{"id":74679,"date":"2025-12-31T13:19:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T13:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/74679\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T13:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T13:19:11","slug":"bellevue-is-a-hidden-gem-near-pittsburgh-heres-why-we-love-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/74679\/","title":{"rendered":"Bellevue is a hidden gem near Pittsburgh. Here’s why we love it"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are driving north on Route 65, you might miss it. The invitation to check out Bellevue\u2019s Lincoln Avenue business district: the \u201cLive, Worship, Shop\u201d sign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The small borough just outside the City of Pittsburgh is buzzing with shops and restaurants. I\u2019m not just saying it because I live here \u2014 nearly a dozen new small businesses have opened in the past year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically, Bellevue has been a classic Pittsburgh community,\u201d says Susan Stabnau, chair of Bona Fide Bellevue<\/a>. \u201cIt was a place that people wanted to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bellevue was incorporated in 1867 and was largely inhabited by workers fleeing the city. Continuing into the 1920s, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Craftsman homes popped up in the borough.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The 1-square-mile borough saw a decline in the 1970s and \u201980s, with a surge in rental properties and people moving to more northern suburbs. That trend continued into the early 2000s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Light Up Bellevue 2024. Photo courtesy of BonaFide Bellevue. <\/p>\n

\u201cThings were grim when Bona Fide started in 2008,\u201d Stabnau says. \u201cThere was not a lot of energy, the chamber wasn\u2019t doing much, and businesses weren\u2019t engaged. A few people keeping the chamber going were retiring, selling businesses, and it disbanded. It was a shame because it had been around for 100 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bona Fide Bellevue, a volunteer-driven community development corporation, was founded in 2008 to revitalize the borough and make it a more vibrant and welcoming place to live, worship and shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stabnau says things began to change when Bellevue got its liquor license in 2015. The town had previously been dry since Prohibition.<\/p>\n

\u201cBellevue was able to make a lot of progress, and that opened up opportunities for businesses that wouldn\u2019t normally come here, like Grille 565, where the first beer was served in 2015,\u201d says Stabnau.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Photo courtesy of the Bellevue Farmers Market. <\/p>\n

Bona Fide Bellevue took over the function of the chamber of commerce and launched its first event in 2015: the Live Worship Shop House Tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were coming into Bellevue and seeing the housing stock,\u201d she says. \u201cMore and more people moved to Bellevue because they enjoyed the sense of community, the traditions. And then businesses start to come in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bellevue Farmers Market <\/a>was started by three women in 2017 \u2014 Caitlin Venczel, Erika McAfee and Kim Reed \u2014 and quickly became a summertime staple. The market is located in Bayne Park and features fresh produce and artisan vendors.<\/p>\n

The initiative came under Bona Fide Bellevue\u2019s umbrella in 2018, complete with its own board of directors. During the pandemic, the market launched the Feeding Neighbors Initiative, which delivered more than 30,000 meals to local families. Food Assistance Match <\/a>works to secure funding for people who utilize SNAP and other food support programs to double their buying power at the Bellevue Farmers Market.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Farmers Market is a wonderful feature and gathering point for the community,\u201d Stabnau adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today, Bona Fide Bellevue hosts a variety of events: Bellevue Unwined, the Rhythm and Brews Festival \u2014 which typically draws 1,200 people \u2014 and Light Up Bellevue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Rhythm and Brews, Bellevue\u2019s Beer and Music Festival, draws nearly 1,200 visitors each August to Bellevue to sample beer and seltzers and explore the vendor market. Photo by Joe Riebling.<\/p>\n

