Bellevue is one of the few areas in Pittsburgh that still boasts an old fashioned business district right in the heart of town featuring shops, restaurants, banks, and churches. The Town of Bellevue was first incorporated in 1867 when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted a tract of land called Sidney Bottom to Hugh H. Brackenridge of Pittsburgh and an adjoining tract, called Sandy Bottom to Ja
mes Robinson of Allegheny Town. The combined area of Sidney Bottom and Sandy Bottom totaled 640 acres and sits in what is now the eastern part of Bellevue. Interestingly, this area was originally known as the "Depreciation Lands" because after the Revolutionary War, parts of this land were offered to soldiers who had come home from the war bankrupt and weary. In addition to the old fashioned shopping district, Bellevue is also one of the few remaining towns in the area that features a vibrant walking community. The business district, churches, schools, Borough Building, and the Bayne Library and Park are all with in easy walking distance of most of the homes in the community.
