Southeast D.C.’s real estate market is a tale of two neighborhoods.

To the west of the Anacostia River is the Capitol Riverfront, where city officials and real estate developers alike have plowed in hundreds of millions of dollars to turn a former industrial district into a business and entertainment hub. With Nationals Park and The Yards Park driving developer interest, the skies over the neighborhood have been filled with cranes for a decade, and new offices and residences have replaced many lots that were vacant 20 years ago.

Construction has been markedly slower east of the river, but as land grows more expensive in the District’s northern quadrants, developers are eyeing neighborhoods like Anacostia and Congress Heights for their next big projects. In these less densely populated parts of D.C., developers are looking to take advantage of transit hubs to create new mixed-use centers.

The two halves of D.C. are separated by more than just a river. The area east of the Anacostia is far less affluent than its neighbor to the west, a trend that has only been perpetuated by new development in the Capitol Riverfront. A new bridge across the Anacostia could help unify the two disparate neighborhoods and encourage more growth east of the river, but the question remains whether the residents of those neighborhoods actually want new development.

At Bisnow’s Future of Capitol Riverfront event Nov. 21, the developers, owners and tenants who make up the vibrant new mix of players in Southeast D.C. will gather to discuss challenges and new opportunities. Register here for the event.