"Castle Gardens" in IN THE HEIGHTS

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:44pm

Hey -- quick question about a reference made in IN THE HEIGHTS. Some friends and I are doing an IN THE HEIGHTS trip to Washington Heights tomorrow. We're trying to hit as many of the talked about places in it as possible: e.g., Bennett Park, etc.

In the song "When You're Home," Nina asks Benny "Are we going to Castle Garden?"

Does anyone know what this is a reference to? Is it an actual place and/or something to do? Despite my efforts, I haven't been able to find anything.

Thanks for your imput!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:47pm

I googled it once and found that it's a place where there are all sorts of immigration records.

But you may want to hear the answer from a NYC resident.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:48pm

a circular sandstone fort, now a national monument in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, New York City, USA.

also known as CASTLE CLINTON (or CASTLE FORT)

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:50pm

Thanks, Spork. I think I found the same google link. But something tells me that's not really the kinda place two teenagers in love would want to go for a date. . . . I don't know.

And true confessions? I think the first time I saw ITH, I thought she was refering to a hamburger joint. (White Castle?) But I'm loco sometimes like that!

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:51pm

Castle Garden/Clinton isn't even in Washington Heights.

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:53pm

AWESOME! THANKS TOODARNHOT!

(Yeah, I know it's not in WaHi, but maybe that's where Nina and Benny got it on when they were in high school. We used to drive an hour+ to a makeout spot out in California when I was their age.)

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 2:57pm

an hour+ for a makeout session... or for sexual intercourse?

totally worth it if it's the latter of the two.

[winter_sky]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 3:02pm

I thought it was implied that Benny and Nina had not hooked up before? That she was shy and they ran in different circles.

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 3:16pm

I completely agree, winter_sky. The musical sends both messages, doesn't it? On one hand, they seem to have never really hooked up, but then they have all these references to their interactions as children together.

My thought is: There's always been sexual tension between them, but they haven't actually done anything about it until after Nina gets home from college.

And as for my one-hour trips to the makeout site -- yeah, well, let's just say that various bodily fluids were exchanged on several different occasions. :P (!)

Oh, and yeah, a photo of Castle Garden won't be on our digital ITH savenger hunt for tomorrow ... too off the beaten path ... I figure "a picture of a young girl dreaming on the highest fire escape of a building" and "an open fire hydrant, spraying water" are gonna be challenging enough.

On the other hand, "a picture of you buying and eating piragua," and "a picture with you and a wise old abuela," and "a picture of you buying condoms and cafe-con-leche at a bodega" should be pretty do-able.

Thanks, guys!
Updated On: 8/9/08 at 03:16 PM

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 4:50pm

Um- not that I think this "In the Heights scavenger hunt" is cool (...take a picture of you with a wise old Abuela? really??), but I thought 'Castle Garden' just meant the garden at Castle Village in Washington Heights?

[nydirector2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 5:19pm

It means the gardens in Castle Village...I don't know why anyone from Washington Heights would go to Battery Park to go to the Clinton Castle when they have the great little area there. And yes...you should only look for answers from New Yorkers.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 5:24pm

Thanks for the answer! That makes much more sense.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 5:33pm

I really hope you're kidding about that whole taking a pic with a "wise abuela" thing. Because as a boricua who has family currently living in Washington Heights (though I myself live a bit further downtown), I find remarks like that incredibly condescending and disrespectful. Washington Heights is not a theme park, and its inhabitants are not Mickey Mouse type characters to get pics with, or things to be gawked at, but real, struggling human beings. I don't mind that ITH has made W.H. a tourist attraction you can go to, interact with the people and help out with local commerce. That's wonderful. But treating this place with such a rich history and culture as nothing more than some scavenger hunt for your amusement is incredibly offensive. So, again, I hope you were kidding.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 5:34pm

^You ****in' kidding me? Take a xanax.

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 7:58pm

^^ What the HELL is wrong with you?!

