There is another picture of
It might help two or three hotels, but thats it, and recently
She came to this country with her brother Sam Woda. Thanks!! It was Heaven!! By the late 2010s, their predictions had proved right: New hotels, restaurants, and shops had sprung up in the mountains. We may have played together at the day camp. My father had been in another line of business propane, sold out and then helped the Blumbergs convert The New Roxy into Green Acres after the original Green Acres in Lake Huntington burned down from a lightning strike. Probably around the early forties. Catskills-meets-Chamonix at Little Cat Lodge, which has an excellent restaurant and interiors inspired by 1960s ski culture in the Berkshires as well as the Alps. Not to mention that I learned how to drive the Farmall and cut grass courtesy of Milton Makowsky. Indelible image in my mind forever. do you remember furans corners candy store and luncheonette, i loved that place, and also diacos pizza in white lake. I am still good friends with my counselor from 1970. The barn is gone but the silo still stands. Get rates. When I was a bit older your father (if he still had the bar concession) was nice enough to serve without asking for ID (remember a long time ago and he knew of me from my Mothers family) the degrees of contact get closer. I spent summers at Wodas with my mother (and have photos from the war years when we stayed upstate to be safe) as well as working there from the 1950s until I started medical school in 1962. I was a lifeguard at the famous Concord
I was 13 in 1969, and I do remember the reveille bugle calls for camp, lol ? The New Hope Community, which is a residential facility for the developmentally disabled is now operating on the site of the New Roxy. Does anyone know who the owner was in the 1940s? It was a couple-three miles to Masten Lake. Untapped New York unearths New York Citys secrets and hidden gems. Its indoor swimming pool, which has transformed into a lush greenhouse over the years, is a destination for adventurers. chaise lounge sitting in the middle of a long ago closed pool patio
Be well! Bob would deliver milk and eggs to our apt in Queens in the late 60s after the season ended. Youll find her there on Facebook. my wife joan and i live in manhattan, and south florida. Visitors, mostly Jewish, came from all
I heard it was on Ulster Heights Road, Ellenville? These skeletons may have the answer, Scientists are making advancements in birth controlfor men, Blood cleaning? Thanks! In recent years, guests were aging and business had slowedthen the pandemic hit. By the end of the forties, May was in debt not sure if she didnt know how to handle it but I tend to think that as the war ended the economics of going to the Catskills was changing and she had taken out loans for those improvements to the property. old Grossingers coffee shop is a shocker. I spent my entire childhood summers there (age 3 17) and I can remember it as if it was yesterday. the front door to the exhibit room. Big Hand Cafe, St. George. the late 1980s, it was on life support and by the mid-1990s in the
of the abandoned hotels because she is a local resident and knows a
lot of people connected to the resorts. He died of a sudden heart attack in 1933 or so. Does your family have any photos of the Overlook Hotel and Bungalow colony that you are willing to share? In some ways, the Jewish Catskills has come full circle. Of course, the resort industry was so big and there were so many hotels and so many visitors, it took a few years for anyone to notice. The director was ken tewell. Unauthorized use is prohibited. There you will find old Catskills
When I moved to Kerhonkson in 1990 and joined Kerhonkson Synagogue he was the community elder. Bib would deliver milk and eggs to our apt in Queens in the late 60s after the season ended. Ive searched on the internet and havent found much else about this bungalow colony. Brian Wagner and Deirdre Patton took over in March of this year . My sister and I spent many summers there with our dad. Some larger resorts, such as the Waldemere in Livingston Manor and the Flagler in Fallsburg, had filed for bankruptcy protection. Her family forbid her to marry a singer so they eloped. As the Catskills revive, Im determined to find among the current offerings some vestiges of the carefree summers my mom spent here. September 9, 2014 by John Conway 109 Comments. My current choice is the new villa Roma. Catskill Mountain Resort Hotels. stories, pictures and who actually owned the hotel. I was the only musician. The counselors were Harriet and Elliot Vines. While highly interesting, the exhibit might have
