Click here for Ghost Towns of America
Click here for Amusement Parks of the Past and Present
Click here for The Route 66 Off-Ramp
Click here for American Classics
Click here for Roadside Adventures
Click here for All-American Vacations
Click here for Palaces At Sea
Tell a friend about this page
Sign InView Entries
Memorial to September 11, 2001 Tragedy
Camping World
This page was last updated: July 5, 2009

The Delaware River
bordering the western Catskills
Sam's Point Preserve
atop nearby Shawangunk Ridge
TransCyberian Express
WANT TO ADVERTISE HERE?
Text ads here, or on any other TransCyberian Express website, are only $30 per month or
$300 per year.  Please email catskills@clickywicket.com for additional information.
Web site created by Alan J. Ageloff
Copyright 2009 Alan Ageloff.  All rights reserved.
This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer
New York's legendary Catskill Mountains lie within minutes of New York City's northern suburbs. Yet, many New Yorkers have all but abandoned them  and most Americans have forgotten them...
Recommended Catskills Nonfiction:
Recommended Catskills Fiction:

Which one of the following would best benefit the Catskills region?
Many small non-resort casinos
One or more major casino resorts
One or more major non-casino resorts
One or more major seasonal theme parks or water parks
One or more major year-round theme parks or water parks
One or more major seasonal sporting venues such as automobile racing or minor league baseball
One or more major year-round entertainment centers such as a concert hall
One or more major shopping malls or outlet centers
A major college or university
A major museum dedicated to the history of the entire Catskills region
A Borscht-Belt living history museum

Catskills Factoids and Trivia:
  • The Catskills were America's first wilderness area and the setting for its first environmental movement.
  • Catskill Park covers over 700,000 acres, almost 300,000 of which are designated as state forest.
  • The Catskills are the setting of Washington Irving's classic short story Rip Van Winkle.
  • The Catskills region became a major leather-tanning center during the early 19th Century and a major supplier of leather to the Union Army during the Civil War.
  • Sullivan County's Loomis Sanitarium was once a major center for treating Tuberculosis.
  • The Catskills were the birthplace of American Fly Fishing during the early 1800s and Roscoe (in Sullivan County) is widely considered to be the Trout fishing capital of the world.
  • Blackie Shackner, the famed harmonica virtuoso, played the Concord Hotel more than any other performer.
  • Storm Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskills at over 4000 feet tall.
  • Kaaterskill Falls are the highest and tallest waterfall in New York State.
  • The long defunct Hotel Kaaterskill was once the world's largest and most notable hotel.
  • During the 1950s, the Catskills were promoted as a refuge from nuclear attacks against New York City.
  • Borscht Belt resorts assimilated millions of immigrant Jews into American society and reduced racial barriers for black entertainers (including Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr, Nipsy Russell, Chubby Checker, and Richard Pryor) and Hispanic entertainers (including Tito Puente, Freddie Prinz, and Cuban Pete & Millie).
  • Harry Belafonte was the first entertainer to perform in the Concord's legendary Imperial Room.
  • When it closed in 1998, the 1700 acre, 1230 guest-room Concord Resort was America's second largest self-contained resort.  Only Nashville's Opryland was larger.
  • Grossinger's, in Liberty, was the most famous Borscht Belt resort and had its own airstrip.
  • The 1987 movie Dirty Dancing was based on a true romance that took place at Grossinger's.
  • The world's first artificial snow was produced at the Grossinger's Hotel ski area in 1952.
  • Singer Eddie Fisher's weddings to Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor took place at Grossinger's.
  • Actress Lucille Ball was a good friend of the Grossinger family and was a frequent guest of the hotel.
  • Jennie Grossinger appeared on the popular TV show "This Is Your Life" in 1954.
  • The Young's Gap Hotel in Parksville was the first all-season Catskills resort, the first Catskills resort to feature an elevator for its guests, and the first major Catskills resort to go out of business.
