Abandoned Hotels of the Catskills Borscht Belt
By Jonathan Haeber
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Indoor Pool at Grossinger's
I had first read about the Catskills in an Art Spiegelman graphic novel. It was – perhaps satirically – depicted as a place of rest for the father in the story of Maus. The significance of the Catskills is not to be overlooked. Its history, its culture, and what it represents to our changing attitudes about the world, and our relationship with place — all of it could be made into a novel.
In fact, more than one novel has made its central subject the Castkill Mountains. It was the Borscht Belt. It was where Jewish Northeasterners sojourned. It was even where the Hudson School of Art began, and where Thomas Cole found his inspiration. What was its draw? What made it appealing to the rising class of Jewish immigrants who had finally achieved success in the shores of the Eastern Seaboard?
The Grossinger Pink Elephant Lounge in its Hey-day
Today, such escapes can’t exist. They are no longer relevant, nor are they economically sustainable. When a JetBlue flight to Las Vegas costs about the same as a drive to the Mecca of early 20th-century Jewish leisure, one can easily assume that one or the other will fall by the way-side. Chances are, it’s the one that is closer to home that becomes disposable.
By the mid-90s, the vast majority of the 1100 Borscht Belt hotels had become history. Jerry Seinfeld, who was once a regular in the comedy clubs of the area’s resorts, had moved on to network TV. The areas of Sullivan County that were once the centerpiece of Jewish-American leisure could not compete with Florida, Hawaii, The Caribbean, or California.
It was at Grossinger’s Hotel that the very representation of this tragic loss became all-the-more-apparent. Today, the only thing being maintained on resort that dates back to the 19th century are the greens of the golf course. The sprawling complex of 35 buildings, 1200 acres, and once host to 150,000 guests a year, has become an eyesore of the past after closing in 1986.
The Outdoor Olympic Pool at Grossinger's in the 60s
The Grossinger Outdoor Pool Today
There is no longer an active hotel; no outdoor olympic-size swimming facility; no lounge that hosts the high-dollar comedians of their day. There is only a 1/4-full green moss-ridden pool, surrounded by invasive indoor ferns. The burgundy and white tiles are merely a vestige. Fern and freezing-and-melting water become the centerpiece of a once-grand swimming facility. Only the lounge chairs remain as they were 20 years ago, when Grossinger’s had closed its doors once and for forever.
Maus, Catskills and Spiegelman
An Abandoned Desk at the Jennie G Building in the Catskills
Reconstructing the Catskills
I have always held a high reverence for the Catskills. Few people I know had heard of the place. Perhaps it was the single frame that Spiegelman sketched of the place that attracted my imagination. There was something in the fact that it was a destination of escapism, and it was also a place – fantastical as it had become – that was the very antithesis of the horrors and the atrocities of Nazi Germany.
Drawing from old postcards, and trying to reconstruct in my mind the joy and the memories of these Catskills is a poor substitute to actually being in the place at its nadir. My journey to these mountains was limited to a few hours – for my jet flight back to the West was leaving the following morning. But the few hours I was there bended my mind and fractured my own notion of any sort of dimension.
Deep under the boiler house of Grossinger’s, for example, one of the largest of the Borscht Belt resorts, I discovered an intricate system of man-made tunnels that snaked and kitty-cornered under the grand dining room of the hotel. It seemed to be a massive, underground refrigerator or cold-storage area, but it literally occupied a football field’s worth of underground space. Walls collapsed into each other. Ceilings succumbed to the enormous weight of the hotel above me. In certain places, the floors above me had turned into empty holes where one could stare high into the empty spaces of the higher floors after emerging from the dark recesses of the cavernous cold storage room underground.
The Hidden Tunnel at Grossinger's
Walking up to the remains of the skating rank, I encountered a left-behind pair of ice skates, children’s mittens, and a cap – all of which looked to be at least 25 years old. And in the grand wood-paneled lobby, I saw the opulence reduced to a decaying mess of soggy drywall and mossy cement.
