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. I have something that might be of interest to you and your family You mentioned that your Great uncle was Frank Spector? I do remember my Great Aunt telling a story of how she was friendly with Jenny Grossinger as they were about the same age. That would probably be about right. Concord Resort Hotel; In February 2018, Resorts World Catskills opened on the site of the old hotel. 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. I remember going to Wodas Hotel as a child with my grandparents. You shudder when you see some of the These animals can sniff it out. We may have played together at the day camp. There were only 12 bungalows as I remember it. Fallsburg, N.Y. County officials became aware of the trend at least as early as 1962 by which time the so-called Kennedy slide had caused a nationwide credit crunch and economic downturn so the area wasnt alone. Grossingers soon flourished into a grand destination so large it had its own airstrip and zip code, with arenas for tennis, ice skating, and skiing (it was the first resort to use artificial snow in 1952). Hi Neil, I just googled something else and this site came up. My grandmother had a very large family and it seemed that there was always some other family members there. Maurice Silverman was his name and Belle Fox was her name of blessed memory. I was very friendly with their daughter, Stephanie. with the pedal to the metal. My sister and I spent many summers there with our dad. My dad is gone, and my sister is five years younger and doesnt remember much either. They beam, said the Big Hand Cafe, St. George. Borscht, a beet-based soup popular with Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants, was a colloquialism for "Jewish". The New Hope Community, which is a residential facility for the developmentally disabled is now operating on the site of the New Roxy. But it was already torn down n was a home . centers, orthodox Jewish colonies and drug rehab centers. Nostalgia for the old Catskills is so strong that multiple Facebook groups exist for former visitors to reminisce. My maternal grandparents met at the New Roxy in the 1940s. In the summer of 60, Hitchcocks Psycho debuted in a theater in Liberty and the whole group of adults went. I spent the next 5 years at the Paramount. My father hated being with his in-law for the week but my brothers and I, ages 9 to 14, enjoyed the surrounding woods where we loved to turn over rocks to see creepy things and pick up little red efts, which you could almost call cute. The pictures are near movie poster size I believe the Rosenberg family owned both as well as the laurel hotel & country club. I would be happy to connect with Burt. I was a jr. counselor in 67 and 68 at weelock. I am 67 and would love to make the trip up by car from Florida at the first sign of Spring, I would appreciate it more than I can tell you. It was a great place for those of us escaping Brooklyn. Catskills Historical Resorts & Hotels Resorts & Lodges 84 places to stay Vacation Rentals 2 places to stay Round Top (3) Windham (2) Woodstock (1) Tannersville (1) Kerhonkson (1) Hunter (1) Callicoon (1) Catskill (1) Fleischmanns (1) Greenville (1) Andes (1) Show All Cities All Resort Types Meetings Reunions Wedding All-Inclusive Beach Family Golf I have heard stories about Loch Sheldrake and the area and believe that my great-grandfather Jacob Silverman is buried in a Jewish cemetery in Napanoch or Warburg. The best and most exciting part of the Catskills came during this period. Its missing the chaos, the freedom, and the comfort of seeing the same families year after year. There was no one who could stay with the kids while my grandfather manned his shop on the weekdays. While highly interesting, the exhibit might have 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. I went to take a look at where it once was a few years ago, and it is gone. Bats and agaves make tequila possibleand theyre both at risk, This empress was the most dangerous woman in Rome. builders who promised a renovation but did nothing. Bib would deliver milk and eggs to our apt in Queens in the late 60s after the season ended. Most of the last operational bungalow colonies rent for the entire summer, so we opt for the next best thing: the Glen Wilde, a former colony converted into Airbnb rentals by two Brooklyn designers. My grandfather, who ran a hosiery store in the Bronx, would visit on the weekends. I always thought that the golden age of the Catskills was the 1950s 60s and 70s. the casino business has been failing, she said. When I would go to my calm place, I would wander down to the lake and to the left where the stream flowed to the damn, there was a really big rock where I would just sit for hours. My mother was Gladys Lane a professional singer who worked the Borscht Belt summers & performed in Lakewood NJ winters. There is a single Does this remind you of your childhood? I ask her. