Last Call at Coogan's Bar - The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar by Jon Michaud

 

The uniquely inspiring story of our 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 our 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 including local politicians and Lin-Manuel Miranda 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 in Washington Heights, the people who worked there, the customers they served, and the community they all called home. 

Last Call at Coogan's was much more than just another nonfiction book about a neighborhood bar. It takes the reader through more than three decades of history about Washington Heights and the changes in the area, ranging from gang crime, crack drug use bordering on epidemic, and finishing with a social phenomenon almost as pernicious as those: gentrification. When the bar was on the ropes because its evil landlord, New York Presbyterian Hospital, raised their rent from $7,000 a month to $40,000 a month, the area came to the bars aid, pressuring the hospital, void of any conscience and hard-pressed to explain its not for profit status, to raise the rent to a much lower amount allowing them to survive another three years. Finally, the evil that finally put the last nail in Coogan's coffin was the same evil that did many businesses (and people) in: covid 19. The book is a tribute to the people who both ran Coogan's and those who patronized the bar. All of them were family, the Coogan's family. 

The book was published in June 2023 by St. Martin's Press.

EARLY ADVERTISING CARD FOR TRANSIT TO THE POLO GROUNDS

This beautiful antique advertising card shows a horse drawn trolley with the captions "High Bridge",  "New Route to High Bridge", "Fare 5cts.", "To New Parks", "L D & C", "Base Ball Match this Afternoon", "Polo Grounds", "New York vs. Cleveland", and "225".

While the Giants were formed as a team in the National League in 1883, they did not move into the Polo Grounds near High Bridge Park until after the 1888 season.  The Giants won the World Series in 1888 and 1889.

On the other hand, a Cleveland team was originally formed as part of the National League in 1882 and it was called the Cleveland Forest Citys.  That same season the name was subsequently changed to the Cleveland Blues.  The team had a mediocre record and ultimately merged with the St. Louis Maroons the following year, 1885.  Cleveland then went without a major league baseball team for two years, and then, in 1887, they did form a new team, the Spiders, that was part of the American Association.  Then, in 1889 when the American Association dissolved, the Spiders became part of the National League.  They did not change their name to "The Indians" until 1915.

So, the fact that the trade card above makes reference to a game between New York vs. Cleveland at the Polo Grounds would indicate that that event took place in 1889 or later.  The fact that the trolley is horse drawn would indicate that the event must have been between 1889 and about 1900.
For more information on this particular card click here.

The Harlem & Manhattanville trolley started service in 1885 traversing the route from downtown New York City up along the Harlem River to 125th St. and then via 10th Ave. to the Polo Grounds and finally ending up at Fort George.

360 Degree View of The High Bridge

This is a rather unique view of the High Bridge taken with a 360 Degree Wrap Around camera.
We see that there isn't too much traffic on the bridge these days.  Now that the bridge is open, tell us about your experiences across it.  We also hear that the lights are not working either. What has been your experience?

$61.8 Million for the High Bridge Redevelopment, and now $1.3 Billion for the Bayonne Bridge

If you thought that spending $61.8 Million for the redevelopment of the High Bridge was a lot of money, hold onto your hat.  The Bayonne Bridge that connects Staten Island to New Jersey over the Kill Van Kull will cost the Port of New York and New Jersey Authority $1.3 Billion to complete by 2017.  The project will raise the roadbed from 151 feet to 215 feet so that the larger container ships may get to the Port of Newark, New Jersey.  If you want to see the Wall Street Journal article on this colossal project click here.

Urban Sketchers Descend on Highbridge Park

On Sunday, September 13, 2015, the New York City chapter of Urban Sketchers came to Highbridge Park.  The event was a huge success. Please click here to see some of the sketches that were rendered by the participants.  Thanks for coming.  What a great idea to come uptown!  We hope you enjoyed the visit.
Another post from Urban Sketchers appeared on September 17, 2015.

last modified 9/17/15

New Book on the High Bridge Published

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The Lowdown on the High Bridge by Sonia Manzano with illustrations by Noelle Gibbons is a new book for children about the history of how New York City got its water, published in anticipation of the reopening of the pedestrian bridge this Summer.

According to the Bronx Chronicle, "In preparation for the official re-opening of the iconic High Bridge pedestrian walkway between the Bronx and Manhattan, Sonia Manzano will read from her new book published by the Bronx Children’s Museum entitled The Lowdown on the High Bridge on Monday, June 1, 2015. Sixty children from three Highbridge public, charter, and parochial schools alongside parents, teachers, elected officials and staff will join Manzano in the auditorium of P.S. 11 located at 1257 Ogden Avenue in the Bronx.

After the reading, the children will follow Manzano to the head of the bridge at the Bronx Highbridge Park located at 170th Street and University Avenue where they will be greeted by the Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr. and City Council member Vanessa Gibson who will introduce the NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver as well as the NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora to start the countdown to the official opening. Sonia Manzano and the Bronx Children’s Museum will present the children with their own book as a gift."

