How to Hang Like Hamilton in NYC
New York haunts beloved by our favorite founding father are still there to enjoy. Spend a day in the rooms where history happened.
Photographs by Chris Ozer
Illustrations by Roberto Parada
Centuries before he became a hit on Broadway via Lin-Manuel Miranda’s breakout musical, Alexander Hamilton was a regular fixture on the streets of New York City. As a matter of fact, many of the American patriot’s former stomping grounds are still pretty cool places to visit some 200 years later. To see the city through his eyes (and kick back a few decent cold ones), check out these impressive, old-school spots.
1. Grab coffee: The Fields, 43 Park Row
New Yorkers have always loved a good protest. In 1774, on the grassy lawn of The Fields, patriots gathered to denounce the British, and 17-year-old Hamilton spoke out for the first time. As legend has it, he first faltered and then found his voice and was so eloquent that the crowd, stunned, wondered who this kid was. Whispers of “It’s a collegian!” turned to shouts. Hamilton had arrived. Grab an in-house roasted Americano at Birch Coffee on Spruce Street and relive the moment in the present-day City Hall park.
2. Sit down for lunch: The Grange, 1635 Amsterdam Ave.
Hamilton’s home still exists. The dining room, the study, the living room — they all remain at 414 West 141st Street. He named his home The Grange as a nod to his grandfather’s estate in Scotland, and a block away you can lunch at The Grange restaurant. Over aged prime beef burgers, impress friends with this factoid: When Hamilton lived in Harlem (then considered “the country”), he commuted to the Financial District via horse and buggy. The trip took over an hour, or about what it does in 2018.
3. Knock one back: The White Horse Tavern, 25 Bridge St.
From the bar’s stoop, you can see The Battery, site of two key Hamilton exploits: 1) In 1775, he stole cannons from the British; and 2) as a young officer, he commanded an artillery company at Fort George, on the waterfront. Fort George is long gone, but in its place stands the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House. Have a whiskey in his honor at the White Horse, then stroll a few blocks north to pay your respects at his gravestone (75 Broadway, outside Trinity Church), where he’s buried next to his wife, Eliza, lionized in the Hamilton musical as the “best of wives and best of women.”
4. Get dinner: Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl St.
The oldest bar in the city. An icon. Still a great place for a bowl of mussels. The pub, founded in 1762, inspired the stage design for “The Story of Tonight,” the song in the musical when John Laurens, Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan all swig pints of beer. History oozes from every corner. Washington hosted a farewell dinner for his officers here. And upstairs Hamilton scribbled notes on his banking plan — even using the restaurant as a makeshift Treasury Department. One week before the duel that killed him, he came to Fraunces Tavern to have supper. The man sitting next to him? Aaron Burr.
5. Sleep: 57 Maiden Lane
1790. A summer night. In a posh home at 57 Maiden Lane, Hamilton sat down with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Over wine, they brokered the most important deal in American history: Congress would approve Hamilton’s financial plan, and the nation’s capital would move from New York to D.C. Of the original building only a plaque remains, but if you punch in the address on Airbnb, you’ll find apartments on the block. Rent one and post that you’re staying next to the room where it happened.
About the author: Jeff Wilser is the author of Alexander Hamilton’s Guide to Life, The Book of Joe: The Life, Wit, and (Sometimes Accidental) Wisdom of Joe Biden, and four previous books. His writing has appeared in print or online in New York magazine, GQ, Condé Nast Traveler, TIME, Glamour, Cosmo, Esquire, mental_floss, Men’s Fitness, and BREAKER magazine. He is also a nomad. One year ago he sold all his stuff, left New York, and is now traveling the world, indefinitely, while writing. (This means that his home, 99 percent of the time, is literally an Airbnb.) Twitter at @jeffwilser.
