I suppose that depends a bit on what you think Bellevue looks like.

I've spent most of my life here in Bellevue and the one thing I've come to understand about this city is that it's always different from what it was.

I was very young the first time I moved away between 1969 and 1971. When I returned, the first multi-story buildings were in various stages of completion. Though not as many as there are now, I noticed a lot of cranes back then. "They're changing my Bellevue!" I wailed.

It took me a long time to get used to it, but ultimately I realized that most cities do not simply freeze in time. Like children, they grow and change.

Even still, I'm not always comfortable with the changes. There are things about Bellevue I hope will - or wish would - stay the same. I've come to the conclusion, however, that the best I can do is help shape the growth and change into something good.

For what it's worth, I believe that being able to see such a skyline from such a large and open green space like this, is not so terrible. I love that park, and every time I'm in it, I remember the schools that were once there and a time when Bellevue Square Mall was an open-air collection of shops.

To me, so long as we preserve the heart of what Bellevue is, and was, this DOES look like Bellevue.

A properly planned city should grow up and not out. While there certainly are legitimate concerns about skyline and urban density, a properly planned city that maintains it's parks, greenbelts, and has a good mass transit system can look like this. The 3000 sq foot homes and living spaces that Americans tend to think of as home sweet home is the exception rather than the rule for urban living.

I remember when Bellevue was a big blank nothing on the the weekends. Now the nightlife is thriving (and not the trashy, scary kind). We have a nice mix of the 'big city' social scene with the smaller suburb grace. Look out Seattle!

I was born and raised in Bellevue. I have great memories of wide open spaces as a child. Never a need to lock the front door.
Those wide open spaces are long gone. And the trust in your next door neighbor has also disappeared.
It looks pretty on the surface but as you dig in you will find the quality of life isn't as great as it looks.
The city is very rich because all of the taxes are going to make the place shine. There is plenty of time to admire that shine as you are stuck in heavy traffic trying to get from one end of town to the other.
The city council has their own ideas about what kinds of freedoms you can enjoy. Watch out where you post that sign. Oh, and don’t leave it up too long. And BTW, better keep the size down. In fact you’d better read the COB website before you do anything or the Sign Task Force will be after you to pay a fine. And you better not park that RV there! Look out McMansion builders; the council has caught on to the fact you guys are making big money; you're next on the hit list. But they would never do anway with you because you raise the values, which means more property taxes to collect.
I was driven to leave my birthplace through the high cost of housing and the stress that never-ending traffic creates. Two hours to drive 20 miles down the road was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
I have found a greater quality of life away from the clenching jaws of the rich Eastside; better than I had even imagined.
Unfortunately I still own a home in Bellevue. It is an utter joke to watch the property tax statements from the outside looking in. I don't understand where they come up with the figures that the land is worth twice as much as it was just a few years ago and yet the "improvements" (3 bedroom house built in 1984) are only valued at $5K. What kind of a game is this? Well I don't play the games, I just raise the rent. It's no wonder why people can't afford to live there. Just wait until the local governments decide to actually do something about the traffic problems. I just hope the real estate market improves soon so I can get out of Bellevue before they start asking for more taxes for that.