Somerset, Washington


Somerset is a neighborhood in Bellevue, Washington. It contains Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Eastgate Park and Somerset Elementary School. Residents say Somerset is what the founders of Bellevue – French for beautiful view – must have had in mind when they named the city. The hill called Somerset, which tops out just under 1,000 feet, turned out to be a favorite spot to gaze out across Lake Washington and Seattle to Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains. And the beautiful view continues today, with Somerset being a favorite vantage point from which to watch the Blue Angels during Seafair, enjoy Fourth of July and New Year's Eve fireworks or to just take in panoramic views of Bellevue and Seattle.
Somerset began construction of the first of its 22 divisions incorporating more than 1,200 homes in the early 1960s. The last division was completed in the late 1970s. Due to its proximity to Interstate 90 and Interstate 405, Somerset provides quick and easy access to employment, entertainment and recreation. Somerset also benefits from having nationally recognized schools and the centrally located Somerset Recreation Club, which provides recreational and competitive swim and tennis programs within walking distance.
The Somerset Community Association is a well-organized group representing neighborhood interests and offering various interest groups, including a singles group for those 50 and older, a "Sunshine Committee" to send cards and fix meals for ailing residents and a covenant review committee. The neighborhood has an active landscape program, a Block Watch and a successful Emergency Preparedness Program.
Most of Somerset was annexed by Bellevue in 1967. Other neighborhoods in the Somerset area including Hilltop, Horizon View and Tamara Hills, were unincorporated until they were annexed by Bellevue in 2012.