In the Heights

In what appears to be a tropical beachside bar in the Domincan Republic, Usnavi is telling a group of attentive local children about his previous life of 10 years past in New York City's working-class Washington Heights neighborhood. His specific corner of this neighborhood was comprised primarily of Dominican immigrants, including his Abuela (in name only) Claudia, who raised him after his parents' passing and acted as neighborhood den-mother of many of the young people. His story focuses primarily on los suenitos--the little dreams--of the many people in his generation, especially because that corner is dying before his eyes. Nina Rosario, the daughter of Kevin Rosario, the owner of the local car service, had her suenito met, sort of, in having gone to law school at Stanford paid for by her father. Usnavi's story about Nina is when she returned to Washington Heights having dropped out in knowing that her father was risking his own financial well-being for her. As the truth slowly is revealed about her return, finding her place involved Benny, one of Kevin's dispatchers. Vanessa Morales, who worked at the local beauty salon, wanted to move out of the neighborhood to work in fashion design. Despite having an inherent ability, she never seemed to have the opportunity. Usnavi operated what was his parents' bodega with his young teenage cousin Sonny. Usnavi's own suenito, especially because his bodega always seemed to have problems, was to move to the Dominican Republic when he learned that what was his parents' beach business was for sale. That suenito was tempered by looking out for Sonny's future, and by his own romantic feelings for Vanessa.