  • The Ambassador Hotel in South Fallsburg was home to the Catskills first nite club, the Moulin Rouge.
  • Jerry Lewis began his career at the Ambassador Hotel in South Fallsburg.  A famous caricature of him was later created for a Brown's Hotel ad campaign.
  • The Grand Mountain Hotel in Greenfield Park was famous for its late night strip show.
  • The 1987 movie Sweet Lorraine was filmed at the Heiden Hotel in South Fallsburg.
  • Bobby Darin made his professional singing debut at the Sunnylands Hotel in Parksville.
  • Comedian Andrew Dice Clay began his career by playing drums at the Delmar Hotel in Loch Sheldrake.
  • Porn star Ron Jeremy was a waiter at the Paramount Hotel in Parksville and at the Concord Hotel
  • Singer/Composer Neil Sadaka was fired (as a camp counselor) by the Stevensville Hotel, in Swan Lake.
  • During the 1970s, Wonder Woman star Linda Carter sang professionally with Speedy Garfin and the Garfin Gathering at the Pines Hotel in South Fallsburg.
  • Wilt Chamberlain was a bellhop at Kutsher's Country Club and played on the hotel's basketball team.
  • Danny Kaye began his career as a tummler at the White Roe Lake Hotel in Livingston Manor.
  • Comedian Sid Caesar was a waiter at the Avon Lodge in Woodridge and a hotel band member.
  • Comedian Jackie Mason was a Social Director at the Esther Manor Hotel near Monticello.
  • Pulitzer Prize winning author Herman Wouk once waited tables in the children's dining room at the Tamarack Lodge in Greenfield Park.
  • Boxing legends (including Jack Dempsey, Floyd Paterson, Archie Moore, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, and Mohammed Ali) often trained in the Catskills and made frequent appearances at many of the resorts.
  • Swan Lake is rumored to contain the bodies of several gangsters murdered during the 1930s.
  • Gangster Dutch Shultz's fortune is runored to be buried somewhere in Sullivan County.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. met with Jewish leaders several times in the Catskills during the 1960's.  His final visit was on March 25, 1968 just 10 days before he was assassinated.
  • To dedicate a new hospital in Ellenville in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson stayed at the Nevele.
  • Doctors, lawyers, bankers and Wall Street executives would return to the Catskills during peak periods to work as waiters at the same resorts where they had worked as teen-agers and college students.
  • Morris Katz (the world's most prolific artist) frequently appeared at various Catskills resorts to entertain audiences and sell his art.  Click here to visit his website.
  • The multi-million dollar fortune of gangster Dutch Shultz may be buried somewhere in the Catskills region.
  • Unseeded rye bread, from Jennie Grossinger's original recipe, is sold throughout the northeastern US from H&S Bakery, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland.   Please click here for additional information.
www.transcyberianexpress.com
A PARADISE LOST?
Woodstock Info

If bus tours to the Catskills were given, which one of the following would most interest you?
