Charleston County Public Library

Last call at Coogan's, the life and death of a neighborhood bar, Jon Michaud

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

mapsillustrations

index present

non fiction

Last call at Coogan's

bibliography

1340645466

Jon Michaud

the life and death of a neighborhood bar

"The uniquely inspiring story of a beloved neighborhood bar that united the communities it served. Coogan's Bar and Restaurant opened in New York City's Washington Heights in 1985 and closed its doors for good in the pandemic spring of 2020. Sometimes called Uptown City Hall, it became a staple of neighborhood life during its 35 years in operation-a place of safety and a bulwark against prejudice in a multi-ethnic, majority-immigrant community undergoing rapid change. Last Call at Coogan's by Jon Michaud tells the story of this beloved saloon, from the challenging years of the late 80's and early 90's, when Washington Heights suffered from the highest crime rate in the city, to the 2010's, when gentrification pushed out longtime residents and nearly closed Coogan's itself; only a massive community mobilization led by superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda and local politicians kept the doors open. This book touches on many serious issues facing the country today: race relations, policing, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, readers will meet the bar's owners and an array of its most colorful regulars, such as an aspiring actor from Kentucky who dreams of bringing a theater company to Washington Heights, a television reporter who loves karaoke, and a Puerto Rican community board manager who falls in love with an Irish cop from the local precinct. At its core, this is the story of one small business, the people who worked there, the customers they served, and the community they all called home"--, Provided by publisher

Prologue -- Part one: In business. Why are we going to open a place up there? -- In over their heads -- Uptown -- The dividing line -- Special doesn't come overnight -- Exactly who you'd hope to find behind the bar -- Managing -- One of the toughest days -- Reorganization -- A poet walks into a bar -- Mutual admiration -- Part two: Coogan's castle. Passing the word -- Eyes on the street -- Artsy-fartsy -- Alliances -- Uprising -- Camelot on the Hudson -- Boss always right -- Up the block -- The dance o' the hop and the barley -- Spilled milk -- Part three: A moral pub. A new lease on life -- A piece of the pie -- A Republican -- In the heights -- Could we consider other options? -- In the middle of it -- Rules of order -- Salsa, blues, and shamrocks -- The apostrophe -- God forgives you -- Every New Yorker's nightmare -- Ballad of the spirit -- Part four: Homecoming. Regulars -- The dreamers -- Changes -- How stupid could you be? -- Why are you crying? -- #YeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahBOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIII -- Saved by a neighborhood -- An attack on the urban ecosystem -- Life is a vacation from death -- The suspension of everyday life -- A strange farewell -- A bar full of life -- Afterword

adult