Grossinger’s was certainly a headliner among the Catskills hotels, but the Tamarack Lodge came in as an interesting mid-tier alternative.
Experiencing Grossinger’s Hotel After its Decline
There is nothing that will ever match my experience at Grossinger’s. I’m sure that I will never again see anything quite like it. Ironically, these resorts declined as a result – in part because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Before the landmark declaration, many Jews were either implicitly or explicitly not allowed in upscale resorts outside of the Catskills. By the time this occurred, rail service began cutting service to the area, and the jet era was about to begin. A younger generation of Jews had chosen other destinations for vacationing, and the old generation found themselves largely retiring to Florida.
Video Documenting the End of the Catskills Era
And, as a final farewell, just this last spring one of the greatest hotels of the regions was demolished. The Concord was the largest hotel in the Borscht Belt region, and had closed after serving “sumptuous kosher dining” in its 3,000-seat dining room for five decades.Today, many hotels are slated to become Indian gaming casinos – ironically serving another culture just as they once had for half a century.
The Catskills Tamarack Lodge Pool
The Catskills may no longer attract sweeping artistic movements; these mountains my no longer be the sojourn of a post-WWII community battered by the horrrors of bigotry. Downtown, in Liberty, or East Falbrook, Kiamesha, or Bethel – you won’t see the glowing marquee of a matinee or the bright lights of kosher restaurants. But underneath the branches of pine and ash trees, you might just be walking on the old remains of a skating rink or olympic swimming pool. If you do, just imagine what it was like years ago, when this place was a seasonal escape from the crowded hustle of New York City.
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October 28th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Phenomenal! It’s like the North Lake Tahoe of yore on the East Coast. Amazing!
October 28th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
The photos are really amazing, and the ones on flickr tell even more of the story. Excellent.
October 28th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Thanks you two. I plan on writing about the “other” new york location eventually. Hopefully it’ll be just as interesting.
November 5th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Jonathan, can you please get in touch with me? please email me back. It’s about your Catskills photos. They truly amazing! Please get in touch with me.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Damn, Nice write up dude!
That was definetly a fun day.
I was waiting to see these.
November 18th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Great article, Jon!
December 11th, 2008 at 8:39 am
How did you get into the Tamarack?
We have explored Grossingers, The Pines, and The Heiden.
December 24th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Awesome. You should know that Jews still flock there – google Jewish Camps in the Catzkills…
January 5th, 2009 at 6:10 am
[...] Abandoned Hotels of the Borscht Belt [...]
January 18th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
you say today…… is it still there… I know that many of these hotels were demolished
January 18th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Oh yes, Max, it is still there. The Concord is demolished as are a few others, but Grossinger’s remains largely how it was in the 80s.
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:11 am
my family the levine family stated they owened the kiamesha rest hotel in the 40.s which later
became the concord please advise if this factual as i can not locate history thanks
b feldman
May 10th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Great site with some truly fascinating writeups. You have managed to present industrial archeaology in a much more mature and interesting light that the ‘kidults’ of the ‘urbex’ scene.
Regarding the Catskills hotels. One of the lesser-known mentions is by Harold Robbins in, “A Stone For Danny Fisher”. Set in the 20’s and 30’s, the protagonist is employed as a teenaged busboy at such a place. Also, British comic writer Howard Jacobson, in “Roots Schmoots: Journeys Amongst Jews”, writes of a visit to one of the last of these hotels in the late 1980’s – very funny!
May 20th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I grew up in Kingston and had relatives we visited in Monticello and Ferndale every spring. Then after I moved to Western NY I became a volunteer firefighter. I made 7 trips to the Concord for the NY State Chiefs Conventions. It is so sad that those grand old hotels are gone. I have been told that the Seneca Nation of Indians has taken over the Grossingers property and plan to put in a race track and casino. It would be great to see life in that area again although it will never be what it was. A judge friend of mine goes to the Nevele every year for a magistrates gathering. I remember my mother being so excited because she saw Buddy Hackette at one of the hotels and my senior class banquet was held at the Grossingers in 1967. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend. You all have presented a wonderful batch of memories for me with your pictures and websites. Don’t let them go away. Make sure these pages are preserved forever. Never again will those grand old days happen again.
