How to follow a hyperlink in a div, and have page show in same div?

How to follow a hyperlink in a div, and have page show in same div?

Hi all, quite a newbie here. Recently started converting my semi-dynamic php/html webpage to a full-blown dynamic ajax page. Currently have:
  1.     $(document).ready(function() {
    
            // Check for hash value in URL
            var hash = window.location.hash.substr(1);
            var href = $('#menu a, #name a, #contact_us a, #item a, #text a').each(function(){
                var href = $(this).attr('href');
                if(hash==href.substr(0,href.length-4)){
                    var toLoad = hash+'.php #pagearea';
                    $('#pagearea').load(toLoad)
                } 
            });
    
    
            $('#menu a, #name a, #contact_us a, #item a, #text a').click(function(e){
                        if($(e.target).is('foo')){
                        e.preventDefault();
                        window.location.href = "/current/forum";
                        return;
                        }
    
            var toLoad = $(this).attr('href');
            $('#pagearea').hide('fast',loadContent);
            $('#load').remove();
            $('#wrapper').append('<span id="load">LOADING...</span>');
            $('#load').fadeIn('normal');
            window.location.hash = $(this).attr('href').substr(0,$(this).attr('href').length-4);
            function loadContent() {
                $('#pagearea').load(toLoad,'',showNewContent())
            }
            function showNewContent() {
                $('#pagearea').show('normal',hideLoader());
            }
            function hideLoader() {
                $('#load').fadeOut('normal');
            }
            return false;
    
            });
        });

Which works very well for the menus and other divs around the index. But if I try to follow a hyperlink in #pagearea, it opens a new webpage, rather than putting the link in #pagearea like the rest.

I have tried:


  1.     $(function(){
            $("#pagearea > a").click(function() {
                var link = $(this).attr('href');
                $('#pagearea').load(link);
                return false;
            });
        });

and...


  1.     $("#pagearea a").bind("click", function() {
            var link = $(this).attr("href");
            $("#pagearea").load(link); 
        });

everywhere and every which way I could to no luck. What am I missing here? In a perfect world, the followed links would also apply the hash-url, but at this point if dropping the hash-urls entirely is what it would take to do this then I'm all for it.

Thanks for your time.