Lin-Manuel Miranda exploded onto Broadway with the 2008 Tony-winning musical “In the Heights,” an ode to Washington Heights — the diverse area of where he resides. (He grew up nearby, in Inwood).
Offstage, too, uptown was a muse for the 34-year-old, who wrote and starred in the show: “A good amount of ‘In the Heights’ was written in Isham Park,” says Miranda. Now, he’s starring in the musical “tick, tick . . . BOOM!” June 25 to 28 at New York City Center.
This is his uptown New York:
Central Park
West 110th Street and Central Park West
“[My wife, Vanessa] and I were on vacation in the Dominican Republic, and this 4-pound puppy jumped on her beach chair, looking totally flea-ridden and cute as can be. She bit my wife’s ankle, so we [brought her back] and named her Tobillo, which is Spanish for ankle. You have an entirely different relationship with parks when you have a dog. On weekends, Tobillo and I walk down to 110th Street, and there’s this great hill on the northwest corner of Central Park. It looks like there are hundreds of dogs walking people around.”
United Palace
4140 Broadway, near West 176th Street
“Art deco doesn’t even begin to describe the United Palace, which is the second-largest theater in Manhattan, after Radio City Music Hall. I’ve been hosting a movie series there. We flew out Rita Moreno for a Q&A after ‘West Side Story,’ John Landis for ‘King Kong.’ [And] I’m going to line up some Broadway friends for ‘Guys and Dolls’ in September.”
Morris-Jumel Mansion
65 Jumel Terrace
“George Washington used the Morris-Jumel Mansion as a base while fleeing New York. I’ve had writing sessions and meetings for ‘Hamilton’ [my new show] there. Some writers go to the Berkshires — I go to 162nd Street.”
Vinateria
2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd., at West 119th Street
“My wife [Vanessa, a lawyer] and I are renovating our place in Washington Heights, so right now we’re renting in Harlem. I don’t think I’ve ever been around more great restaurants. Vinateria has more famous neighbors — Red Rooster, Lido — but that’s my favorite spot. The lady who owns it, her mom walks around greeting people, and she’s delightful. I don’t know either of their names, but it’s a nice family feel, and the Bloody Marys are great.”
Carrot Top Pastries
3931 Broadway, between West 164th and 165th streets
“Carrot Top is famous for cheesecake, but they make a really solid café con leche. I drink it like a 6-year-old would drink: with lots of sugar and lots of milk. I’m sure coffee snobs would not like me because I’m turning it into candy. I used to go to the branch in Inwood, and the ladies who worked there were really not very nice. If you earned a smile from them, you were doing all right.”
New Leaf
1 Margaret Corbin Drive