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? Hi Dan, funny story! We drive down rural streets until, at a small intersection, we find a building my mom recognizes and a clerk who remembers that a train once ran nearby. 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 attended Camp Weelock, Camelot and Capri. I know that the era of oid is gone but Im hoping that the Catskills will still be a popular vacation choice for many people for years to come! [40] If you do know anything or have any information. Although the Sullivan County Hotel Association maintained that despite some attrition among obsolete hotels, the resort industry was in excellent shape, it was apparent that the heyday had passed. When I moved to Kerhonkson in 1990 and joined Kerhonkson Synagogue he was the community elder. In 1969 I became a staff member at The Commodore & started in the Kids dining room & wound up as a busboy in the Main. 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. Were they the same Rosenbergs that owned the Ulster Lake House. My family went to Bob-Eds in the late 1960s, so it was interesting to see your post. Ive talked to And then you walk into the I know Frank would love to get in touch with her. Please be respectful of copyright. She was Aunt Lena and I believe his name was Max. The Catskills is a place nestled almost permanently in the popular imagination. Some keep hoping for an area renaissance. Across the road was the luncheonette. Prosper Manor, and restore her financial condition. It was a couple-three miles to Masten Lake. Something new is growing out of the old, she says. The photographs make an evocative and is there any write up on the place available? To Linda Amar small world to me knowledge I know of no Flamenbaums with your names have come across several kindreds happy to say hellow my Father married into the Catskills by marrying a Woda from Swan Lake. I heard it was on Ulster Heights Road, Ellenville? 2. Plus my great-aunt Gertie married into the Paul family, of Pauls Hotel. I remember it was on a lake and I think the hotel was the end of that particular road, but not sure. Some owners had no funds to do so. Also Zieglers, which I think was also replaced by the airport, but on the Mongaup Valley side, was owned by my great-great aunt Clara Feld Ziegler. Hi Linda this is Jeff Biller and my whole family including my brother Leslie Biller and sister Barbara Biller spent many summers at the lake Plaza and remember you and Stevie your parents and grandparents . My family members Annie Klass and her relations and Al Senate and his and Benny Cohen and his were involved in running respectively the Klass House, the Youngs Gap and the New Brighton. Bob-Eds became Camp Capri and then the property was sold to NYC firemen. Thanks for thoughts. Scotts grandfather bought Rosmarins in 1941; when other colonies closed, his father absorbed their clientele. first photos, especially one of the rundown lobby of The Pines, with PS. Totally, she says. Take my girlfriend: I think shes the most remarkable woman in the world. Eddie Cantor, Eddie Fischer and Duke Ellington. It is a victim of a lot of things, but mainly, I think, as the Bible Vacationers clamored for rooms in hotels like Grossinger's, the Raleigh, the Nevele, Tamarack Lodge, the Concord, Kutsher's, Brown's, Brickman's, Granit, Pines and so many others. I think I may try to get in touch with Stefanie through Allisons facebook page. 1. My brother and I talk about the good times we had at these extended family trips. These skeletons may have the answer, Scientists are making advancements in birth controlfor men, Blood cleaning? is ruins, just like European ruins of long ago. I visit the grounds frequently and still remember fond memories of the Bourbins and Rubensteins, especially Jeff Rubenstein. From the 1920s through the '60s, hundreds of thousands of American Jews flocked to the great hotels, bungalow . 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. decaying. My mom used to take us to visit Sam and Pearl and Myrna and Laura. Gone were the glamorous, fun-loving vacationing crowds of former seasons. was started. section to this sad after section. 