Speaking of downtown Bellevue. I decided to pay it a visit last week. Had been a while since my last visit which was a drive-through. This time I went by bus and walked around. I think I covered area from the transit station, through the office plaza where Microsoft has offices, to the Expedia building, Bellevue Towers, Galleria and NE 8th, then over to the Library and then to Vertigo? and back to the transit station.
The weather was good and I got some photos. Looked really nice and saw the construction equipment at the old Safeway site. Looks like they're chipping away at the block along 8th that used to have the hodgepodge of shops including the piano store and gas station-turned-pet shop or something.
The only "city" moment I felt was when a rather young and kind of buff guy seemed to come out of nowhere as I was walking past the "California something" restaurant across from the Galleria. He said something about he thought or heard that a certain building was an FBI building and that I probably shouldn't take pictures of it. I thought it was an interesting comment so I looked him up and down. He was carrying two or three plastic grocery bags but looked rather gym-trendy (trendy glasses that matched his top) for someone who might be borderline on the mental health. He was munching on stuff from his bags, munching and talking at the same time and looking over the top of his glasses and kind of keeping pace with me. He asked me why I was using my point-and-shoot and not my bigger camera which was just hanging around my neck. I said it was because of the lens. I told him that I had to be really close to something to use the bigger camera or the object would be too small, plus my point-and-shoot had a decent zoom. My answer seemed to work for him and he kept walking through the "Don't Walk" section of the sidewalk. I jaywalked across to the Barnes and Nobels/Mars Hill Church side of the street.
Very interesting character. He semi-followed me up the hill on 8th but I think I lost him while stopping to take some pics. Later on after Vertigo I was nearing the transit station when a big chopper came flying around. I thought it was probably for a big wig at MS or EXP. Only thing, it seemed to be circling around and not picking anybody up. I decided to sit still at the station and scroll through the pics I'd taken.
I wonder if that guy was undercover?
If so, good actor and good move to keep it a little bit on the hipster side.