New Book Chronicles The Life Of Beloved Wash Heights Bar Coogan's

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The storied history of a Washington Heights bar and its impact in the uptown community will now be available to read through a new book.

"Last Call at Coogan's: The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar" is now available for pre-order online.

"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," reads a description of the book.

While some people might know the history of the bar remaining open — the book will also get into the watering's hole most colorful regulars — such as an aspiring actor from Kentucky, a television reporter who loves karaoke, and a Puerto Rican community board manager who falls in love with a local Irish cop.

Michaud, the author, is currently a librarian at the Milburn Free Public Library, and worked as the head librarian at The New Yorker from 2003 to 2012.

His debut novel "When Tito Loved Clara" was the named best book of the year by The Barnes & Noble Review and was a finalist for the Writer's Center First Novel Prize.

It is not the first time that the iconic Washington Heights bar inspired a piece of art.

"Coogan's Way", which tells the history of how the bar came to find a home in Upper Manhattan and became a beacon of community, debuted at the 2021 Harlem International Film Festival last May.

The film, directed by Glenn Osten Anderson, was nominated last year for a New York Emmy Award.

Coogan's closed its doors at West 169th Street and Broadway in April 2021 after serving customers in the community for over 35 years.

You can check out the new book for yourself — here.