Did you re-read that to yourself afterwards? I suggest you do, you sound like an idiot. You make absolutely no sense. Are you saying that people that go to WH to "help with commerce" don't go for their own amusement? Why do people go anywhere if not to amuse themselves? Is it so wrong that In The Heights has inspired someone to go to WH to learn about the real palces that show talks about? It's not a ****ing Holocaust museum, freaking chill.

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 8:07pm

Hey BroadwayChica:

Thanks so much for your comments, and to all who have contributed to this thread.

And you're absolutely right. I totally agree with you. Washington Heights is not a tourist attraction. The people there are real, they are not Mickey Mouse characters, and shouldn't be treated as such.

But I'm not kidding about our scavenger hunt. We're doing it as a way of appreciating and celebrating what the neighborhood has to offer, not as a way of disrespecting it. And I trust that the group of people that are coming will see it that way. (In other words, there will be no childish running-down of little old ladies on the streets just to get a photo.)

My sincere apologies if you feel this is offensive and/or condescending.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 8:10pm

I don't think she's complaining about people going to educate themselves. She's worried about people using people like "a wise abuela" for a photo shoot their own amusement. (Though hey...think of the money someone could make...) And I kind of agree. There's a level of respect when it comes to people.

I've opted not to take a picture of a shrine set up outside a building on my street (no, not in WH...in Bed-Stuy) for an old man (I'd actually heard the neighborhood dealer) who died out of respect for him and those who loved him.

Places are one thing. People who didn't ask for that attention are another.

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 8:25pm

Thanks, jordangirl. Your comments make perfect sense.

I just spoke with my co-organizer, and it's now official: any scavenger hunt items involving people have been stricken from the list. We're only doing objects (e.g., piragua) and places (e.g., "Castle Garden," which, thanks to all of you, has found its way back on the list!!!)

. . . Funny, though, when we did this with RENT a few years ago, there wasn't a drag queen in the East Village who objected to us taking pictures with them . . .

But I can totally see the difference here.

And thanks again, BroadwayChica, for bringing it to our attention. The respect you have for your own heritage and people is really admirable.

Updated On: 8/9/08 at 08:25 PM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 8:31pm

I'm glad it made sense Gizmo. :) Sometimes you're never sure how things will translate on the internet. It does sound like a fun idea in general. :)

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 12:47am

I'm still not sure I see the point of a ITH scavenger hunt?

[FrontRowCenter2]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 6:31am

For the record (since I live there!) - Castle Gardens is part of Washington Heights called Hudson Heights. Castle Village and Hudson View Apartments border Castle Gardens. Bennett Park is just east of Castle Gardens bordering on Ft. Washington Ave, 185th Street, Pinehurst Ave. and 183rd Street.

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 6:51am

Thanks, FrontRow!

And TooDarnHot, my friends and I have been doing these scavenger hunts based on movies and Broadway shows since we were teenagers. The first one started almost 10 years ago. (But I must admit, I respectfully declined the latest "Sex in the City" hunt.)

So what's the point?

Well, off the top of my head, I'd say we do them for three reasons:

1) to pay homage/show respect to the movie/musical; to see that everything is real, actually exists, and has not just been created for the stage and screen

2) to make the experience of the movie/musical more meaningful and tactile . . . for instance, it's one thing hearing the piragua guy sing about having "mamey, but just for today," but actually tasting it is another thing altogether

3) to have fun exploring a place that you otherwise might have overlooked in passing

Today, I think we're going to accomplish all three. I'm also glad because 1) we're doing this during the summer (which, as you know, is the setting of ITH - too bad its not "the hottest day"), and 2) because it's Dominican Pride Day (which means most of the actual residents of WaHi are going to be at the parade in midtown - less foot traffic for us to deal with, but a whole lot of festivities/decorations around for us to enjoy!)

Peace, people.

Thanks again for all your help!

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 1:47pm

Gizmo, what a clever and creative idea. Just curious, what other movies/musicals have you done this with besides ITH and Rent