A Colorful Haven for Artists and Activists

"A lot of them were sold as single-family homes," she said.

Mount Pleasant's characteristic housing stock attracts many to the neighborhood, said Drew Gagliano, a real estate agent who lives in the neighborhood. The neighborhood, which was designated as a historic district in 1974, features a mix of architectural styles, including many Classical Revival rowhouses. Gagliano's house, like many, has an entry lined with hand-painted rectangular tiles.

Schlosberg's home features a stately walnut fireplace mantel, which her husband, Wayne Kahn, uncovered by peeling off layers and layers of paint.

"I used dental tools to scrape out the details," Kahn said.

The location and access to public transportation also appeal to buyers, Gagliano said. Lamont Park, at the north end of Mount Pleasant Street, serves as a transportation hub, with stops for crosstown and downtown-bound buses. For residents in the eastern half of the neighborhood, the Columbia Heights Metro station is a 15-minute walk. Also within walking distance are plenty of parks and trails -- something that Gagliano and his wife, Ying Lam, often take advantage of with their two children.

"The zoo and Rock Creek Park are our back yard," Gagliano said.

But, most of all, Mount Pleasant's busy main street and friendly atmosphere attract people to the neighborhood, he said. "You really feel like you are part of a community."

Cadaval said: "When you move here, you are buying more than a house. You are buying a whole street, a whole neighborhood."

Despite the recent demographic changes, Mount Pleasant has retained much of its flavor. On evenings and weekends, many Latinos return to Mount Pleasant to shop at Bestway and other small grocery stores, which stock Caribbean, Central American and Asian foods.

Neighborhood ties remain strong for former group-house residents.

One common gathering place is Dos Gringos, a cafe where, on Saturday nights, English speakers practice their Spanish and Latinos brush up on their English in informal one-on-one interchanges, or "intercambios." Usually the conversation partners ask each other simple questions, but sometimes they play charades, said Alex Kramer, who owns the cafe.

"I brought the idea back with me from an intense language program I did in Oaxaca, Mexico," Kramer said. "Since I always want to work on my Spanish, I thought others would, too."

And a few dozen former residents return to Mount Pleasant to visit a long-running food buyers' co-op in Meyer's house. Meyer returned from traveling in Africa in 1986 to find that her renters had started the co-op in her basement. The group now has about 50 members, who pool their money to buy grains, soy milk and other food in bulk.

"Why has it lasted so long; what has made it endure? Idealistic people," Meyer said.