The High Bridge and Tower

The High Bridge as seen from Manhattan looking toward the Bronx

The Tower in High Bridge Park

                                On January 11, 2013, Mayor Michael Bloomberg broke ground for the $61 Million redevelopment project on The High Bridge,  New York's oldest bridge spanning the Harlem River onto Manhattan island.  The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2014.  The High Bridge was part of the Croton Aqueduct System. Click here to see the groundbreaking ceremony.

The High Bridge is now a steel arch bridge, with a height of almost 140 feet over the Harlem River. The eastern end is located in The Bronx, and the western end is located at High Bridge Park, in Washington Heights near 175th Street.

Although High Bridge has been closed to all traffic since the 1970s, it remains the oldest surviving bridge in New York City although, in fact, much of the current bridge dates from only 1928.

Interior staircase of the High Bridge Water Tower

Originally designed as a stone arch bridge, the High Bridge had the appearance of a Roman aqueduct. Construction on the bridge was started in 1837, and completed in 1848 as part of the Croton Aqueduct, which carried water from the Croton River to supply the  city of New York, which, at that time, was located some 10 miles to the south.  High Bridge has a length of well over 2,000 feet. It was designed by the aqueduct's engineering team, led by John B. Jervis. 

The Croton Aqueduct had to cross the Harlem River at some point, and the method was a major design decision. A tunnel under the river was considered, but tunneling technology was in its infancy at the time, and the uncertainty of pursuing this option led to this alternative's rejection. Don't forget the problems with building the caissons for the Brooklyn Bridge decades later further south on the East River.   A low High Bridge  would have been simpler, faster, and cheaper to construct. When concerns were raised to the New York Legislature that a low bridge would obstruct passage along the Harlem River to the Hudson River, a high bridge was ultimately chosen (see this article for more information on this point).

Installation of the 1860 tube to increase flow.

The water was actually transported atop the structure through two 36 inch diameter cast iron tubes.  In 1860 an additional wrought iron tube of 7 feet, 6 and 1/2 inches in diameter was added above and in between the two original tubes.  The engineer for the enhancement was J. S. Green.  When originally built the High Bridge was an engineering and technological wonder.  It was the first substantially high bridge onto the island, all the previous bridges being, at most, a few feet above the water level.

In 1872 an elaborate reservoir and  tower were completed on the Manhattan side in what is now called Highbridge Park to provide additional pressure for the water system.  It was during this period in the City's history (up to the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge), The High Bridge was considered an icon of the City and a destination for all to admire with awe and wonder of the technology of the day.

The High Bridge Tower and Pumping Station about 1880

In 1928, in order to improve navigation in the Harlem River, all of the masonry arches of the central part of the bridge that spanned the river were demolished and replaced with a single steel arch of about 450 feet. Of the masonry arches of the original 1848 bridge, only one survives on the Manhattan side, while ten survive on the Bronx side.

Officials were thinking of closing the bridge in the mid 1950s due to disrepair, then in 1958 a  number of incidents occurred which precipitated the closing of the pedestrian bridge.  Most notable was that some youths threw a rock and other debris from the bridge onto a Circle Line tour boat injuring a number of passengers, and the bridge was closed.  On January 11, 2013 the mayor's office announced the bridge would reopen for pedestrian traffic by 2014. 

Three Harlem River bridges: High Bridge (showing the steel arch that replaced the original masonry spans), nearest; Alexander Hamilton Bridge (part of I-95); and the Washington Bridge, farthest. Washington Heights is left and the Bronx on right)

From the Bronx

The High Bridge was part of the first reliable and plentiful water supply system in New York City. As the City was devastated by cholera (1832) and the Great Fire in 1835, the inadequacy of the water system of wells-and-cisterns became apparent. Numerous corrective measures were examined. In the final analysis only the Croton River, located in northern Westchester County was found to be sufficient in quantity and quality to serve the needs of the City. The delivery system was begun in 1837, and was completed in 1848.

The Old Croton Aqueduct was the first of its kind ever constructed in the United States. The innovative system used a gravity feed, dropping 13 inches  per mile and running 41 miles into New York City through an enclosed masonry structure crossing ridges, valleys, and rivers. University Avenue in The Bronx was later built over the southernmost mainland portion of the aqueduct, leading to the bridge. The High Bridge soars 138 feet above the 620-foot wide Harlem River, with a total length of 1,450 feet. The bridge was designed with a pedestrian walkway atop the Aqueduct and was not used for vehicular traffic. Though the carrying capacity was enlarged in 1861-62 with a larger tube, the bridge, obsolete due to opening of the New Croton Aqueduct, ceased to carry water in 1917. In the 1920s the bridge's masonry arches were declared a hazard to ship navigation by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the City considered demolishing the entire structure. Local organizations called to preserve the historic bridge, and in 1927 five of the original arches across the river were replaced by a single steel span, the remaining arches were retained.


last modified 7/17//13

Man Jumps from High Bridge and Survives

Thanks to Jason Ubych of the Tain Museum, Ross-Shire Scotland for finding this image

Ronald Donaldson, successfully jumped off the High Bridge as described here in the New York Times.  The 30 year old Scotchman jumped from the center of the 128 foot high bridge into the Harlem River.  Of course, if you are looking in the newspaper for this news, you will, most likely, not find it unless you go back 133 years to when the event actually occurred on August 18, 1880.
This may have been the world record for a high dive into water. I am researching this and will post the timeline of records when completed.  In the meantime, if you have any records you would like to have included, please comment below and I will arrange them into appropriate order.
Who would have known that this local bridge would have been the world record site for the high dive?
Earlier this year a construction worker fell off the Bridge and died.  For further information on this event please see this posting.
Apparently, when high jumping off cliffs, it is referred to as tombstoning.  I wonder why?