May 25th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
as a jewish kid from queens the catskills will always be in my bones. i went to college there, i was a waiter at the concord and the alladin. the people i met there i will always remember when i was about 11 i stayed at a bungalow colony and it was in my bones for ever. i truely miss those days.
May 26th, 2009 at 9:55 am
When these Hotels started to close up, it broke my heart. I ran Louis Tannen Magic Jubilee for 39 years. We would come up-state the first weekend in Oct. to catch the color changing leaves, and spend probably the best magic weekend ever.Lets see…23 years at Browns, 10 years at Kutshers. 5 years at the Concord,1 year at the old Stevensville. Mrs Brown always called me Mr. Magic. In 1976 David Copperfield made his first appearance Saturday night and received a standing ovation for some 20 minutes by over 1600 in attendance, the next year he made his first TV appearance, and the rest is history. We had magicians from all over the world attend. Japan, Germany, France, England, Italy. They were amazed that the dining rooms could serve 3 meals a day, with all you can eat, every day. That was magic in itself.I retired from magic in 2003, and moved here to Sullivan County where I spent half of my life, and enjoyed every minute. Hoping if a casino does open, I might be able to present another Magic Jubilee. Tony Spina former President & CEO of Louis Tannen Inc.
May 28th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Nice photos. I particularly like the Tamarac Lodge pool. I worked as a busboy and waiter there, and saw the Who perform there.
I don’t know how much more you’d like to explore the topic, but you might put out a general call for pictures and stories. There are probably people like myself who grew up there in the 50s and 60s who could help you (I don’t have any pictures or cards), and you might be able to talk to the children of some of the owners of resorts to get a better primary source view.
I’m ambivalent about the passing of that era (I no longer live near there). Except for the largest hotels and resorts, 80 to 90 percent of all activity took place in the two months between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. The rest of the year the locals did their daily work driving by the increasingly decrepit scenery. Recent visits there are encouraging – many of the dilapidated structures are gone, or absorbed the 40 years of forest regrowth, and it appears, once again, a truly verdant, peaceful place to be.
You should also note that these were exclusive places – they were not simply for Jews, but for the affluent (at least in the upper middle class sense). The NYC workers might make it to a bungalow colony or a kuchalayn for a month or two, and only be able to slip off for one night all summer at one of the ballrooms, if at all. The goyim and many of the local residents were more likely to be employed as temporary help. Not so nostalgic, or ideal.
June 24th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Oh my. This is so sad, and bringing back so many memories. Even though i can hardly remember!
July 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
My wife and I honeymooned at Grossingers in March of ‘64. They gave us the Bridal Suite (Sweat?) for goyim–a cramped room adjacent to that hidden tunnel and its sounds of banging pipes and things that go bump in the night. Even Jewish foreplay (three hours of begging) could not make up for the faux pas of a 22-year-old newly wedded groom who was too embarrassed to ask for an upgrade so he could consummate his marriage. (Fortunately, everything else was top-notch so all was not lost (no pun intended).
