The storied Washington Heights/Sugar Hill plateau overlooking upper Harlem developed around the historic 18th and 19th-century country estates. Notable figures such as Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and Madame Eliza Jumel, socialite and second wife of former vice-president, Aaron Burr, and John James Audubon, the American ornithologist, naturalist, lived in the area and made their mark on American history.
Today, the area's topography still bears evidence of centuries past with rolling hills, wooded parks, and waterfront views, but amidst grand historic apartment houses and cultural institutions, a vibrant American-Dominican culture and street life now defines Washington Heights.