On a trip to the mall over the weekend it was apparent that both Road Apparel & Harry & David have closed at Bellevue Square. Both stores were tenants at Bellevue Square for several years.

According to Road Apparel their lease at Bellevue Square has expired. They do however have a Seattle location for those still interested in shopping at their store. Road is actively searching for a new Eastside location. The rumored new Apple Store in Bellevue Square will be across from where Road Apparel used to be located, which will likely be a highly trafficked location.

We did not get ahold of Harry & David to determine the reasoning behind their exit. If you’re interested in shopping with Harry & David, they continue to be available online.

There is no word on what will replace the retailers, but as you know we’ll be the first to let you know when we do.

The Year of the Dragon is off to an exciting start in downtown Bellevue.

The public is invited to celebrate Chinese New Year at The Shops at The Bravern this weekend.

Wild Ginger and The Bravern will host a traditional lion dance at 1pm on Saturday, Jan. 21. The festivities welcome the longevity, wealth and prosperity which the Chinese New Year brings and eliminate any negative energy from the past, according to a press statement.

The Bravern will hand out red envelopes — symbolizing good luck — to the first 800 people who visit the concierge from Saturday, Jan. 21, through Monday, Jan. 23. The envelopes include either a discount card from John Howie Steak, David Lawrence, Brooks Brothers Country Club, Holly Zhang Pearl Gallery or Wild Ginger, or a gift card from The Bravern, Vovito Caffè & Gelato or Trophy Cupcakes.

Throughout the 3-day event, guests can visit the concierge to be entered in a drawing to win a $500 gift card to The Bravern.

Will Walmart’s thirst for development stop there? Or can we look forward to a Walmart soon for downtown Bellevue? What’s your opinion? Please let us hear what you think.

10% of sales for the day will go to Bellevue LifeSpring, formerly the Overlake Service League. Customers will have the opportunity to taste the best food from every department. Each offering will be paired with local beer and wines.

Friday Fest is a free event, including great music, door prizes and a silent auction.

Local Market is located at NE 4th & Bellevue Way.

The newest delivery service on the block is ‘Your Local Market’, which delivers groceries within the following zip codes: 98004, 98039, & 98005.

If groceries aren’t your thing, and you want your meal already prepared then one of the many pizza delivery services (Dominos, Garlic Jim’s, or Papa John’s) may be a good option. One of the best kept secrets is Jimmy John’s quick delivery service.  I challenge you to find a quicker delivery service in Downtown Bellevue.  Once you make an order it’s often delivered in less than 10 minutes.

Check out our Downtown Bellevue Delivery Services page for all the available delivery services.

Are there any that we missed? Let us know in the comments section.

Furniture shopping can be daunting – it’s a personal process, matching lifestyle with comfort, and a financial commitment, as large pieces are investments that will be a part of one’s home for years. There’s a greater sense of awareness over where one’s dollar could go, considering new details like where a product is manufactured and if the materials were made with sustainability in mind. Modern Design Sofas is a business that has sought to address these needs with Seattle buyers for many years, and now brings this same attention to Bellevue shoppers and homes.

Modern Design Sofas opened its Downtown Bellevue showroom four months ago, along the busy stretch of NE 8^th Street, right before the 106^th Avenue NE cross street. A mix of traditional shopkeeper values and forward-thinking product selections has kept this business going through three generations. The Bellevue location is a smaller showroom than the flagship Seattle store, with the floor models curated more towards what Eastside homes are looking for. The availability of models between both stores are the same – custom sofas, sleepers, sectionals, beds and chairs, manufactured within the USA. People may be leery of the term “custom,” thinking it automatically means expensive and out of one’s price range, but Modern Design Sofas is trying to re-educate consumers that custom doesn’t always mean more costly. Speaking with Chris Flynn, the manager of the Bellevue showroom, he explains how their commitment towards offering furniture made in the USA offsets the customization costs. Locally made products remove middle-men operations that would normally require overseas factories, a lengthy customs process, with a lot of that cost being passed along to the consumer. It also adds additional wait time. Chris explains how customized furniture from larger high-end stores can take several months, whereas one of their fully customized sofas, made within the US, averages a 2-6 week lead time, and at a significantly lower cost. Their custom sofas also come with a lifetime warranty on construction, and they will work with a customer to assist on design services. It’s a benefit of shopping with a smaller, independent retailer who has more control over how they operate their business. This is a large part of why Modern Design Sofas has come to Bellevue, to not only expand and develop relationships on the Eastside, but offer a sincere and educated retail experience with a keen eye for aesthetic.

