For some fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical “Hamilton,” (highly-priced) tickets aren’t enough – they need the Hamilton lifestyle. And that is driving more people and real estate deals than ever to Upper Manhattan.
Crowds have been known to develop around Alexander Hamilton’s Former Home On West 141st Street. And, according to DNAinfo, the musical has given areas such as Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights “a new cachet.”
Last week at the Real Estate Board of New York’s 2016 Uptown Open House Expo, Hamilton’s legacy and impact on the neighborhood was the hot topic. Kevin Draper of New York Historical Tours pointed out that Hamilton selected the hilly terrain of Upper Manhattan for many of the same reasons people today are showing interest in the area today. Namely, space and views.
“Having that mansion up there ties it in with what the neighborhood was: the country. Even today, for people looking for more space in Manhattan, it’s still the place to get that,” Draper said. “And he built it for the views, to see the Hudson and East rivers. The guys in the past were thinking of views and fresh air. If they got sick, they believed fresh air was the cure.”
Tomorrow, Draper will speak again at an event dubbed “Hamilton in the Heights.” The event was created by Corcoran broker Bruce Robertson, a Washington Heights resident, who is listing at a three-bedroom apartment at 790 Riverside Drive for $1.875 million.
The event will cover the Founding Father’s influence on the area and include a menu of early American foods.
“By the way it’s presented with rap and hip-hop, ‘Hamilton’ makes history ‘hip’ and more relevant. People want to see some of the places where it really happened,” Robertson told DNAinfo. [DNAinfo] – Christopher Cameron