A 6 hour guided excursion with 1 or 2 stops at major attractions
An 8 hour guided excursion with 3 or 4 stops at major attractions
A 10 hour guided excursion with 5 or 6 stops at major attractions
A guided excursion with an overnight stay at a major resort hotel
Seeing the locations and/or ruins of many of the famous defunct resort hotels
Having a full-course kosher lunch and/or dinner in the main dining room of a major resort hotel
Participating in daily activities at a major resort hotel
Attending a night club show at a major resort hotel
Horse racing at Monticello Raceway and/or gambling at the Mighty M Gaming racino
Attending an outdoor concert at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Shopping and/or antiquing
A price of $100-$150 (includes entertainment, lunch or dinner)
A price of $150-$200 (includes entertainment, lunch and dinner)
A price of $200-$250 (includes entertainment, lunch, dinner, resort activities)
A price of $250-$300 (includes entertainment and an all-inclusive 1 night stay at a major resort)
A price of $300-$350 (includes entertainment and an all-inclusive 2 night stay at a major resort)
Other suggestions for offerings (Please email your suggestion to catskills@clickywicket.com)

Legendary Catskills resorts included the Avon Lodge, Brickman's, Brown's, the Campbell Inn, the Catskill Mountain House, the Cliff House, the Columbia, the Concord, the Eldorado, the Evans, the Fallsview, the Flagler, Gilbert's, the Grand Hotel, the Granit, the Green Acres, Grossinger's, the Heiden, the Homowack, the Hotel Kaaterskill, the Hotel Wawonda, Klein's Hillside, Kutsher's, the Laurel House, the Laurels, the Mohonk Mountain House, the Morningside, the Nemerson, the Nevele, the New Brighton, the New Roxy, the Olympic, the Overlook Mountain House, the Paramount, the Parkston, the Pines, the Pioneer, the Plaza, the President, the Raleigh, the Saxony, the Sha-Wan-Ga Lodge, Schenk's, Shagrin's, the Stevensville, the Sunnylands, the Tamarack, the Tansville, the Tremper House, the Waldmere, the Wayside Inn, the White Roe Inn, the White Sulphur Springs House, Wildmere, the Windsor, the Yama Farms Inn, and the Young's Gap.  Sadly, only the Fallsview, Hudson Valley Resort (formerly the Granit), Kutsher's, Mohonk Mountain House, Nevele, and Swan Lake Resort (formerly the Stevensville) survive today and, of these, only Kutsher's and the Mohonk Mountain House are owned and/or operated by their original proprietors.
Notable (but now defunct) smaller lodgings of the Silver era included the American, the Antlers, the Arlington, the Beckwith, the Birch Creek House, Blythewood, Brookdale, the Central House, Chichesters, the Claremont, the Cockburn House, the Cold Spring House, the Colonial, the Columbian, the Cornish House, Cors Mountain Home, the Cottages at Elka Park, the Dellwood, Duncan Villa, the Embought House, the Evergreen Grove, Foxhurst, the Glen Falls House, the Glenwood Farm House, the Grand American House, the Grant House, the Grand Canyon House, the Grand View Hotel, the Green Lake House, Haines Falls House, Hidecker House, the Holcomb House, Hotel Martin, Hotel St. Regis, Hotel Switzerland, Hotel Takanasie, Hotel Wellington, the Hunter House, the Irvington, Jennings's Hotel, the Kaatsberg Park Hotel, the Kenwood, the Kiskatom Retreat House, Lackawack House, Leaycrafts, the Lexington, the Lodge, Loxhurst, the Mackey, the Maleaska House, the Maple Lawn, the Millbrae, the Mountain Summit, the Mountain View Farm House, the Munroe House, the New Hart at Catskill Point, the Nightingale Hotel, the O'Hara House, the Orchard Park House, the Pine Grove House, the Pines, the Prospect Mountain House, the Prospect Park Hotel, the Rip Van Winkel House, the Ripley, the Rockwood, Round Top Farm House, the Salisbury House, the Squirrel Inn, the St. Charles, the Stony Brook House, the Summit Hill House, Sunrise Cottage, the Sunset Park Inn, the Twilight Rest, Walter's Hotel, the West End, Whiteside Cottage, Winchelsea, and Woodbine Cottage.
Several medicinal spa resorts were also constructed in the area during the period, the most famous of which was the (now defunct) White Sulphur Springs House, as were several facilities catering to Tuberculosis patients, the most famous of which was the (now defunct) Loomis Sanitarium.
"All you can eat" meals, exclusive activities, and unique amenities enabled most Jewish establishments to become full-service secular resorts and to dominate the Catskills tourist trade.  Sullivan & Ulster counties became known as the Borscht Belt because Borscht (cold beet soup) was frequently served.  In the decades that followed, these secular Jewish resorts played a vital role in assimilating millions of Jewish immigrants into American society.  Eventually, three types of Borscht Belt accommodations evolved:  communal self-service kuchaleyns, semi-communal bungalow colonies, and all-inclusive hotels.
