Bellevue’s 8th Live, Worship, Shop House Tour Will Return This Month
Explore the northern neighborhood, from a mid-century modern converted church to a 2-unit Queen Anne.
PHOTO VIA PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES
Bellevue’s eighth Live, Worship, Shop House Tour returns on Saturday, Oct. 17.
“The tour will showcase the diverse, quirky and vibrant community of Bellevue which has received a lot of attention lately for the rapid growth of its commercial district and its highly involved community initiatives,” reads a press release.
As the name suggests, unlike typical Pittsburgh home and garden tours, the Bellevue tour includes places of worship, places to shop and, of course, places to live.
The tour will feature nine properties that range from a mid-century church that has been converted into a performance/event space to a two-unit Queen Anne-style home, where a young couple lives and uses as an Airbnb rental.
Owners Logan and Zackary Evans will be on site Oct. 17 to greet nebby guests and answer their questions. The pair moved from Jacksonville, Fla. to Pittsburgh in 2024. For Logan, a real estate agent, and Zackary, a private chef, walkability was important to them, which is how they landed in Bellevue, which is grounded by the bustling Lincoln Avenue main street.
“We just fell in love with the community here. The only thing we are missing to make us 100% walkable is a post office,” Logan says.
The couple purchased their duplex last April and immediately started pulling carpet out of both units while decorating by “inspiring out of the room,” or taking the original designs left by the previous homeowners and incorporating them into their decorations.
“Much inspiration [comes] from the home itself, the original home; the fireplace had copper tones, and we used copper tones throughout the house,” Logan says.
After working with the borough to get a short-term rental approved, the couple officially welcomed their first Airbnb guests in March.
“For me, the Airbnb side of the property brings together three things I really enjoy: hospitality, investment and design. It also gives us the opportunity to offset some, and at times all, of one of our largest monthly expenses — our mortgage,” Logan says.
The couple are not finished improving the property and have since turned their focus to the backyard. Over the summer, they added a hot tub and created a gravel firepit area. Next spring, they plan to have the home’s exterior painted and add landscaping to transform the space into an outdoor oasis for them and their guests.
“We feel incredibly lucky that we found Bellevue, but even more so that Bellevue has become home for us,” Logan says.
Self-guided tour hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 17. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $125; you can purchase them here.
