Usnavi de la Vega is the owner of a small bodega in Washington Heights called De La Vega Bodega. He dreams of moving to the Dominican Republic. He is in love with Vanessa.
Nina Rosario is the first in her family to go to college. Everyone in the barrio admires her as the "one who made it out." However, she returns home from school for the summer to reluctantly tell her parents that she has become overburdened and dropped out.
"Abuela" Claudia is like a grandmother to everyone in the barrio. She raised Usnavi when his parents died. She moved to New York from Cuba and worked as a maid for several years.
Vanessa is Usnavi's love interest who works at Daniela's salon. She lives with an alcoholic mother and dreams of getting out of the Barrio and getting an apartment downtown, but cannot yet afford it.
Benny works at the dispatch of Nina's father, Kevin. Benny is the only character who does not speak Spanish. He falls in love with Nina and dreams of opening his own business.
Sonny de la Vega is Usnavi's younger cousin who works with Usnavi in the bodega. He is typically the jokester of the Barrio, but he also has an intelligent and thoughtful side that yearns for social justice.