Kuchaleyn (cook-alone) accommodations offered no amenities.  Guests shared one room (or several rooms) in a boarding house.  Its most prominant feature was a communal kitchen.  Kuchaleyns gained notorious reputations, however, as territorial fighting among women was commonplace (especially in the kitchen).
Hotels  were frequented by middle class and affluent guests and were the most successful type of Borscht Belt resort.  While middle class guests prefered smaller hotels, the wealthy (and wannabe) prefered more expansive accommodations.  Larger hotels such as the Concord, Grossinger's, Nevele, Pines, Raleigh, Tamarack, Kutsher's, Brown's, Brickman's, Gilbert's, Evans, Stevensville, Homowack, Flagler, Fallsview, and Granit offered state-of-the-art amenities and were constantly expanding their facilities.
At the start of the 20th century, famed Yiddish star Boris Thomashefsky brought Theater to the region when he opened Paradise Gardens, an indoor and outdoor stage venue in Hunter, NY.  Variety acts soon followed and, by the 1920s, Catskills entertainment was becoming as revered as its cuisine.  By the end of the Great Depression, legendary talent agents including Charles Rapp and Philly Greenwald were booking music and comedy acts at all of the major Catskills hotels.  In doing so, they pioneered the greatest Catskills legacy: the creation of American Stand Up comedy.
Musical legends included Peter Allen, Nancy Ames, Paul Anka, Lucie Arnaz, Frankie Avalon, Gene Barry, the Barry Sisters, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Theodore Bikel, Julie Budd, Eddie Cantor, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Ray Charles, Maurice Chevalier, Chubby Checker, the Coasters, Judy Collins, Perry Como, Cuban Pete & Millie, Tony Darrow, Vic Damone, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis Jr, George DeWitt, Marlene Dietrich, Billy Eckstine, Gloria Estefan, Fabian, the Fabulous Baker Sisters, Eddie Fisher, Sergio Franchi, Connie Francis, Alan Freed, Judy Garland, Mitzi Gaynor, Georgia Gibbs, Robert Goulet, Eydie Gourmet, Lionel Hampton, Moss Hart, Erskine Hawkins, Hines Hines & Dad, Lena Horne, Julio Iglesias, Georgie Jessel, Tom Jones, Beatrice Kay, Danny Kaye, Lainie Kazan, Eartha Kitt, Julius LaRosa, Carol Lawrence, Steve Lawrence, Abbe Lane, The Lettermen, Liberace, Little Richard, Trini Lopez, Melissa Manchester, Rose Marie, Dean Martin, Tony Martin, Al Martino, Johnny Mathis, Marilyn McCoo, Ethel Merman, Robert Merrill, Liza Minnelli, The Monkees, Jane Morgan, Willie Nelson, Wayne Newton, Jan Peerce, the Platters, Tito Puentes, Harry Richman, Chita Rivera, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Sandler & Young, Neil Sedaka, Blackie Schackner, Allan Sherman, Dinah Shore, Susanne Somers, Ringo Starr, Barbra Streisand, Pat Suzuki, Sophie Tucker, Richard Tucker, Jerry Vale, and Bobby Vinton.
In 1949 construction began on one of America's first high-speed superhighways (through the heart of the Borscht Belt) to eliminate congestion and reduce accidents along the infamous "old" Route 17 (the region's main artery).  The "new" Route 17 was dubbed the Quickway and quickly gained fame for hundreds of unique billboards that lined it promoting the larger resorts.  It also provided a direct link between New York City and Binghamton, NY and enabled day-trippers to explore the Catskills while spurring the development of golf clubs, ski areas, camping facilities, and children's summer camps.  Fishing and hunting facilities also became more accessible.