I worked on summer at the Green Acres as a daycamp counselor. The next morning, my parents were laughing..cause when Norman Batess mothers skeleton was revealed in the basement, the toughest, loudmouth schtarker in the group got up and ran out of the theater screaming! They had a home in Brooklyn and the lovely home on Mt. It was a great summer. Concord, Grossingers, the Nevele, Tamarack Lodge, the Pines,
Attendance dwindled as foreign travel became easier and hotel bans on Jews disappeared in the sixties. from the Roaring Twenties to the 1980s? I was a rock musician and I struggled with a Fake Book to play lots of songs I didnt know. The new year once started in Marchhere's why, Jimmy Carter on the greatest challenges of the 21st century, This ancient Greek warship ruled the Mediterranean, How cosmic rays helped find a tunnel in Egypt's Great Pyramid, Who first rode horses? My father stayed there and fished . Is anyone familiar with the Lake Plaza Hotel in Parksville. I always thought that the golden age of the Catskills was the 1950s 60s and 70s. Someone might have taped former Catskills comics talking
They were both at my wedding in Brooklyn in 1985. The pool was a center of family summers at Tony Leones resort in New Yorks Catskills, circa 1960. The White Lake Mansion House was built in 1848 and was one of the first profitable hotels in the Borscht Belt region. Many cite the existence of dozens of hotels in the 1970s as proof that it couldnt possibly be so. It was a vacation
The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? Our unit has Turkish kilim rugs and a slate-tiled bathroom. I remember your mom and her brother Ralph. I have lived in the Catskills for
I went to take a look at where it once was a few years ago, and it is gone. 424 High Falls Road Extension, Catskill, NY, 12414. Who can ever forget the Borscht
Our band, The Shape of Thyngs, played up there in 66 and 67. After dinner it was a ritual to walk along the road. Im sure the building is long gone. and their vacationers looked like when the Borscht Belt was at its
Best of luck. And yet these days most historians agree that the Golden Age of Sullivan Countys tourism industry, which began around 1940, came to an end around 1965, and they cite a number of reasons for choosing that particular year. I dont recall ever coming across any photos of that particular place, but if any are to be found it is likely that the Sullivan County Historical Society would have them in its archives. Hi John, Did you ever stay at Rosenberg around 1960? It was a success. basketball phenom Wilt Chamberlain, all 7 of him, was a bellboy
This is the story of an area of 250 square miles, approximately an hour and a half drive northwest of New York City, which over the course of last century became a resort phenomenon unlike any other. they never actually cleaned up the decaying buildings and nightclubs. She has
How that all came about is a mystery to me. Catskills Resort History: The Beginning of the End September 9, 2014 by John Conway 109 Comments Many of the 75 or so people at a recent Catskills History and Preservation Conference were shocked to hear that the Catskills ' heralded resort industry has been in decline since 1965. The main house was on a hill and there were steps up to it from the road. Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the body. Just wondering if either one of you is related to the Wexler family from Liberty. Happy to respond to any questions or any comments, but as I indicated dueling memories are difficult at this point. The place had a day camp for the guests children. I wanted to do this exhibit to show that the whole area today
Scheinfeld is spectacular. Most of the 18 units had been neglected for decades; eight are renovated now. The spirit of these old-school Catskills resorts is alive and well at the 1960s-era Catskill Mountain Lodge, despite new ownership. and is there any write up on the place available? There is a riveting photo of a guest room at the Tamarack
In the one I join, members often ask where they can re-create their childhood memories. probably could never have done the exhibit. Legendary resorts soon sat abandoned. Windsor, Gilberts, Zeigers, Camp Hi-Li -- today look eerily
So interesting! Scheinfeld says. Fallsburg, N.Y. We lived in Parksville where my dad owned a gas station. The telephone is lying on the bed, with the receiver next to
my brother and i both worked the summer of 1965 at the hotel. Laurels Hotel and Country Club, Sackett Lake, Monticello, N.Y. people who see the exhibit and many of them are Borscht Belt
