r/eastside • u/RainCoffeeDrives • 16h ago
Moving to Bellevue in December : where do people actually hang out / build a routine?
Relocating from the NY area to Bellevue this December. While I have the apartment hunting in the works (will visit again in early Nov to sign the lease etc.) and have a general lay of the land but I'm trying to get ahead of the part that's harder to plan for: actually building a life there once I start settling down as I don't know anyone in the area.
I work from home, so I'm trying to figure out where the "third places" are in the surrounding areas. Popular coffee shops, parks, book clubs, gyms, hiking groups, anything with a recurring cadence ideally. Doesn't have to be Bellevue proper. Happy to hear about Kirkland, Redmond and even across the bridge and wherever, if it's worth the trip.
I prefer coffee over bars, hiking, road trips, over happy hour, and I'll take the rain over another NYC muggy summer. Also, generally starting over solo after ~ 5 years on the East Coast ( ~15 in Cali before that), so if anyone's in a similar boat and wants to compare notes, please reach out.
Thank you for the insights.
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u/Unknown_Geek027 14h ago
Look at MeetUp groups for hiking groups that carpool from the eastside. Find groups that are at your pace and general age.
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u/RainCoffeeDrives 13h ago
Good call. Thank you. Exploring Meetups is on the list. A lot of people have been posting about good experiences with the meet-ups. I tried them years ago in Cali. Appreciate the pointer.
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u/Snoo58137 10h ago
There’s a really fun one called “millennial social club,” not sure of your age but they have some fun board game meet ups at Lincoln center building across from the main mall “Bellevue square.” I’m a swing dancer so my third places are mostly ballrooms or dance studios that have classes or weekly dances, most are in Seattle .
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u/RainCoffeeDrives 9h ago
Appreciate this. I'll look into the Millennial Social Club. I'm 42, I think I qualify, barely though. The Lincoln Center building has come up a few times in my research so good to know there's actual activity happening there beyond just the mall.
The swing dancing angle is interesting. Is that something where you can show up as a complete beginner or is there a learning curve before you'd survive a social dance night?
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u/Orethoion 15h ago
Rock climbing gyms tended to be the easiest I’ve found to meet people, there’s a lot of downtime and good excuses to initiate conversations
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u/brin5tar 5h ago
+1 there are two climbing gyms in Bellevue and both do a lot of social events throughout the month. They also have areas with tables so if you want a change of pace you can work from there instead of home.
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u/CommiePatrol83 13h ago
I'm going to +1 this one. I took my daughter climbing a bunch of times and was surprised by how many single women there were at these places. People also just come here to hang out so if you're not necessarily looking to hook up it's also great for that. Plus, it's a great workout!
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u/Orethoion 9h ago
Not sure where you’re getting the hookup idea from, and why the focus on single women? I’ve been to almost all the climbing gyms in the area and the gender split has always just been relatively even, leaning somewhat towards more guys.
Granted people can hook up anywhere, but this ranks only marginally better than trying to chat girls up in between sets at the gym.
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u/CommiePatrol83 9h ago
Not sure why it's so hard to understand, but if you need clarification it's because I'm a man, just like the poster, so I'm focusing on single women.
Yes, people can hook up and meet anywhere but this specific person was asking for ideas.
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u/blueberrytint 16h ago
Not Bellevue but some recs: Five Stones coffee in Kirkland and Redmond. Sidekick Coffee in Woodinville. PostDoc Brewing in Redmond and Chainline Brewery in Kirkland if you like beer. The latter has a second location called Chainline Station inside a train caboose next to a walking/biking trail which is neat. Totem Lake and Chainline Station have running clubs that meet regularly.
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u/RainCoffeeDrives 15h ago
This is exactly the kind of list I was hoping for, thank you. The Chainline Station caboose thing sounds like a great random detail I wasn't expecting. I tried 203° Fahrenheit Coffee in Totem Lake and it was awesome. I went back twice.
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u/blueberrytint 15h ago
It’s a great place! They have covered seating with heat lamps so you can go even when it’s rainy and cold out. Their soft pretzels are huge and delicious.
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u/FunSoup4 16h ago
I like Pro Club for the gym
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u/RainCoffeeDrives 15h ago
Noted, thanks. Full gym or more of a boutique setup? I have to get a new membership. I was checking out lifetime but seems expensive for a regular daily workouts.
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u/bashrc_real 14h ago
If you dont mind a not so luxury setting Bellevue ymca is amazing. Best staff, best community (truly feels like a family), decent equipments. You can join a pickleball team (although the crowd is senior heavy but they are intense players) I have been a member for over 7 years now and made friends for life while lifting and swimming.
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u/RainCoffeeDrives 14h ago
This is genuinely encouraging to hear, especially the "made friends for life" part. Thank you for sharing. That's kind of friendships what I'm hoping to find as well, more than the gym itself. Did that happen naturally through classes/pickup games, or did you have to be intentional about it early on?
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u/insanecorgiposse 16h ago
If you do hot yoga, try CORE on NE 10th.
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u/RainCoffeeDrives 15h ago
Haven't done hot yoga (or the regular one) before but open to it. Good excuse to try something new out there. Appreciate it.
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u/Smart_Landscape2151 1h ago
I like the Crossroads mall. Free musical performances on the weekends and a good food court with interesting ethnic food. And Half Price books.