Camping World
As travel trends changed, northern Catskills ski resorts (in Delaware and Greene counties) remained popular while southern Catskills Borscht Belt resorts (in Sullivan and Ulster counties) closed or were transformed into religious retreats, meditation centers, ashrams, or institutions.  Decades-long efforts to legalize casino gambling and the region's rediscovery by celebrities and real estate developers have sparked a massive interest in the area's resurgence as a residential and vacation destination.
Due to the current economic crisis, most Catskills residents welcome any resurgence but fear that over-development of the region will cripple its infrastructure and increase crime.  Most accommodations and resort lodgings are currently located near northern Catskills ski areas but several proposed casino resorts and the abandoned, overgrown, and ruined resort properties of the southern Catskills may soon become the region's biggest and best tourist attractions.
An Overview of the Catskills Resort Region:
The Catskill Mountain region of New York State is America's first wilderness area and was once its largest resort area.  Set among more than 4000 square miles of rolling countryside (with many peaks rising above 3500 feet) the area has always attracted hunters, trappers, and fishermen.  Its 250 square mile Borscht Belt once contained the highest concentration of guest lodgings in the United States with almost 1000 hotels and 2000 bungalow colonies.  While most were modest facilities, all were vacation destinations and many offered all-inclusive packages, extensive activities, and ultra-luxurious accommodations.
"The Mountains", as the Catskills were often referred to, are also America's oldest resort area and were first publicized during the late 1700s by artists from the Hudson River School.  By the early 1800s the region's beauty and vast open spaces had inspired Washington Irving's classic short story "Rip Van Winkle" as well as America's first environmental movement (pioneered by James Fenimore Cooper).  In 1824, wealthy Americans began flocking to the Catskills when one of America's first grand hotels, the Catskill Mountain House, began providing world class hospitality and sweeping mountain vistas to its guests.
By the 1850s, a Catskills "Silver Age" had begun as other majestic mountain hotels were built; the most famous of which included the Laurel House (1852), the Mohonk Mountain House (1869), the Overlook Mountain House (1871), the Tremper Inn (1878), the Minnewaska Mountain House aka Cliff House (1879), the Grand Hotel (1881), the Hotel Kaaterskill (1881), Wildmere (1887), and the Hotel Wawonda (1891). Today, only the spectacular Mohonk Mountain House survives (and thrives as a premiere destination resort).
By the late 1800s, the middle class had discovered the area and the Catskills Fly Fishing technique had been perfected.  Irish and German immigrants preferred the tall terrain of the northern Catskills, Italians favored the Tuscany-like central and western Catskills, and Eastern Europeans preferred the rolling hills and valleys of the southern and eastern Catskills.  A shortage of accommodations throughout the region prompted many area land owners to convert their homesteads into guest houses and lodges.  Poor growing conditions (especially in the southern and eastern Catskills) prompted desperate farmers to convert their homes into boarding houses by luring guests with free meals.  The new "cottage" industry became an instant success.  Two of the earliest Catskills resort towns, Hunter and Windham (in northern Greene County), are among the region's most popular today largely due to the construction of ski resorts.
The completion of the Ontario & Western Railway in the 1880s enabled millions of New York City immigrants to visit the region.  Discrimination against Eastern European Jewish immigrants encouraged the establishment of Jewish boarding houses, most of which were located throughout Sullivan and Ulster counties (in the southern Catskills).  Praised for their hospitality and kosher cuisine, the Jewish boarding houses prospered as word spread among New York City's ever-increasing Jewish population.
Bungalows (small private, or semi-private, cottages) were popular among the middle class.  Guests often shared dining facilities and other common indoor recreational areas.  While many colonies featured lakes, pools, playing fields, and organized daily activities, most did not.  Teen-age and college-age guests often took part-time jobs in the area.  More bungalows survive today than any other type of Catskills lodging and many colonies have been converted into cooperative communities.