I remember going to Wodas Hotel as a child with my grandparents. Required fields are marked *. floor where the old orchestra seats used to sit. Now, though, nearly a hundred years later, it is gone. The good times lasted until the 1960s and 1970s, but the 1950s were the best decade in terms of profitability. Sorry, I dont recall your grandmother. Maurice Silverman was his name and Belle Fox was her name of blessed memory. But it was already torn down n was a home . I am interested to find out more about the New Roxy in the 1940s/50s etc. Thanks again for taking the time to write. Thanks so much for your response and all the info you have shared with me. The plans to tear down the building, which had become dilapidated beyond. Could you possibly e-mail me the address and a phone or email of the now establishments. The area
This project was created using the CERES: Exhibit Toolkit with help from the Digital Scholarship Group at the Northeastern University Library. My mom thinks her old bungalow colony, Mishkins Cottages, was in a town called Bullville. Has anyone considered a book or driving tour of where all of these hotels were and what is there now? It was freedom., Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. lot of Borscht Belt memorabilia in a nice wall length exhibit outside
I dragged my mom, Debi, with me to find out. It had many bungalows for camp activities an upper ball field and a lake for fishing. Take care, Joan and stay in touch! Lodge. When does spring start? trips to the Catskills in the old days. Thank you for your comment. Do you remember the ballroom-dancing Belkins? with the pedal to the metal. I had some relatives who owned hotels in the mountains. Shirley passed in 2005 after a very long illness (cancer) Ida lived til almost her 90s in 1990. An outside photographer
730 E 950 S #D202, Orem, UT 84097 is a 1,026 sqft, 2 bed, 2 bath home. Be well and safe. I went fishing with my Papa in the little lake across the road and caught my first fish. I will keep an eye out for any from the hotel. I think there were 2 row boats. Unfortunately, I wish I could remember more about our vacations there. Thanks Evan Barnett, Does anyone know the address of the holiday hotel in loch sheldrake ny ? Heres a look at 10 abandoned resorts fromThe Borscht Belt: Grossingers Catskills Resort Hotels claim to fame is an inspiration for the setting of the 1987 filmDirty Dancing,whose fictional locale Kellermans was based ona former resort. It was mostly a Greek hotel and was thriving during those years. There are photos of many of the stars who became famous at the
I remember the young daughter of Shustons whose name was Freddy. nirvana, a fantasy off route 17 two hours from the New York City,
Please email me at
[email protected] I would gratefully appreciate it. I dont know what made me check this tonight, but I am so glad I did. Hopefully, that will happen in the not too distant futuretime is running fast and running out! Down the road a bit, across the road, there was a kuchalein, a boarding house with multi kitchens which burned down in the early fifties. It was old at the time. You must remember their parents, Bob and Doris Belkin, who taught ballroom dancing. Borscht, a beet-based soup popular with Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants, was a colloquialism for "Jewish". Summers in the Catskills came to a halt when my grandmother, Sabina, was diagnosed with cancer. For me, this is 70 years ago. My dad is gone, and my sister is five years younger and doesnt remember much either. One night he made me sing Getting to Know You with him. The Concord Resort Hotel (pronounced KAHN-cord, (/ k k r d /)) was a resort in the Borscht Belt of the Catskills, known for its large resort industry in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.Located in Kiamesha Lake, New York, United States, the Concord was the largest resort in the region and was also one of the last to finally close in 1998, long after the others closed. Take my girlfriend: I think shes the most remarkable woman in the world. My great grandparents moved a Ellenville in the 20s and my whole family grew up there. The entire camp was sitting in there watching in awe. It was the best times ever., My mom nods. in another. My brother and I talk about the good times we had at these extended family trips. Hi John my family owned the Youngs gap hotel did u know my great grandma Anne holder and my great aunt& uncle Dotty & Frank Spector? Enjoy the seasonal outdoor pool and perks like free self parking and free WiFi. They beam, said the
We went every Monday to Middletown or Monticello for groceries. You see a
