A walkable borough with an up-and-coming business district
In French, Belle Vue means “beautiful view.” Tucked alongside the Ohio River in the North Boroughs of Pittsburgh, the Bellevue community lives up to its name with brick-paved streets that slope gently alongside the water. A walkable commercial corridor along Lincoln Avenue anchors the borough, and after 80 years as a dry town, Bellevue is seeing an influx of new businesses since it lifted its ban on alcohol sales in 2015. “The growth that has happened since 2015 is amazing in this community. It’s not about people getting sloshed, it’s about bringing in businesses and people from other places,” says Lisa Saylor, a third-generation Bellevue resident and co-owner of the borough’s Lincoln Avenue Brewery. Blocks of historic homes surround the business district, and wide sidewalks connect residents to local parks, community gardens and schools. “We have amazing old homes in a walkable community. You don’t even need a car,” Saylor says.
As of the 2020 census, Bellevue was home to just over 8,300 people. The borough spans about 1 square mile and is 6 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. “It’s just outside the city, so it’s a nice transition area for someone who has been living in Pittsburgh and wants to move out to the suburbs,” says Jennifer Waters, a Realtor with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and former Bellevue resident. While no major employers are located in Bellevue, the former Suburban General Hospital is now home to an outpatient care center known as AGH Suburban. Commuters can take Pennsylvania Route 65 into Pittsburgh, home to more than 29 colleges and universities and several award-winning hospitals in the UPMC health care system. As the largest employer in Pittsburgh, UPMC supplies the region with 100,000 jobs.
Bellevue sits in the hills of the Ohio River Valley.
Bellevue is a borough in Allegheny County 14 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh.
Some homes in Bellevue sit up on hills looking down on brick roads.
Friends and family gather at Lincoln Avenue Brewery in Bellevue.
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Shopping, dining and entertainment along Lincoln Avenue
Lincoln Avenue offers a walkable commercial corridor in the heart of Bellevue. “It’s an amazing little business district. There are great restaurants, a grocery store, a bakery and drug stores, so it’s just very convenient,” Waters says. Local businesses include PSquare Scents and Arcadia Collectibles, a retro spot with an expansive collection of video games, figurines and tabletop games. Bellevue Beans, Purveyors of Fine Coffee, offers a neighborhood café, while Lincoln Bakery is a go-to spot for fresh pastries. Lincoln Avenue Brewery opened in 2019, introducing craft beverages to the formerly dry town. The food scene spans the globe, with EVIA Greek Restaurant, Indian Curry King and 202 Hometown Tacos serving up a variety of flavors. “202 Hometown Tacos has a nice outdoor space that’s great for kids, but they also get a lot of nightlife over there with karaoke nights,” Waters says. Joe’s Rusty Nail Restaurant is a mom-and-pop spot where comfort foods are a staple for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stores like Dollar General, CVS and Kuhn’s Market sell the essentials.
In addition to shopping and dining, Lincoln Avenue hosts a growing arts and culture scene. The Pittsburgh Savoyards perform two plays each season at their black box theater in Bellevue, and the group holds the title of Pittsburgh’s oldest continuously operating theater company. At the John A. Hermann Jr. Memorial Art Museum, over 1,000 paintings of local landmarks and European landscapes are on display. Residents of all ages can take dance classes at the JP Gallery For Performing Arts, where the Northside Gallery Players perform musicals, murder mysteries and cabaret shows. The commercial corridor is also home to several houses of worship, including Bellevue Christian Church and Bellevue United Presbyterian Church.
Residents find treats and baked goods at Lincoln Bakery in Bellevue
Residents of Bellevue shop for candles and more at PSquare Scents llc.
202 Hometown Tacos serves an array of drinks and tacos to Bellevue residents.
Lincoln Avenue Brewery in Bellevue has a great atmosphere to go with the great food and drink.
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Annual festivals celebrate art, craft beverages and more
As a non-profit Community Development Corporation, Bona Fide Bellevue hosts various events to support the borough’s business district. The annual Art & Wine Crawl transforms Lincoln Avenue into a bustling street market with local artists and wine samplings. In August, the Rhythm & Brews Festival highlights craft beverages alongside local musicians. “It’s a huge outdoor festival. We shut down the street for maybe 20 different breweries,” Saylor says. Light Up Bellevue! marks the beginning of the holiday season with an outdoor market, tree lighting and an appearance from Santa Claus. Residents can learn more about Bellevue’s rich history through the Live Worship Shop House Tour, a self-guided walking tour highlighting the borough’s architectural diversity.
Lincoln Avenue Brewery sits on the corner of the main street in Bellevue.
Bellevue is full of inspiration and art.
Food trucks line the streets at Bellevue Farmers Market.
