Divided by Lore, United by History

And on either side of Georgetown, a house for less than a half-million dollars is a thing of the past.

Georgetown's history predates that of the capital city. Founded as a tobacco port by two men named George during the reign of George II, the city of George Town evolved over time and was incorporated into the District of Columbia after Maryland ceded the territory to make the capital. In 1967, the neighborhood was declared a National Historic Landmark.

Cannon said she doesn't know any historical reason for the divide between east and west -- "other than that I think it is mostly a myth."

Still, she was able to cite at least one incident from neighborhood lore: "The only thing I do know is that St. John's Church on the west side was the original Episcopal church founded by . . . Francis Scott Key, among others. And when they had a disagreement, the rich moved over and founded Christ Church on the east side." St. John's was founded in 1796, Christ Church in 1817.

West-side resident Michal Mainwaring said in an e-mail, "15 years ago, when I started house hunting in G-town, I was told that the east side was more 'elite.' Never understood why -- all I wanted was a place to park."

Mainwaring found her place to park and still doesn't understand why anyone would perceive the east side as better. The west side is a neighborhood in the best sense of the word, she said, with neighbors dropping by for an impromptu meal, walking each others' dogs and generally looking out for one another.

Mainwaring's friend Joseph C. Goulden, a writer who has lived on the east side since 1979, sees differences. "I think it is much more genteel on the east side. . . . On the east side, it is a lot quieter. If you get on the west side, it is just Mardi Gras all the time."

Goulden said students can be potentially bad neighbors because they "aren't so keen" about keeping up their property.

But Mimsy Lindner, who has lived on the west side of Georgetown since 1984, sees students as a plus because they provide babysitting, as well as a vibrant younger dimension.

Anthony Lanier, a real estate developer and east-side resident, has lived in Georgetown for about 20 years. He said the big differences between the two sides are the university's presence and the traffic. "The west side is more traffic-intensive," he said.

But Soraya Chemaly, another east-side resident who has lived on both sides of Wisconsin Avenue, swears the east side has more traffic because of commuters going across Georgetown to Dupont Circle and downtown.

Jia and her children made a list of the differences between the east and west and found that a lot of them had to do with where they can walk. When the family lived on the west side, they walked to Volta Park and Georgetown University. From their east-side home, they now walk to Rose Park and as far away as Dupont Circle.

"Between West Village residents and East Village residents, each one has some point as to why he lives on a better side of Georgetown," Lanier said.

Usually the discussions are lighthearted. Because whichever side of Georgetown residents inhabit, they tend to agree that the two sides are a community. "We are a village here, we know each others' children," Burling said. "We are very friendly together whatever side they live on."