Coronavirus: The blow to Main Street

Main Street, meaning "we the people," and Main Street, meaning the civic and commercial centers of our cities, are taking body blows through this pandemic.  One example of this is the closing of Coogan's restaurant in Northern Manhattan.  Coogan's survived Presbyterian Hospital's rent-gauging by the concerted action of friends of Coogan's, helped by Times' report Jim Dwyer and playwright Lin Manuel Miranda.  But too many expenses couldn't be defrayed and this venerable and important anchor of Broadway has been forced to shutter its doors.  When we reopen New York, some chain store, that hijacked the small business loan fund to survive, will move in with no care for the neighborhood, not like Coogan's cared.  This is a sad day for all of us.

Remember Samson and the Pillars?

One of the great films of my youth was the Cecil B. DeMille production of "Samson and Delilah."  The heart of the story is that strong man Samson reveals to seductress Delilah that the secret of his strength is in his long hair.  She cuts it off and delivers him to his enemies, who blind and torture him.  Over time, she regrets her betrayal and his hair grows back.  In the final scene, he tells her to lead him to the pillars of the building where his enemies are gathered.  He uses his great strength to push the pillars out of place and bring down the building.  To all of us raised on Bible stories, this was a very satisfying moment, and obviously it teaches us something about pillars.

I think the heads of NY Presbyterian Hospital -- despite the name -- did NOT go to Bible School and missed the pillar talk.

What's why they feel free to knock down a pillar of the Washington Heights neighborhood, Coogan's Restaurant, which has been holding the place up for decades.

For those of us who ate there, partied there, got support from there, this is an unconscionable act.  We understand the role of Coogan's in getting us through the crack era, with its street terror and violence.  We know that Coogan's always helped the neighborhood -- the 5K run, the book parties for local authors, the donations of water for our annual Hike the Heights.

Coogan's is not the place you imagine when you think of the train wreck of gentrification.  The photo in The Times shows the usual crowd, doctors, nurses, techs, administrators, business people from the hospital, enjoying lunch together.

But gentrification is not about a specific income target -- like getting poor people out of a neighborhood.  It's about maximizing profits -- the hospital wants $40,000 a month for the space, more than Coogan's can pay.  That Coogan's "pays" by caring for the neighborhood doesn't count in the math of "make more money."

And that is why we need to re-read the story of Samson.  Pillars are there for a very good reason.  This is a terrible Main Street story, because NYP got it all wrong.