It's quirky, funky and feisty -- with a world of possibilities

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

A young guy with a cell phone in his pocket enters a dimly lit Georgetown bar, orders a beer and casually asks the bartender what it would take to tear down a wall to shoot a scene for an upcoming film.

A grizzled, well-oiled regular on a nearby stool stares at the production scout as if he is from another planet.

But June Espeland, co-owner and bartender at the Jules Maes Saloon & Eatery, smiles at the idea. Tempting, she says, but no thanks.

"They've shot a couple of films down here," Espeland says, nodding in the direction of Airport Way South. Georgetown, she says, is finally being rediscovered.

It may in fact be Seattle's last untamed neighborhood. Born in an era of breweries, brothels and bare-knuckle businessmen, Georgetown today beckons with possibility.

This south Duwamish community is a high-octane blend of commerce, industry, vigilant homeowners and a growing number of artists who have discovered affordable studio space.

It is a gritty neighborhood hidden behind a seedy veneer of dilapidated but historic buildings, scruffy storefronts, non-descript warehouses and unpaved parking lots.

Tens of thousands of motorists roar past on Interstate 5 and East Marginal Way South without giving Georgetown a second glance. It does not have a pretty face.

During the day it hums with the noise of airplanes, trains and 18-wheelers carrying auto parts, frozen meat, electronics, office equipment, produce, kitchen cabinets -- stuff America wants.

At night and on weekends many businesses shut down, leaving Georgetown's back streets eerily quiet despite neighboring King County International Airport, best known as Boeing Field.

Amidst the sea of industry are pockets of tidy, affordable homes and old roadside inns, a few dating to the start of the century, when Georgetown was its own town. The little clapboard and brick buildings appear vulnerable and yet defiant in the face of so much commerce.

As much as the business community, the residents give Georgetown its quirky, feisty personality. "There are no cookie-cutter people who live in Georgetown," remarks a local real estate agent. "There's an unusual spirit here."

Continued:

• Residents hold ground against some advances
• People and businesses aren't always best of neighbors
• Artists' colony blossoms amid industrial grime
• Abundant local eateries can please any palate