If you are driving north on Route 65, you might miss it. The invitation to check out Bellevue’s Lincoln Avenue business district: the “Live, Worship, Shop” sign.  The small borough just outside the City of Pittsburgh is buzzing with shops and restaurants. I’m not just saying it because I live here — nearly a dozen new small businesses have opened in the past year.  “Historically, Bellevue has been a classic Pittsburgh community,” says Susan Stabnau, chair of Bona Fide Bellevue. “It was a place that people wanted to live.” 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.  The 1-square-mile borough saw a decline in the 1970s and ’80s, with a surge in rental properties and people moving to more northern suburbs. That trend continued into the early 2000s.  Light Up Bellevue 2024. Photo courtesy of BonaFide Bellevue. “Things were grim when Bona Fide started in 2008,” Stabnau says. “There was not a lot of energy, the chamber wasn’t doing much, and businesses weren’t 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.” 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.  Stabnau says things began to change when Bellevue got its liquor license in 2015. The town had previously been dry since Prohibition. “Bellevue was able to make a lot of progress, and that opened up opportunities for businesses that wouldn’t normally come here, like Grille 565, where the first beer was served in 2015,” says Stabnau. Photo courtesy of the Bellevue Farmers Market. 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. “People were coming into Bellevue and seeing the housing stock,” she says. “More and more people moved to Bellevue because they enjoyed the sense of community, the traditions. And then businesses start to come in.” The Bellevue Farmers Market was started by three women in 2017 — Caitlin Venczel, Erika McAfee and Kim Reed — and quickly became a summertime staple. The market is located in Bayne Park and features fresh produce and artisan vendors. The initiative came under Bona Fide Bellevue’s 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 works to secure funding for people who utilize SNAP and other food support programs to double their buying power at the Bellevue Farmers Market. “The Farmers Market is a wonderful feature and gathering point for the community,” Stabnau adds.  Today, Bona Fide Bellevue hosts a variety of events: Bellevue Unwined, the Rhythm and Brews Festival — which typically draws 1,200 people — and Light Up Bellevue.  Rhythm and Brews, Bellevue’s 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. 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.  “We hope to draw positive attention to Bellevue,” Stabnau adds. “People drive by [Route] 65. Getting people to come up the hill is the challenge. Over the past 17 years, we’ve gotten a lot of people onto Lincoln and created an awareness of Bellevue.” 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. “It’s the mix of businesses,” she adds. “Having 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’re layering all these new and interesting businesses to create a new vitality.” Bellevue Unwined, Bellevue’s annual art and wine crawl, offers a unique blend of community, shopping and local and imported wines. Photo by Joe Riebling. Guide to Bellevue’s new businesses 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: Whisker Wonderland Cat Lounge 51 N. Balph Ave. 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.  Yoga For the People 10 N. Balph Ave. 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. The Closet 10 S. Fremont Ave. (Moving to 569 Lincoln Ave. in early 2026) 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 ‘90s or find your next Yinzer tee. Vintage Max. Photo courtesy of Anne Perri Cole. Vintage Max Bookstore and Gifts 496 Lincoln Ave. Vintage Max is a woman-owned, indie bookstore that sells new, used, vintage and antique books.  They host monthly events such as painting parties and book clubs, like the Feminist B*tch Book Club. Wagsburgh 549 Lincoln Ave., Suite 101 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.  From left: Danny Shipe, Nick Wiese and Shay Moffatt at Brother Andre’s Cafe. Photo by Annette Bassett. Brother Andre’s Cafe 45 N. Sprague Ave. Brother Andre’s Cafe sells gourmet coffee, baked goods and Christian gifts. Their mission is to provide employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Haven Cafe 6 N. Balph Ave. Haven Cafe is a woman-owned business specializing in mental health advocacy that serves beverages, sandwiches, salads, soups and treats.  Tonkotsu Ramen: chatsu (Japanese pork belly), soft boiled egg, bok choy, corn, bamboo shoots, green onion, seaweed and nori. Photo courtesy of Lucky Bites. Lucky Bites 549 Lincoln Ave., Suite 102 Lucky Bites serves customizable poke bowls and bubble tea. Moochi You 601 Lincoln Ave. MoochiYou opened in the former Valkyrie Doughnuts space and serves handcrafted mochi donuts — 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. MochiYou also serves Korean corn dogs and premium bubble tea.  Thai Tamarind Noodle Rice Moved recently to 513 Lincoln Ave. Thai Tamarind Noodle Rice is a Bellevue staple and serves a variety of Thai curries and noodles. Try the Curry Crab Rangoon.  Photo courtesy of UMAI Thai Sushi. UMAI Thai Sushi 172 Lincoln Ave. 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.  Wunderbar Coffee and Bistro 411 Lincoln Ave., Suite 1 Wunderbar’s second location opened on Lincoln Avenue in 2024. The bistro offers Italian-inspired coffees, French crepes, gourmet grilled cheese and other dishes. Coming soon: A new and improved Kuhn’s grocery store is coming next year to Bellevue. It will replace the existing structure on Lincoln Avenue. Photo by Ethan Woodfill. Kuhn’s  661 Lincoln Ave. A new Kuhn’s grocery store is under construction on Lincoln Avenue to replace the existing structure. It is expected to open next year. The post Bellevue’s booming business district is drawing new residents and visitors appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh. ...read more read less