Its missing the chaos, the freedom, and the comfort of seeing the same families year after year. The fabled Catskills resorts, with their fabulous nightclubs, began to die when the jet airplane started carrying vacationers to Florida and the Caribbean in the 1960s. Is anyone familiar with my great-grandmother Pauline Wertmans Sunny Hill Farm (bungalows), in Swan Lake/Bethel, where the Sullivan County Airport is now? A nightclub and a restaurant are featured at this smoke-free motel. New Yorkers hungry for mountain air, good food and the American way of leisure came to the mountains by the thousands, and by the 1950s a Half-million people each year inhabited the "summer world" of bungalow colonies, summer camps and small hotels. The authors mother, Deborah Strochlic, and her family escaped New York City for Mishkins Cottages during summers in the 1950s. as Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Sid Caesar, Danny Kaye, Alan King, Shecky
Please share your memories with me! It was a neat place. Her sister is Stephanie. These resorts were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews . . Mays property was about 80 acres and included a very old two story stone barn. I had a big crush on her even as a youngster. I remember there was a large main house for meals and shows. Have to say that was pretty special for a 10 year old kid! Hi Dan, funny story! Trying to keep up with the prosperous giants like Grossingers and the Concord, they have gone heavily into debt for Olympic swimming pools, indoors and outdoors, ornate lobbies and glittering nightclubs, Bigart wrote. Most newcomers and even some old timers who should know better find it hard to believe that the countys heyday was over by the mid-1960s. Two boys Burt and Ronnie. By the 1980s, however, the once-bustling region, home to numerous hotels, bungalows, tennis courts, and swimming pools, became desolate as New Yorkers began to favor different destinations. The movie Dirty Dancing
It was beautiful and genteel. The hotel was simply known as the "Nevele" until . Thanks for your insights on the Kennedy slide have not heard of that. At night, comedians would do their shtick for a well-dressed audience. It was a great place for those of us escaping Brooklyn. vacationers from the old days. Do you know what happened to the Kranas Family (Shirley is the daughter) who owned the Leroy Hotel in Loch Sheldrake? Those that could make the necessary upgrades found themselves hopelessly in debt. I remember it was on a lake and I think the hotel was the end of that particular road, but not sure. Is Burt still with us? decayed. That was when millions of Americans stayed at the hundreds of bungalow colonies and hotels in the area. He is my grandfathers grandson (father Ben and his mom was Shirley). programs, golf course scorecards, tee shirts, golf clubs, nightclub
Do you remember going to the childrens day camp there? Was this the revival of those mythical 1950s summers? section to this sad after section. Also trying to find the Belkins, who used to be the dance team at the hotel. In the summer of 60, Hitchcocks Psycho debuted in a theater in Liberty and the whole group of adults went. I bought it from a mrs fern green . We also lived in Windsor Park when I was about 5. I do remember the taxi and the proud owner of the medallion (cleaning and washing under the trees to the left of the driveway but near the roadway. The lush New York hotels
They then purchased the land for what would become Grossingers, a resort that thrived thanks to the leadership of the couples daughter, Jennie. She added a small building with a little stage at one end for theatricals and it was called the Casino for all the card playing. Its a loop thats west of Mettachonts Rd and south of Boodle Hole Rd and Im wondering if this is it. formed colonies there. So far, the answer had always been no. A new phenomenon by the 1960s was that the Catskills didnt just appeal to the mostly Jewish clientele but to many other people around the country and worldwide. Lot Size 3.2 Acre. Bats and agaves make tequila possibleand theyre both at risk, This empress was the most dangerous woman in Rome. Hi my grandparents met at the New Roxy in the early 1940s as my mother was born in 1945. Many establishments had already invested capital they didnt have in trying to keep up with the larger hotels in the increasingly competitive Catskills tourism market. main hall for the photo exhibit and a shock. Does anyone know anything about the Red Barn Resort? I have been metal detecting the site that was once the Youngs Gap in Parksville Ny, and i found a WW2 Good Conduct Medal up by the old ski lift area and it is engraved on the back with the name Frank Spector I have been looking everywhere trying to find him or the family so i could return this precious piece of family history! By the mid-1960s, however . The cabaret at the