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! exhibit, open through April, is a walk through entertainment history. I dont know what made me check this tonight, but I am so glad I did. Hotel history. I know I was there as a much younger child because there are photos of me and my mother by the pool. In Swan Lake, he stopped by Pauls, once one of the countys premier resorts, which last year advertised An Unforgettable Family Vacation, (and) is now Daytop Village, a private institution for the rehabilitation of narcotics addicts.. September 9, 2014 by John Conway 109 Comments. heyday, full of laughing bathers. It was said That the Catskills was hotter than putting present day las.vegas and Atlantic city together. post cards, hotel tee-shirts, nightclub programs and restaurant I came across this post while searching information on the historic The Overlook Hotel and Overlook Bungalow Colony in High View NY. The hotel is on the right as you drive down the beautiful road. The area Catskills memorabilia more postcards, ticket stubs, sports anyone know about Holtzmanns Bungalow Colony in Lake Huntington? 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. On a July summers night sitting on the floor of this large barn structure that had a small black and white tv sitting on a high portable AV cart so all could get a glimpse of this historic moment. main hall for the photo exhibit and a shock. It was Mike Rubinstein that taught me how to swim. Not according to biology or history. Oh, if you ever get there again, the name of the road is Cooley Road. the front door to the exhibit room. He is my grandfathers grandson (father Ben and his mom was Shirley). I remember the dog house with the beagles that would chase you adjacent to the main house. pictures of the ruins. Everybody talks about that one. Both my brother and I have been living in Israel for the last 35-40 years. Photograph by Eric Bard, Corbis via Getty Images. Its really nice to be in touch with you, Joan. Still in business? Craig. I would love to share that photo of the two us that I have! Scientists just confirmed a 30-foot void first detected inside the monument years ago. lot of Borscht Belt memorabilia in a nice wall length exhibit outside that a new casino planned for the area will allow it to bounce back. Many cite the existence of dozens of hotels in the 1970s as proof that it couldnt possibly be so. I remember Sam woda. Grandmothers name was Belle Fox, my grandfather was Maurice Silverman. I have lived in the Catskills for While I remember some family names as many returned each summer, my memory is not as sharp as it used to be but if you give me a clue and I can try. My mother does not remember who owned the hotel in the family. I went to camp weelock from 1965-1972. My Grandparents names are Minnie and Izzy Mankes. Its sad that the era came to an official end after the closing of kuthshers country club in 2014. 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. a second later, their eyes light up and they tell me stories of their Her husband had been a successful businessman in the china business. Do you remember the ballroom-dancing Belkins? The entire camp was sitting in there watching in awe. Does anyone have any information on a hotel name: New Alpine House in the Catskill Mountains, East Durham, Greene co; N.Y in around the 1930s. a Pines room with pink insulation ragged bags hanging down from the I know this a long shot. Does anyone remember The Wodas Hotel in Swan Lake. What if we could clean them out? The New Roxy had closed in mid-August that summer, the latest in a long list of casualties among the medium-sized hotels in the Catskills, hotels accommodating 200 to 700 guests, Bigart noted. it, as if someone had just made a call. I found the phone on the bed and snapped the picture. My father perfomed (sang) every now and then on stage. 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. gone. I was a camper at Camp Weelock for 2 summers, 1968-1969. 28 years, since I was a kid. Anyone know where the Woodbine Hotel was located, exactly? I looked on Google Earth, and from an aerial view I saw what might possibly be the bungalow colony as I remember it (of course I was young, so its hard to say). My current choice is the new villa Roma. they never actually cleaned up the decaying buildings and nightclubs. I was in the Catskills last year and drove up and down roads in Parksville, but could not find where the hotel had been located. She shrugs. Its a very gratifying business, Scott says, steering the golf cart past a CEO working from his laptop on a porch and two elderly women chatting in lawn chairs outside their bungalows. I was hoping Stephanie might remember me and could fill in some of the blanks. My father stayed there and fished . Today, they remain as they were in the 90s, rotting, filled with There are 96 units spread over 120 acres, along with a pool and a game room, where his 90-year-old mother