Residents can shop for fresh produce at Bellevue Farmers Market.
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Historic homes and opportunities for first-time homebuyers
With homes built from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, the borough embraces historic charm. “My house still has all the original woodwork,” Saylor says, adding that many residents choose to restore these builds “back to their old glory.” American Foursquares and Victorian-inspired cottages are the norm, and many properties feature stained glass windows, pocket doors and wood-burning fireplaces. The typical house has four bedrooms, but homebuyers can find anywhere from two to seven bedrooms. “Bellevue is great for a first-time homebuyer because there’s a variety of house sizes. A lot of people tend to stay here, and when they outgrow their first home, they can move into a house down the street that’s twice the size,” Waters says. The median price of single-family homes is around $240,000, which is about 55% lower than the national median price of $422,000. While the borough tends to be more affordable than neighboring communities like Ben Avon, Waters notes that home prices in Bellevue have been increasing. “Prices have definitely gone up. A lot of my younger, first-time homebuyers really like the walkability, and demand has increased because of that revitalization of the business district,” Waters says.
Bellevue has a number of Historical Buildings scattered throughout the neigborhood.
The woodwork and details throughout the Bellevue neighborhood are stunning.
American foursquare single family homes are found throughout the Bellevue neighborhood.
Historical Homes are scattered throughout Bellevue City.
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Low student-teacher ratio in the Northgate School District
The Northgate School District serves the boroughs of Bellevue and Avalon. “It’s a walking school district, so there are no school buses,” Waters says. The district earns an overall grade of B-minus from Niche and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. The middle and high schools share a campus in the northwestern corner of the borough, and the district boasts a low student-teacher ratio of 12-to-1. Private faith-based options include Saint Ambrose Academy, a Catholic school serving prekindergarten through 12th grade with a mix of in-person learning and homeschooling.
Northgate High School serves the Bellevue and Avalon area.
Parks, farmers market and community gardens
According to the Trust for Public Land, 95% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Bellevue Memorial Park is the borough’s largest green space and features various athletic facilities, a playground, multi-use trails and an off-leash dog park. It’s also home to the Bellevue Memorial Pool, which is open seasonally each summer. In the heart of the borough, Bayne Park offers a playground, a concrete skatepark and picnic tables that double as checkerboards. On Wednesday nights from June through October, nearly 30 different vendors and food trucks head to the park for the Bellevue Farmers Market. “The whole community comes out for the farmers market. There are prepared foods, local farmers and community events like yoga in the park,” Waters says. Bayne Park surrounds the Victorian-style Andrew Bayne Memorial Library, where all-ages programming includes adult book clubs and story times for children. Kids can stay active with the Bellevue Avalon Girls Athletic Association, a youth softball league competing at the borough’s Gillot Field. The field sits next to the Rosalinda Sauro Sirianni Garden, which donates fresh produce to local food pantries. Residents can purchase plots and exercise their green thumbs at the Bellevue Friendship Garden, and two free herb gardens in the borough invite passersby to take what they need.
Andrew Bayne Memorial Library sits ontop of a large hill in Bellevue.
Residents enjoying the skate park at Bayne Park.
Bellevue Memorial Park is a great place to come practice your free throws.
Bellevue Farmers Market offers live performances during the open hours.
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Drive or take the bus into Pittsburgh
Outside of its walkable residential streets and commercial corridor, Bellevue offers access to Pennsylvania Route 65. The highway runs parallel to the Ohio River, and Pittsburgh is about a 6-mile drive away. “It’s the best-kept secret as far as transportation into town,” Saylor says. The borough is also about 2 miles from Interstate 279, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit provides local bus service. “The public transportation in Bellevue is awesome. It’s really convenient to get into the city,” Waters says. Pittsburgh International Airport is about a 21-mile drive away.
After receiving a $30,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s WalkWorks program in June 2024, Bellevue is developing an Active Transportation Plan. Planning is expected to take a year and will focus on improving the borough’s pedestrian infrastructure, including expanding sidewalks and bike lanes.
Low crime rates and a commitment to sustainability
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, the violent crime rate in Bellevue is about 72% lower than the state’s. The borough also ranks below state averages in terms of property-related crime, with rates about 58% lower than the state’s.
Bellevue offers a four-season climate. Summer temperatures typically climb into the 80s, and winter temperatures can drop into the 20s. While the average annual snowfall in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area is around 44 inches, residents saw a record-breaking low of 13 inches of snow in 2023. Local organizations like the Bellevue Shade Tree Commission work to maintain the borough’s tree-lined streets, and the Sustainable Pennsylvania Program recognizes the borough as a Silver Certified Community for its commitment to environmental education and conservation.
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