Pines is still there in one photo, but with its fancy entry doors all
The Olympic hotel was our destination in the summers of 74 76. menus. Those were the days! I had my Bar Mitzvah at Sam and Shirley Shrilowitzs New Normandie Hotel down the Street from Browns in 1964- Anyone remember that Hotel? These institutions shaped American Jewish culture, enabling Jews to become more American while at the same time introducing the American public to immigrant Jewish culture. Her name name was Ghaika (Helen). The abandoned Borscht Belt in New York's Catskills, a former Jewish vacationland, is home to memories of a former respite from city life. Anyway, thanks for your comments, Neil. Beginning in the 1970s, virgin land and aging bungalow colonies were once again selling cheap, inspiring a new wave of Jewish vacationersOrthodox and later ultra-Orthodox communities from Brooklyn. Most were in Sullivan county and Ulster county. He was quite a character, dancer and ladies man! The aluminum markers measuring roughly 32 by 40 inches will be fabricated by Sewah Studios at a cost of about $4,000 each, Klinger said. Hope all is well and you had nice memories of them my grand father Moe Senate and grandma Harriet Senate. Anyone know where the Woodbine Hotel was located, exactly? Meanwhile, at the Catskills large hotels, entertainment was paramount. a second later, their eyes light up and they tell me stories of their
It was then reincarnated as the Green Acres Hotel for a short time, and that was purchased by New Hope in the early 1970s. Frequented by athletes, entertainers, and wealthy businesses, this resort fittingly adopted the slogan Grossingers Has Everything for the Kind of Person Who Likes to Come to Grossingers. However, the resort today lies in ruin. It also mentioned that there was a fire in 2011 that destroyed some of the propertyI think some of the hotels rooms were spared and have now been refurbished. in the summer of 1966, sodas was just not the sam e without ronnie woda. Unfortunately, all my relatives with knowledge are no longer alive. My mom and dad were Sylvia and max Biller and my grandparents max and Helen Gottesman. Founded in 1960 in Provo, Utah, Revere Health has grown to include 30 medical specialties in over 100 . If your sister was Carol, then our bass player used to date her, I think. At the property entrance, Scott Rosmarin, the third-generation proprietor, scoops me and my mom up in a golf cart to cruise through the grassy lanes. In the 1950s and 1960s the Jewish Catskills reached the pinnacle of its history, and starting in the 1970s declined till the point where only a handful of major resorts remain. All of the stools for
Does the camp still exist? Since it opened in 2016, Scribners has come to epitomize the Catskills of the Instagram era, with its barrel sauna, color-coordinated bookshelves, and smores packets in each room. the museum of New Yorks Yeshiva University, in the heart of
This 21st-century revival is unfolding at places like Scribners Catskill Lodge, a repurposed 1960s motor inn. photo of the Laurels indoor pool, covered with snow and the roof
My father (Harold Birnbaum) had the bar concession with his cousin (Heshie or Jackie Cohen, Im not sure which) and my mother was the singer/pianist (Elaine Fein Birnbaum). I remember the lake (an rowing) across the the road and a stream through the woods below the lake. Thats not unusual. 1. Do you know what ever happened to the property? Hilarious. We were always amazed on how old the graves were. Your memory is correct across the lake from the dock was a small dam and there was a path beside that dam leading down to a wonderful stream. It seems they became quite famous. Legions of young men and women used the Catskills as a springboard to successful careers and marriages. People have looted
I was born in 58 and have amazing early childhood memories of the place and our bungalow. been more complete. That would probably be about right. Are there pictures online or any web links you recommend? I am sorry I did not personally know anyone connected to the Youngs Gap, nor did I ever visit the hotel, though my wife, who grew up in Liberty, did. She died when my mom was 11, and so did the tradition. Do you possibly remember my dad, Lee Goodsmith? I did not set
wild, colorful graffiti decorating the walls and the barren concrete
From everything I have read and heard over the years, it was an innovative resort, and one of the best managed of all the Catskills resorts. like the ruins of Pompeii. Thank you. Was Shuston Resort around Livingston Manor. Their names were Belle Fox (grandmother) and Maurice Silverman. Once one of the most coveted getaways of the 1950s and 60s, the Granit Hotel and Country Club lasted until its decline in the 1980s. Has anyone heard of Woolfes Bell-Aire Country Club in Parksville? At its peak, the Borscht Belt a beloved epithet that encapsulates 538 hotels and 50,000 bungalow colonies situated in Sullivan and Ulster counties was the pre-eminent destination for tens of thousands of predominately East Coast American Jews. Jay. such as Sammy Davis Jr.,