TIMELINE of RECORD HIGH DIVES


August 18, 1880    Ronald Donaldson      128    ft.          The High Bridge, Harlem River NYC
Before 1985           Dana Kunze                172    ft.  
1985                      Randy Dickinson         174.7 ft.          Hong Kong
1987                      Oliver Favre                 177   ft.
1886                      Larry Donovan             190   ft           Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge

Jumel Terrace Historic District

Rowhouses on Sylvan Terrace (Jumel Terrace Historic District)

Jumel Terrace Historic District is a National Historic District in Washington Heights, New York, New York. It consists of 49 contributing residential row houses and apartment buildings built between 1882 and 1909. The buildings are primarily wood or brick in the Queen Anne and Romanesque styles and includes a cobblestone street.  Also located in the district is the Morris-Jumel Mansion, dated to about 1765.

The District is located in Manhattan between 162nd and 160th Street on the North and South and St. Nicholas Ave. and Edgecombe Ave. on the West and East.  It is located primarily immediately to the West of the Morris Jumel Mansion Museum which is adjacent to Highbridge Park. The streets contained within the District include parts of Edgecombe Ave., 160th St., and 162nd St., and the entirety of Jumel Terrace and Sylvan Terrace. Some of the district is on the Southern side of 160th St. and the Northern side of 162nd. St.

The High Bridge Water Tower

The Tower in High Bridge Park

Quite literally the high point in High Bridge Park is the High Bridge Water Tower. At nearly 200 feet above the ground, the top of the tower "towers" over the rest of the park, and allows an unobstructed and  commanding panorama of the surrounding area and a very sweeping view of Harlem River below the cliff and its Valley running from the north to the south.

From the water level of the Harlem River, the pedestrian walkway atop the High Bridge is nearly 140 feet above.  From there,the base of the Water Tower is a full 100 feet above the pedestrian walkway and rises from there nearly another 200 feet to the top of the tower, bringing the top of the weather vane of the tower about 440 feet above the river.  To put this in perspective, the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet above the ground level (the statue itself is 151 feet tall).  When the Statue of Liberty was completely installed in 1886 it was the "tallest" structure in New York at the time.

The High Bridge Water Tower was designed by John B Jervis and completed in 1872, about 14 years before the Statue of Liberty was completed.  It was built in order to increase the water pressure for the water delivered to the residents of the city. Jervis had completed construction of the High Bridge and the Old Croton Aqueduct itself some 40 years earlier (the Old Aqueduct had opened in 1842).
According to a New York Times article, "increasing water demands - particularly for the newly developed flush toilet ... strained a system that had not been designed to serve Manhattan's higher ground."

To meet the increased water demands of the city the New York the State Legislature authorized improvements to the Old Croton Aqueduct in 1863, but the new reservoir and water tower developed to meet those needs would not be completed until almost ten years later in 1872.  The octogonal tower is constructed of load bearing walls made of rough cut granite in a Romanesque Greek Revival style with a peaked copper roof.  We have been told that the interior of the tower has an impressive spiral  iron staircase rising to the top with occasional windows allowing breathtaking vistas of the Harlem River Valley below.


As far as anyone can tell there never has been public access to the tower. Perhaps with all the attention being given to the recent redevelopment of the bridge and the park there will be some consideration given to opening the tower to the public some time after the bridge is completed.  We have been told that the ascent on the spiral staircase and the views are well worth the effort of walking up to the top.

The High Bridge, the reservoir and the tower ceased to be used during World War I.  Only the water tower was in use after the war and even it ceased to be used for any purpose after 1949.  None of the major elements mentioned have ever been used in any capacity for New York's water system since that time.  In 1934 the reservoir was converted for use as the swimming pool and in 1959 a carillon was installed in the tower.

In 1984 a fire in the tower caused the roof to cave in.  In 1988 the roof and carillon reconstruction was initiated, however of  the anticipated $900,000 in funds needed to complete the work  there were only sufficient to complete the copper roof section by 1990.  In 2011 it was estimated that he cost of restoring the tower to its full glory would be in excess of $2 million, including the cost of replacing the carillon and the source for those funds was nowhere in sight. The Department of Parks when last asked did not believe that the restoration of the tower would be completed any time around the time that the High Bridge was anticipated to be restored in 2014.

For some early photos of the Water Tower see our other post.




last modified 9/13/15