The film adaptation of Lin- Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” draws on the real history of Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood
known colloquially as “Little Dominican Republic,” comes alive on stage and on screen, imbuing every scene with an unmistakable, pulsating presence
Situated between 155th Street and 195th Street
The neighborhood’s story is one of hardship, prosperity and communal spirit—themes aptly mirrored in the Tony Award–winning musical
By the time Miranda was growing up, the neighborhood had long been considered a refuge for immigrants in search of the American dream
1800s: when first developed, it was where wealthy New Yorkers called home
Regal estates, like that of famed naturalist John James Audubon, took advantage of the area’s rolling hills and waterfront views
In addition to the neighborhood’s physical beauty, it drew interest for its historical significance, having been the site of Fort Washington, a strategic point of defense in the Continental army’s efforts to protect NY from the British
1900: The face of Wash. Heights began to change and became an enclave for European immigrants
when affluent families moved to estates south, developing today’s Fifth Ave and Upper East Side
The Irish, escaping the Great Potato Famine, settled in the neighborhood after the Lower East Side proved inhospitable
A few decades later, German Jews, fleeing anti- Semitism in the wake of the Nazi regime’s rise to power, arrived in such numbers that it became known as “Frankfurt-on-the-Hudson”
1960s: Immigrants from Greece settled there
As manufacturing jobs that had attracted immigrants to NYC began to disappear in the second half of the 20th century, the quality of life in Wash. Heights began to decline
1980s: Became known as a breeding ground for drug dealers during the crack epidemic
1986: NYPD initiated “Operation Clean Heights,” designed to eradicate the drug trade vis-à-vis military-like tactics
1989: The efforts made little impact. NYPD deeming it the city’s homicide capital
2000s: Children of barbershop & salon owners said, “I love this community, let me do something for it…we made this neighborhood for what it is now.”
The beginning of this upward trajectory is when Miranda began to pen his adaptation. Although clearly part of American culture, these slices of life do not always get the recognition they deserve
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