It is always wonderful to see your tax dollars going to work to make the city you live in a better place, and with the new and improved Meydenbauer Bay Park the city of Bellevue accomplished exactly that!
Real estate in the Bellevue area is extremely pricey and the city is gorgeous. However, the downtown waterfront vibe was strongly lacking – something a city with this kind of prestige deserves! Thankfully, the city of Bellevue noticed the void and invested in purchasing a large strip of waterfront property touching Meydenbauer Bay. The area was completely bulldozed and re-vamped, creating the new Meydenbauer Bay Park!
The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the park’s grand opening was only March 16th – super recent! With this comfortable sunny spring weather we have been blessed with, I decided it would be a fun chance to take my kids to check it out for the day and see what it was all about.
My first observation was that this park is a gem if you live walking distance from downtown Bellevue. There are walking paths, hiking trails and lots of beautiful views to take in all the way. If you are traveling here parking is available but limited, so plan ahead on nice days! There are two parking lots right alongside the main part of the park which will obviously get snatched up quickly in nice weather. But, if you follow signs there is an additional parking lot up the hill that actually gives you a great access point via a lovely walking path. If you are bringing young children I would suggest packing your stroller in case you have to park somewhere downtown and walk.
The next thing I noticed was how well thought out this park is – truly a lovely family-friendly spot! The walking paths are nicely paved and wide to allow for lots of foot traffic, swerve-y little bike riders and stroller-pushers alike. It is staged in multiple levels, with the playground area tucked safely away from any car traffic or beach access. With a busy toddler and new baby, this is something I appreciate a lot! The playground itself is very modern and clean. The ground surface is turf and therefore super parent-friendly avoiding muddy shoes and grass-stained knees.
There are plenty of benches and picnic tables scattered throughout for a place to snack and take in the views, and garbage/recycle bins are easily located. You can take ramps all the way down to beach level where there is a little sandy spot for kids to swim that is protected by a lovely pier. The swim area is clearly marked off from boat traffic and the pier is a fun walk to really take in those downtown/waterfront views from.
Bathrooms are located on the ground level as well featuring two family-friendly restrooms in addition to changing areas and fountains to wash off sandy feet.
We went with the intent to spend an hour there and ended up enjoying the majority of our morning walking around, burning off energy on the playground, walking down the pier to watch boats, and playing on the beach in the sand. It is a beautifully done area and we very much look forward to some sunny summer days ahead of us at Meydenbauer Bay Park!
Address: 419 98th Ave NE Bellevue WA 98004
X.O. Abbey Co
P.S. – In this post I am using my beloved Phil and Teds Dot stroller. It can convert from a two-seater for my toddler and baby, or be used just for baby as pictured! Affiliate links below if you are interested in checking it out.
*Disclaimer* I am an Amazon affiliate and get a tiny kickback if you purchase anything from my links… I only share things that I use and love, and it is just a small avenue for me to earn money to support my blog as I go.
That’s awesome for Bellevue as that was the one thing really missing from that city!
Oh this will be a fun mid-week summer spot for sure!