Volunteer initiatives like Improve the Vue recruit volunteers for cleanup and restoration projects. Bellevue is even undergoing an active transportation plan to help improve pedestrian and bicycle access as well as wayfinding and signage into the borough.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to draw positive attention to Bellevue,\u201d Stabnau adds. \u201cPeople drive by [Route] 65. Getting people to come up the hill is the challenge. Over the past 17 years, we\u2019ve gotten a lot of people onto Lincoln and created an awareness of Bellevue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bona Fide Bellevue works with Town Center Associates in Beaver to help analyze what makes a community vibrant. Stabnau says Bellevue has found the secret.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the mix of businesses,\u201d she adds. \u201cHaving more businesses on the street level that are retail and service-oriented as opposed to offices. There are businesses that have been here for years and sometimes generations, and they have stayed here and helped to anchor the community. And now we\u2019re layering all these new and interesting businesses to create a new vitality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Bellevue Unwined, Bellevue\u2019s annual art and wine crawl, offers a unique blend of community, shopping and local and imported wines. Photo by Joe Riebling.<\/p>\n

Guide to Bellevue\u2019s new businesses<\/p>\n

At least 10 new shops, restaurants and even a cat adoption lounge have opened (or moved down the street) in Bellevue in the last year, including:<\/p>\n

For $15 per hour, visitors can pet and visit with cats while they work or study, and even adopt one of the resident felines. The lounge features local artists and handmade cat climbing structures made from repurposed materials.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yoga For the People offers classes for all ages, abilities and experience levels. The studio offers a variety of classes, including Vinyasa, Vin to Yin, Hatha and kids classes. Drop-in classes are $16.<\/p>\n

The Closet<\/a><\/p>\n

10 S. Fremont Ave.<\/p>\n

(Moving to 569 Lincoln Ave. in early 2026)<\/p>\n

The Closet is a vintage clothing and new shoes store that specializes in Pittsburgh apparel. Check out Steelers or University of Pittsburgh crewnecks from the \u201890s or find your next Yinzer tee.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Vintage Max. Photo courtesy of Anne Perri Cole. <\/p>\n

Vintage Max is a woman-owned, indie bookstore<\/a> that sells new, used, vintage and antique books.\u00a0 They host monthly events such as painting parties and book clubs, like the Feminist B*tch Book Club. <\/p>\n

Wagsburgh is a locally owned and operated specialty pet store. It offers healthy and nutritious pet food and products not sold at the big box pet stores. Wagsburgh moved last year from the North Side.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"From left: Danny Shipe, Nick Wiese and Shay Moffatt at Brother Andre\u2019s Cafe. Photo by Annette Bassett.<\/p>\n

Brother Andre\u2019s Cafe sells gourmet coffee, baked goods and Christian gifts. Their mission is to provide employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Haven Cafe is a woman-owned business specializing in mental health advocacy that serves beverages, sandwiches, salads, soups and treats.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Tonkotsu Ramen: chatsu (Japanese pork belly), soft boiled egg, bok choy, corn, bamboo shoots, green onion, seaweed and nori. Photo courtesy of Lucky Bites.<\/p>\n

Lucky Bites serves customizable poke bowls and bubble tea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Moochi&You opened in the former Valkyrie Doughnuts space and serves handcrafted mochi donuts \u2014 made from rice and tapioca flour. These donuts are lighter and chewier than American doughnuts and come in flavors like matcha, oreo, tiramisu and mango. Mochi&You also serves Korean corn dogs and premium bubble tea.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thai Tamarind Noodle & Rice is a Bellevue staple and serves a variety of Thai curries and noodles. Try the Curry Crab Rangoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Photo courtesy of UMAI Thai & Sushi. <\/p>\n

Umai Thai & Sushi opened in the former Thai Tamarind space. This fusion Asian restaurant offers Thai cuisine and Japanese sushi. Try the lunch bento box with either chicken teriyaki or veggies tempura or the Bellevue sushi roll.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wunderbar\u2019s second location opened on Lincoln Avenue in 2024. The bistro offers Italian-inspired coffees, French crepes, gourmet grilled cheese and other dishes.<\/p>\n

Coming soon:<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"A new and improved Kuhn\u2019s grocery store is coming next year to Bellevue. It will replace the existing structure on Lincoln Avenue. Photo by Ethan Woodfill. <\/p>\n

A new Kuhn\u2019s grocery store is under construction on Lincoln Avenue to replace the existing structure. It is expected to open next year.<\/p>\n