is playing canasta. I miss my city so much. In woodridge but Im also considered Fallsburg . Always nice to communicate with someone who has some of the same memories of a time that has been practically erased. I remember Ronnie and his sister Celina. As a really little kid, I would hound Bob Rubinstein to give a ride in his 56 Ford pick-up or a ride on the yellow and white Cub Cadet tractor. Hi my grandparents met at the New Roxy in the early 1940s as my mother was born in 1945. The Best Hotels in New York . The group gathering room for classes and shows wss called the Casino- I guess due to card games or bingo. stories, pictures and who actually owned the hotel. Was Shuston Resort around Livingston Manor. Eco-friendly burial alternatives, explained. If you could check with Allison to see if Stephanie would mind me contacting her, I would be very grateful! All rights reserved. Please let me knowthanks! Summer 2020 was like the old days, he says, completely booked, with shouts of Marco! Polo! echoing from the lake. It was run by Anita Schneider, who was I think, the Holtzmans daughter. It was the summer of Woodstock. The Kaaterskill. Your email address will not be published. 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. the museum of New Yorks Yeshiva University, in the heart of 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. Others tried to rebuild and ran menus. My parents met at the Commodore in 1944(I think) where my mother was a singer and my fathers uncle owned the hotel. The famous hotels in the mountains the At least in the 1940s. And somewhere there is an Sunday article with Ma Holder and my mother playing the part of her secretary. Does anyone remember the Spring Lake hotel in Liberty New York. Are there pictures online or any web links you recommend? My parents were co-owners with the Blumbergs of Green Acres for four years. Photo: The New Roxy Hotel was one of several Sullivan County resorts that closed during the 1966 season, signaling an end to the regions Golden Age of Torusim. My uncle Sheldon is living in Virginia now. At the turn of the 19th century the celebrated Jewish resort area started in the Sullivan and Ulster County Catskills. Hi, Mitch. Two boys Burt and Ronnie. There was a large lake on the property, we had color-war which was the highlight of the summer. For real adventure, wed walk along the railroad track watching out for a train that never showed up. Bob and Edna were my parents best friends I was a junior counselor at Weelock around 1972. Thank you. Of course, many of the hotels continued to grow well beyond that, but by then small and medium size hotels were closing in droves. Thanks!! There may have been more hotels before 1965 but overall the amount of vacationers stayed high and strong through the 70s. 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? The humor that came out of this circuit, known as the Borscht Belt, became instantly recognizable: Ladies and gentlemen, you cant please everyone. It was a wonderful weekend ! Which travel companies promote harmful wildlife activities? 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. It was freedom., Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. It looks just like it did in 1969 when I started going there. Founded in 1960 in Provo, Utah, Revere Health has grown to include 30 medical specialties in over 100 . . Jay. Photographer Marisa Scheinfelds book The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of Americas Jewish Vacationland,takes a look at the remains of the Borscht Belt. My mom gapes at the stage, with its hand-painted backdrop of a sunrise over the White Mountains. Thanks for your insights on the Kennedy slide have not heard of that. Very interesting writing what happened to Geronimo. Brian Wagner and Deirdre Patton took over in March of this year . I knew your Grandparents the Senates. The telephone is lying on the bed, with the receiver next to pool. Davis Jr. That would have been a nice before I just saw your postings. My Great Uncle and Great Aunt (Sam and Sally owned it, my Grandmother Helen did all the cooking). Young urban families are snapping up units at the few remaining bungalow colonies, lured by old-fashioned communal living. Hotels like the world famous concord was a must for many people into the 1980s. nirvana, a fantasy off route 17 two hours from the New York City, My mom thinks her old bungalow colony, Mishkins Cottages, was in a town called Bullville. My experience up in the Catskills started in 1965 And has continued to last. My family also vacationed at the Lake Plaza in 59 and 60. He was the lifeguard and his Mother, Edna ran the camp. He quoted an unnamed South Fallsburg banker and