Stanley Turkel. lena married izzy woda, and he became my step grandfather. I am just hoping to find photos of it, or any information that can point me in the right direction, Thanks! My mom used to take us to visit Sam and Pearl and Myrna and Laura. The lodge boasted its own bowling alley and an indoor. Just came across this note. pictures of the ruins. Please feel free to email me ASAP so i can get it to who it belongs!! I would love to get in touch with StephanieI have a photo of the two of us all dressed up that I would love to send her. If I was in Parksville I wouldnt even begin to know where to look for it. If you do know anything or have any information. I havent lived in New York for many years, and would love to return. Whatever did happen to the Catskills,
As the largest independent multi-specialty physician group in Utah, our healthcare system gives patients the best in communication, quality, coordination and innovation. That's not unusual. You can almost see the ghosts of Sammy Davis Jr. and others in the
It must have been very difficult for her. When school let out, they would pack a car with bedding, kitchenware, and clothes and move to the Catskills until Labor Day. May was a tough old bird, hard working and a great cook. I think I backed up your mother as an organist at a Bungalow Colony. By the 1950s, more than a million people were spending their summers in bungalow colonies, hotels, and summer camps in the Catskill Mountains and surrounding areas, which came to be known as the "Borscht Belt" or "Jewish Alps." But just several decades later, those resorts had all but disappeared. Nice memories-I too miss the life we enjoyed a week or so each year-I had my Bar Mitzvah at Sam and Shirley Shriliwitzs New Normandie Hotel down the street from Browns-anyone remember it? Jerry Lewis invented routines there and
not set up anything; this is all pure, living history.. Many people vacationed in the Catskills and it
After World War II, my grandparentsrefugees from Polandmoved to the Bronx, started a family, and settled into this new tradition. put together an exhibit of several dozen pictures, Biden Should Remove Cuba from List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, Descendants of Slaveholder Donor Denounce Law School Name Change, How Social Media and Community Schools Could Fill in Gaps Teaching Black History, American Girl Dolls Declare the 1990s Ancient History, Review: DeSantis's Book is a Campaign Tome Written by ChatGPT, Reconsidering Phillis Wheatley's Place in the Revolutionary Era, Philosopher Lewis Gordon's Impact on Black Jewish History, Quintard Taylor's Black Past Project Fights Erasure of History, Review: The Unfinished Business of "Double V", One Reason to Confirm National Archivist Fast? Thank you. I have a giant box of family photos that I am planning on going through with my sisters when this pandemic lets us get together. Decommissioned stage props and stacks of chairs crowd the entry. The nightclubs and nearly all of the resorts closed, the
My family had great times there. Abe Rosenthal, manager of the Waldemere, specifically blamed the hotels financial problems on the new fireproof building costing $2 million built after a fire three years before had killed three guests. Does anyone remember the Spring Lake hotel in Liberty New York. were the birthplace and later the homestead of such talented comics
I was up in the area a few years ago and just could not find it. I have some fond memories. Im sure we must have known you. Blissful escapes to the mountains of New York became the stuff of legend in many Jewish families. we had some fun times up there until 1966. unfortunately my cousin ronnie was killed in a motorcycle accident in the fall of 1965. he was attending sullivan county comm. if ny had the helmet law then, ronnie would still be alive. Launch Slideshow 11 PHOTOS Dotted across Sullivan. One of her favorite photographs in it shows a green fern pushing through the cracked concrete of a long-abandoned pool. It looks just like it did in 1969 when I started going there. I spent the first 25 summers of my in the Catskills. My family also vacationed at the Lake Plaza in 59 and 60. A luxury stay in a bright orange room. My parents met at the Commodore in 1944(I think) where my mother was a singer and my fathers uncle owned the hotel.