The Bellevue showroom is a mix of sectionals with clean, modern lines and plush, lightly detailed sofas and seating. Swatchbooks of fabric are available for customers to browse or take home to see what works best for their décor, and the showroom models are set up in cozy vignettes for people to sit and lounge on, getting a tactile sense of what the item would feel like in their own home. It’s not a furniture warehouse experience, where making decisions can be overwhelming. The Bellevue store pieces have been selected based on the audience – more sectional sofas for homes with larger living spaces and families. There are also several showcase pieces, appealing to those with more of an eye towards design. There’s an easy balance of comfort and aesthetic in the store, and manager Chris Flynn is the expert guide for those unsure about navigating the choices. Flynn has over thirty years’ experience in design, having owned a firm of his own and working with large retailers; he explains how it’s about a willingness to get to know the customer as a person and how they inhabit their home. “As a consumer, you make the choice every morning over how you wish to spend your dollar,” he says. People want to make eco-friendly choices, and Modern Design Sofas makes it a point to use sustainable quality woods and safer glues. The higher standard of wood means a longer life for the furniture, but it also makes for easier recycling when a product has reached the end of its time with an owner. The lack of harsh chemicals allows a product to be more easily broken down and for parts to be recycled. From beginning to end, Modern Design Sofas is presenting a unique experience and education for furniture buyers and making the Eastside a truly well-designed place to live.

Modern Design Sofas
10623 NE 8th Street, Bellevue WA 98004
Telephone: 425-974-1785

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The Bravern

The Bravern will have their normal hours through December 17, then will extend their hours beginning on Sunday, December 18th.

Through Dec 17
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Sunday, Dec 18: 12 pm – 7 pm
Monday, Dec 19 – Friday, Dec 23: 10 am – 9 pm
Saturday, Dec 24 (Christmas Eve): 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, Dec 25 (Christmas Day): Closed
Monday, Dec 26: 9 am – 8 pm
Tuesday, Dec 27 – Friday, Dec 30: 10 am – 8 pm
Saturday, Dec 31 (New Years Eve): 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, Jan 1 (New Years Day): 12 pm – 5 pm

*Restaurants, gym and spa hours vary. Exceptions may apply to certain stores.

Bellevue Square

Bellevue Square’s hours have already been extended since November 30.  Bellevue Square will stay open until 10PM until the middle of December, then the couple weeks leading up to Christmas their hours will extend to 11 PM. See the calendar for daily hours:

For hours of operation for Bellevue Place & Lincoln Square check the Bellevue Collection website.

The robber, who was reported to be a black male in his 30’s or early 40’s, showed the clerk a firearm that was in the waistband of his pants and then demanded money. The suspect fled out of the store with an unknown amount of cash.

He was wearing a black beanie, large glasses, a blue plaid shirt, and jeans that were faded in the back. The surveillance camera caught a picture of him, as seen in included photo.

If you have any tips please call the Bellevue Police department at 425-577-5600.

12/14/11 Updated sketch & surveillance photo from the Bellevue Police

If you’re looking for a place to relax after a long day at the office, check out the new Yuan Spa in downtown Bellevue.

Yuan Spa features spa treatments, holistic healing, and a variety of spa packages. The spa’s philosophy is based on creating a balance between expending and restoring human energy, according to its website.

The spa offers massage therapy, facial and body treatments, nail care, hydrotherapy, reflexology, and more. Holistic healing treatments include acupuncture, cupping therapy, gua-sha therapy, Reiki, and herbal steam therapy.

To celebrate the spa’s grand opening, customers who purchase a gift card of $500 will receive a $100 bonus gift card.

Yuan Spa is located in the Belcarra building, at 1032 106^th Ave. NE. For details, call (425) 449-8788 or visit www.yuanspa.com.

Bellevue Towers will host a festive evening of holiday shopping at its condominium homes in downtown Bellevue in December.

Bellevue Towers’ holiday trunk show runs from 4-8pm on Wednesday, Dec. 7, throughout various homes, including models on the upper floors of the north tower, at 500 106^th Avenue NE.

The event features decorative holiday treatments, home and fashion accessories, hostess gifts, specialty food baskets, jewelry, and gifts for pets from a variety of northwest merchants. Purple Café & Wine Bar will provide wine and hors d’oeuvres. Complimentary valet parking will also be available

This 42- and 43-story condominium community offers studio and 1-bedroom residences, priced from the $300,000s, 2-bedroom homes priced from the $600,000s, and penthouses priced from $2 million. For more information, call (425) 454-9922.

Merchants in attendance:

• Masins Design
• Orvis Maison
• Wee Tots Urban Dogs
• Alicia Per Terra Bella
• Gourmet Blends City Flowers
• Bellevue Arts Museum Store
• VueSociety