“I had the best tour guides: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes. They showed me their favorite bodegas, their favorite place to get café con leche. When they say the Heights is in your heart, they really mean it.” —Jon M. Chu, Director

“It was beautiful being able to go back to a place that I know so well and that my family has so many memories. My mom’s first business as a salon owner was a couple of blocks from where we shot.” — Leslie Grace, “Nina”

“To watch Nina and Benny madly in love dance along these fire escapes is the most perfect expression of that song. It’s a perfect example of how Jon [M. Chu] dreamed bigger than any of us in telling these stories.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda

“People who live in Washington Heights have lived there for a really long time. I hope that they see their neighborhood on screen and are proud of it, because we loved being there.” —Melissa Barrera, “Vanessa”

“I think the most thrilling thing about shooting in [Washington Heights] was that it just becomes a part of you, no matter what.” —Stephanie Beatriz, “Carla”

“The film has a line, ‘You can’t walk in these streets without bumping into somebody’s big dream.’ What makes the Heights extraordinary is it’s still one big family that comes together at the end of the day.” —Gregory Diaz IV, “Sonny”

“Going to the same bodega and knowing everyone that goes to that bodega to talk and catch up about their lives...those are all things that we witnessed and those are all things that are in the movie.” —Melissa Barrera

“We ate locally whenever we could; we supported the businesses that were all around us while we were there. We wanted to add value to the neighborhood while we were telling these stories.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda

“It’s the music coming out of people’s windows, the bachata playing out of people’s cars on the street. It’s the café con leche and the bodega; it’s that vibration, man.” —Anthony Ramos

Our Washington Heights guide has more.