolling would be electronic using the same “Good to Go” system planned for 520. Although the tolling may seem ridiculous to some, the state expects to see much less traffic congestion as a result. Decreased driving time is a plus in my book.

I-405 Closure in Early April

Posted on March 10, 2011 by

April 1^st through 4^th, sections o 1-405 between N.E. 8^th St. and 520 will be closed. Crews will be working to take down the NE 12^th Street Bridge, which will be replaced. The weekend closure is the largest construction closure of the season. The closures will begin the 1^st at 11 p.m. until the 4^th at 4 a.m. See full closure details by visiting the WDOT website.

New Bellevue Apartments

Posted on February 23, 2011 by

A new Bellevue apartment complex is nearing completion, and is expected to open this Spring. The project, titled Soma, is a step in the “green” direction. The building is by developer John Su and is located on Main Street. The building will have 80 units ranging in size from studios to two-story townhomes. The hope is that the systems and construction will allow for energy efficiency and the building will have the first “geo-thermal” well system in the city. Rental demand is continuing to rise in this rough market, so it’s good to know more options are becoming available. It will be interesting to see the lease rate in comparison to other downtown Bellevue apartments like those in the Bravern Towers, which were recently converted from condominiums. Soma is extremely close to the downtown core, and if priced right, the development should be fairly successful. Follow the link to search for other downtown Bellevue rentals.

Kirkland Condo-Available for Rent

Posted on February 17, 2011 by

Kirkland

Three units were architecturally changed into one two bedroom unit with three baths. Extensive office space, large cooks kitchen, dining and living rooms for entertaining, his and hers baths in the master. Built-in wet-bar, flat screen TV’s, sliding doors to HUGE view of Lake WA, Seattle and moorage! West facing Lakeside stretches the width of the Building. This rental in available for $3,500. Find this rental and others by clicking here.

Status:	Available
List Price:	$3,500
Bed/Bath:	3,4

520 is ‘Good To Go’

Posted on February 15, 2011 by

The 520 Bridge is almost ready to begin tolling, and the cheapest way to travel over the bridge will be signing up for a Good To Go account. The Good To Go account comes with a transponder, available for purchase at Safeway stores for $5 dollars. Transponders are activated by a license plate number and deposit, the use of which is necessary because the lack of toll booths. The toll will be taken out of the user’s pre-paid account as they cross, and those without a transponder will be fined, thanks to the cameras taking snapshots of license plates. Good To Go is the state’s most recent electronic tolling system, and WSDOT expects the tolling on 520 will help keep costs to work on the bridge at bay. Toll amount will vary throughout the day, which was planned to encourage driving during off-peak hours. Good to go passes are available online, at Safeway stores, or at service centers. Visit the official website for more information.

Bellevue Burgermaster

Posted on February 10, 2011 by

Most Seattlites now about Burgermaster, the drive-up eatery with awesome burgers and fries you eat in your car. Lucky for us, there are five locations in the Greater Seattle Area. The original is over in the U-District, and the others are in Mill Creek, Everett, on Aurora and the other is across the water in Bellevue, just off of 520. Burgermasters get more than their fair share of visitors every day, but the weekend is definitely the busiest. A friend of mine found himself waiting to park for about 15 minutes when he went to the Bellevue location this past Saturday. I guess you have to be patient to get a burger from a classic, Bellevue joint. If you’re ever in the area and need a bite, check out Burgermaster and get a banana malt…they’re fantastic!

Bellevue Downtown Association

Posted on February 9, 2011 by

The Bellevue Downtown Association said goodbye to one of its 30+ years members, Kemper Freeman. Freeman’s father was one of BDA’s founders (1974) and the Bellevue Square Developer. Kemper announced his withdrawal from the organization in January. The organization who maintains they focus on being a city with amazing retail, companies and residential neighborhoods are now considering bringing East Link, a new Bellevue bound section of South Transit Light rail to the city. Kemper, however, opposes the light rail and felt Bellevue needed to expand freeway and metro transit instead. The Bellevue Downtown Association is now 242 members large, comprised of a variety of developers, property owners and community members.

Lane Closures on 405 in Bellevue, Plus on Bridges

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Kara Tiernan

A portion of 405 in Bellevue will have lane closures this weekend. Lanes of northbound I-405 from SE Eighth Street to Highway 520 will start closing at 11 PM Saturday night. One lane will close at 11 PM, two will be closed at 1 AM Sunday, and three will be closed at 3 AM Sunday. All three lanes will open no later than 10 AM Sunday morning.

Only one southbound lane on I-405 will be affected. One lane between 520 and NE Fourth Street will be closed, but it will begin earlier, 7 PM Saturday night, and end by 10 AM Sunday morning.

In addition to the lane closures on I-405, some lanes will be closed on the I-90 bridge late Saturday night to early Sunday morning. Despite the lane closures, I-90 will be the preferable route between Bellevue and Seattle since the 520 bridge will be completely closed on Saturday night at 11:59 PM until Sunday morning at 7:30 AM.

There was no announcement if the closure of the 520 bridge applies to dogs.

Bellevue and Kirkland, WA

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