lawyer who pointed out that many of the smaller hotels are in trouble because they are obsolete, and could not afford to modernize to meet todays more luxurious standards, like baths in every room. Also, he said, the lure of more glamorous places like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Europe, were attracting more and more of the traditional Sullivan County vacationer. life in a lengthy series of poignant pictures by photographer Marisa The spirit of these old-school Catskills resorts is alive and well at the 1960s-era Catskill Mountain Lodge, despite new ownership. The bungalows became Camp Capri the girls camp of Weelock, next door in 1969) and my all time favorite, Makowskys. Some hotels She always had a job as staff entertainer-Mistress of Ceremoniessocial director for the summers at various hotels. People in their audiences might be taped reminiscing My brother had his Bar Mitzvah at the Youngs Gap in 1965. There was talk initially that they were going to take campers there. Hi Richard. Borscht Belt is an apocalyptic, said photographer Scheinfeld. 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. Please contact for anything. Photographer Marisa Scheinfeld documents the ruins of abandoned Catskills resorts. Oh, that one! He also teaches writing at New Jersey City University. It was a vacation programs. This 21st-century revival is unfolding at places like Scribners Catskill Lodge, a repurposed 1960s motor inn. Contact Fred Fries at the Society [email protected]. The exhibit at the Yeshiva Museum has Launch Slideshow 11 PHOTOS Dotted across Sullivan. Louis Cohens Orchard Colony (in the last years of its life-it was run down), Bob-Eds (The Rubinstein Family were wonderful people. Some sold to Ive searched on the internet and havent found much else about this bungalow colony. Nature has taken its toll on the indoor pool at Grossingers, once one of the Catskills most lavish hotels. There is another picture of For Lease $8.75/SF/YR. Makowskys is still going! I was a rock musician and I struggled with a Fake Book to play lots of songs I didnt know. And former Flagler owner Jack Barsky cited debts incurred for his new Empire Room nightclub, a new indoor pool and a new lobby for putting that hotel once the most prominent of the Sullivan County resorts into receivership. I think I backed up your mother as an organist at a Bungalow Colony. Do you remember Marshalls? By the late 1980s, it. We went to Wodas with my grandparents (Zaldin) and some of their extended family (Schneider, Robinson, Groupsmith (?)). They then eloped as her parents forbade her to marry a singer! entertainment worlds decaying treasure chest, have been brought to My maternal grandfather was a professional singer as well in the Catskills and sang at the New Roxy. From what I saw there, her sister Stephanies married name is Stephanie Abrams. Lots of pictures I think it was the Sunday magazine section of the local paper. Please email me at [email protected] I would gratefully appreciate it. 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. I had my Bar Mitzvah in 1964 at Sam and Shirley Schwilawitzs (sic) New Normandie Hotel, down the road from Browns. doors were locked and weeds started to grow as high as the windows. came here to start their owner resorts. Are you and he related? In the one I join, members often ask where they can re-create their childhood memories. Im sure we must have known you. Hi Neil, I was just looking checking my DNA on Ancestry and remembered seeing a Ben Feller listed as a 2/3rd cousin. In 1967, the Youngs Gap in Parksville, once one of the countys largest and most innovative hotels, closed, and by 1968 the Times was reporting that a number of smaller hotels, unable to keep pace with the large establishments and their newer, plush accommodations, had begun taking in campers. That night, as his son roasts pots of popcorn in the fire, Josh Farley, then co-owner, describes touring the property in 2014. I had a big crush on her even as a youngster. I remember there was a large main house for meals and shows. Hope all is well and you had nice memories of them my grand father Moe Senate and grandma Harriet Senate. Youre the only person who remembers Lake Plaza. People lost interest in the Borscht Belt for a number of reasons, but the decline was due in large part to the boom in the airline industry, as the possibility of exotic getaways lessened visitors desire to return to the Catskills for vacation. Once it was the sparkling center of Jewish summers, replete with glamorous hotels and thriving small towns. route 17, to spend the week or even the summer there (most of the

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