NYC Creates Travel Guide For Wash Heights: Did They Get It Right?

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The release of the motion picture "In The Heights" is just seven days away, and the buzz around the film means more people than usual are hearing the neighborhood name Washington Heights.

The film, created by Washington Heights' own Lin-Manuel Miranda, highlights the vibrant Upper Manhattan community and casts a spotlight on New York City's Latino culture. It will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on June 10.

In honor of the movie's opening, NYC & Company and Warner Bros. Pictures announced a new partnership Thursday to promote "In The Heights" and the community it highlights.

The promotion includes an all-new content package celebrating the film, a dozen exclusive interviews featuring the film's cast and creative team, behind-the-scenes photography of the film, and a new travel guide showcasing the best things to see in Washington Heights.

"The energy of Washington Heights is unlike anywhere else in NYC. One moment you’re enjoying the serenity at the Met Cloisters overlooking the Hudson River," reads the city's intro to the Washington Heights travel guide. "Turn the corner on Audubon Avenue and you may stumble upon a barbecue-fueled pool party at which a family is trying to cool down during a sweltering summer day."

New York City's official tourism agency breaks the travel guide into events to do in Washington Heights over three days. Let us know in the comments if you think they got it right.

Day 1: Friday

• Head to Floridita Bakery at 4187 Broadway for a cafecito, fresh fruit juice, or some Caribbean delicacy. From the Cuban bakery, take a stroll to J. Hood Wright Park and find the George Washington Bridge lookout point at the northwest corner. Open your bag of food and eat while looking out on the water.
• Head back to Broadway down 175th Street and find the United Palace theater. On June 10, it will serve as the venue of the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of "In The Heights."
• Walk through the La Plaza de la Americas in front of the iconic theater before heading to Luisa Chimi on St. Nicholas Avenue for a Dominican burger.
• Once you're finished with the burger, walk along St. Nicholas and head east toward Audubon and Amerstadam Avenues for a "true sense of the community feel." The guide recommends stopping in the Miss Rizos Salon, a Dominican-owned salon that is a "relatively new landmark."
• Finish the night out at La Casa Del Mofongo, on St. Nicholas Avenue between 182nd and 183rd Streets. The restaurant serves up a variety of mofongos, tropical cocktails, and has live music on the weekends.

Day 2: Saturday

• Head to the Dominican-Carribian restaurant Malecon on Broadway for people watching and good food. The recommended breakfast consists of mashed green plantains, fried eggs, salami, and fried cheese topped with sauteed red onions.
• From there, walk to Fort Tryon Park, where you can lay out a blanket and take in the Hudson River views. You can also find the arches of the Billings Arcade and visit the Met Museum's medieval branch, The Cloisters.

• Walk back to St. Nicholas and visit Lola Lola at 175th Street, which serves up a tasty mix of Latino-Mediterranean dishes with seafood as its focal point. If you're not feeling seafood, you can also visit Manolos Tapas at 4165 Broadway.
• After eating, the travel guide recommends heading to the entrance of the 1 train tunnel at 191st and Broadway for an "iconic neighborhood photo opportunity." Snap a few pictures and go to the nearby Locksmith, a neighborhood bar on Broadway, which serves up frozen Henny coladas, margaritas and mojitos along with specialty beers and lomo saltado—Peruvian steak accompanied by fresh-cut fries and white rice.
• For an after-hours spot, the city recommends hitting Tu Cachapa for traditional Venezuelan street food that stays open until 4 a.m. on weekends.

Day 3: Sunday

• Start your last weekend day in Washington Heights by resetting with a caffeinated brew or juice from Green Juice Café at 4316 Broadway.
• After your coffee, head down to Highbridge Park and walk back and forth on the High Bridge.
• Continue your neighborhood park's tour by heading west to Fort Washington Park, finding the path that takes you over the Henry Hudson Parkway, and ending at the iconic Little Red Lighthouse.
• If you still have energy after your walk, head to the Zoe Restaurant & Lounge at 1559 St. Nicholas Avenue for Latino-style steak and eggs.
• Before leaving the neighborhood, take a stroll along 181st Street between Broadway and Audubon Avenue, or on Dyckman Street between Broadway and Nagle Avenue. The travel guide says both are bustling walkways with vendors or piragua (shaved ice), pinchos (skewers), and frituras (fried items.)

You can check out the complete travel guide for yourself here.