Experiencing the fading gentility of the Jewish Alps was one of the saddest experiences of our lives. I had attended a professional conference at the Concord in the 80’s and noticed the tired look of that facility. I was quickly convinced that “The Catskills” as I knew it would soon be history. The days of the hotels and “kuchalanes” in bungalow colonies; the challenge of making it up the Wurtzboro hill(and negotiating around packed,failing vehicles; and the mandatory travel-respites at The Big Apple Rest would just be a brief snapshot in landscape of Jewish culture.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:24 am
I feel like an “antique” since I remember the Catskills so well. I lived in The Bronx and went to so many hotels in the Catskills
that I can’t begin to write about all of them. I loved the Bungalow colonies where we met so many people “LIKE US” – Jewish
with kids. Those were such memorable days. When I was single I went there ‘to find maybe a husband”? I remember the food
(and bring this….for the table)! We consumed tons of great food, but never gained an ounce. Could it be because it was always Kosher food???? The entertainment was fabulous. Even in the bungalow colonies on Saturday nights! I live in Las Vegas now,
but the entertainment is not the same — it’s not ‘haymisha’ music and jokes. At the hotels and in the bungalow colonies, we played mah jongg at the pool and when you were out you went into the pool to cool off. Mahj as we call it now is played with 4-5 “girls” We take turns being “out”. Those days are so clear in my senior mind, altho’ sometimes my short-term memory fails me.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I go upstate with my husband to the Catskills, and am learning it in my forties. I never had a chance as a child. We were lower middle class Jews, in Flushing, and there was no money. It is somewhat painful to see how the other half lived, but I kind of appreciate the note from John who expresses that these were the affluent Jews, not mutts like us getting by. My mother became a nurse, my father left, and I now go up to the Catskills and stay in places varying from high end spas to charming bed and breakfasts. I feel like I missed an era having parents that were kind of socially inept. This is the Dirty Dancing era, but my own Jerry Orbach didn’t give a rat’s ass about his Baby. I guess all these attendees lived in the Five Towns as well. It’s a great piece but certainly bittersweet. It is truly amazing how the earth eats everything up. Beautifully done.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:54 pm
A beautiful and sad site. I used to go to the New Roxy Hotel- My memories of my many summers there fill me with such delight. when I read the comments of others who went to the Catskills I am struck with what a powerful place and special place it was.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
I grew up around the Ellenville,NY area. My prom was held at the Tamarack. My father & his brother were bartenders for Grossinger’s in the 60’s. It hits hard at home for me. The Mohonk Mt.house resort at least will holds it’s grandeur for being one of the top notch Catskill resorts still running even though all the rest have fallen. I’m a little surprised not to see other resorts mentioned ( Sorry for rambling on. I had forgotten this article was on the Borscht belt resorts that died.)Nevertheless thank you for this article.
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 am
Does anybody remember the Kanco Hotel in Ferndale, any old pictures?
October 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Hi does any one know is still standing as of 10/12/09 ? Jerry
November 11th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Does anyone remember the Majestic Hotel in South Fallsburg ?
November 13th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I’m trying to find the grand daughter of man who was a manager of the New Roxie resort in the sixtis, Her name was Bonnie Rosen AKA Bonnie Gaylord His name I guess was Rosen also, and he was about 65 in the mid 60s We worked together as a singing duo.
December 14th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Check out some photos of old Catskill Hotels that I took in 1979.
http://bobkaye.com/CatskillHotels/index.htm
December 15th, 2009 at 1:01 am
Bob,
Thank you for that! Those were incredible shots!
January 12th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
My parents owned the eldorado Hotel in South Fallsburg from 1958-1968
February 10th, 2010 at 3:32 am
Good work. Peak oil will make jet travel too expensive for most people within 10 years. A lot fewer people will be traveling long distances on vacation.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
great site…does any one remember Bessie and Nathan Heller? they owned a string of hotels including the Empire,The Golden the claremore country club …..thet were my grandparents
February 17th, 2010 at 2:32 am
My grandparents and Cousins owned the KANCO Hotel.
My mother Dee Kanter and aunt Edith Kanter would love to hear from anyone with information regarding the hotel. If you worked there or visited. Please email me directly at bigberg1@gmail.com
The last time I was up to the grounds must have been over 25 years ago. I would love to find out what happened to the grounds.
February 19th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Thanks for the short stroll down Memory Lane! My family and I spent many happy summers in Woodridge, South Fallsville and Ellenville: Sorin’s Bungalows, Levner’s Bungalows and the Monterey Hotel- assume all are gone now. It was a great place to grow up and I think about those days often. It’s sad, we spend the years 1959-65 there and it’s likely I can’t even go back and find any of these old places any longer.
Thanks and Happy Memories