Affordable community Manhattan Plaza was featured prominently in Alicia Keys’ new semi-autobiographical Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen, which was nominated for 13 Tony Awards. The new music video for "Kaleidoscope," an original song from the musical, was also shot at Manhattan Plaza. The music video references Keys' upbringing within the affordable community during the 1990s, where she spent her formative years being raised by her mother. In one of the complex's community spaces, she learned how to play piano from another resident who was also a music teacher, kickstarting a love of music that eventually led to a celebrated musical career. Both "Kaleidoscope" and Hell's Kitchen feature Manhattan Plaza not just as a building, but as its own supporting character, nodding to the diverse community's history as a pillar in New York City's arts community. Originally opened in 1977, the 4-acre complex provides affordable homes that are largely occupied by local creatives, with performing artists making up 70% of its 1,689 residents. The community also provides engaging spaces for residents and the surrounding neighborhood, including a state-of-the-art playground, five tennis courts and a health club featuring a swimming pool.
