Harlem Businesses Get Gifts From Shuttered Uptown Bar

HARLEM, NY — A half-dozen Harlem businesses and nonprofits have received gifts that could help them survive the winter — courtesy of a Washington Heights bar that was forced to close its own doors due to the pandemic.

Coogan's, the iconic Uptown bar and restaurant, partnered with Facebook and the United Way of New York City to raise money for other hard-hit small businesses and nonprofits in Upper Manhattan after permanently closing in March as the coronavirus swept the city.

All told, Coogan's raised and distributed more than $113,000 in roughly $4,800 increments, co-owners Peter Walsh, Dave Hunt and Tess O'Connor McDade announced Tuesday.

Here are the Harlem awardees, along with commentary by the Coogan's owners about what makes each place special:

• At The Wallace: "A new place with classic ambiance to feel both downhome and elegant."
• Belle Harlem: "You want quality and service? Stop searching! You just found it!"
• Harlem Public: "And they are what they say! And are proud of the Harlem that gives goosebumps to the rest of the world with food, booze and a healthy amount of soul."
• Randall's Island Park Alliance: "Working along with the Icahn Track it takes young people on the run of their lives."
• Root Juicery of Harlem: "Started by a former Coogan’s bartender who is a superwoman of taste and integrity. Imbibe some healthy selections that will put some pep in your step!"
• The Classical Theatre of Harlem: "Good friend Ty Jones has brought the heart of Shakespeare to the pavement of New York and the soul of the community to the stage of dreams and hopes."
• The HoneyWell: "Crafty beer and food, but the same ol’ warmth of home."

"It's difficult to recognize the leaders that continually provide us with a quality of life. These businesses and non-profits are there in times of celebration, sadness and emergencies," the owners said in a news release. "There are so many more that we wish we could have given to and so much more we wish we had to give.

"This emergency is far from over! Please go out and patronize your neighborhood businesses. They are the soul of the city and the heart of the nation," they added.

Outside of Harlem, most of the awardees are businesses and nonprofits in Inwood and Washington Heights. Read the full list here.

The demise of Coogan's has been among the most widely mourned of the pandemic. Neighbors from Lin-Manuel Miranda to firefighters and medical staff at nearby Columbia Presbyterian Hospital paid tribute after the bar's closure, remembering it as a community gathering place that transcended lines of race and class in the diverse neighborhood.

Patch editor Gus Saltonstall contributed to this report.

Related coverage:

• Shuttered Wash Heights Bar Partners With Facebook For Fundraiser
• Washington Heights' Coogan's To Close After 35 Years, Owners Say