Most Borscht Belt lodgings were rented for the entire summer season.  Husbands and fathers would return to the city during the week and re-join their wives and families each weekend.  As a result, it was not uncommon for lonely wives to seek romance with local men.  It was also not uncommon for male resort employees (especially younger men) to seek romance with lonely wives.
Comic legends included Joey Adams, Marty Allen, Woody Allen, Morey Amsterdam, Vic Arnell, Sandy Baron, Gene Baylos, Richard Belzer, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Shelley Berman, Sandra Bernhard, Al Bernie, Stubby Boots, Joe E. Brown, Carol Burnett, Pesach Burstein, Joey Bishop, Elaine Boosler, Tubby Boots, David Brenner, Fanny Brice, Foster Brooks, Mel Brooks, Lenny Bruce, George Burns, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Charlie Callas, Eddie Cantor, Dick Capri, George Carlin, Johnny Carson, Jack Carter, Andrew Dice Clay, Myron Cohen, Pat Cooper, Irwin Corey, Bill Cosby, Norm Crosby, Billy Crystal, Tony Darrow, Bill Dana, Rodney Dangerfield, Larry David, Dom DeLuise, George DeWitt, Phyllis Diller, Louise Duart, Totie Fields, Fyvush Finkel, Phil Foster, Mickey Freeman, Betty Garrett, Estelle Getty, Jackie Gleason, George Gobel, Gilbert Gottfried, Shecky Greene, Robert Guillaume, Morty Gunty, Buddy Hackett, Bob Hope, Kevin James, George Jessel, Gabe Kaplan, Mickey Katz, Andy Kauffman, Danny Kaye, Lainie Kazan, Alan King, Robert Klein, Steve Landesburg, Mal Z. Lawrence, Jay Leno, Jack E. Leonard, Jerry Lester, David Letterman, Sam Levenson, Jerry Lewis, Joe E. Lewis, Richard Lewis, Rich Little, Dean Martin, Jackie Mason, Lou Menchell, Marilyn Michaels, Zero Mostel, Jan Murray, Rosie O'Donnell, Richard Pryor, Martha Raye, Carl Reiner, Harry Richman, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Freddie Roman, Ray Romano, Steve Rossi, Lenny Rush, Nipsey Russell, Mort Sahl, Lenny Schultz, Jerry Seinfeld, Dick Shawn, Allan Sherman, Phil Silvers, Neil Simon, Stewie Stone, Adrienne Tolsch, Jackie Vernon, Bobby Vinton, Jackie Wakefield, Jonathan Winters, and Henny Youngman.
By the end of WWll, the Catskills "Golden Age" was well underway as over a million people (including almost 25% of New York City's Jews) headed to Sullivan & Ulster counties each summer for sun, fun, and headline entertainment.  While many resorts were attracting specific Jewish ethnic groups (for example, the 90 room Valley View House in Kenoza Park attracted Polish Jews), the larger establishments such as Grossinger's and the Concord were attracting non-Jews as well with their famous nightclub acts.
In the early 1960s, many big Borscht Belt resorts began attracting younger crowds by featuring top pop, jazz, and R&B acts.  The Concord presented James Brown; The Pines presented the Byrds, Fabian, and Frankie Avalon; the Raleigh presented the Byrds and Sam Cooke (who also appearded at the Laurels); the New Roxy presented Little Richard; and the Eldorado presented the Drifters, Jay & the Americans, Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Shirelles, and Ben E. King.  By the late 1960s, the region was firmly established as an entertainment center for all ages.  In August 1969, most Catskills resources were crippled when over half a million concert-goers flooded the Borscht Belt for the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in Bethel.  During the 1970s, Monticello Raceway presented weekly "Rock 'n Roll racing which featured such superstars as Bobby Vinton, Frankie Valley & the Four Seasons, Natalie Cole, and Ike & Tina Turner.
By the early 1970s, the star-studded Catskills era had passed its peak as air conditioning reduced the need for cool mountain air and exotic destinations became affordable.  Ironically, while the Borscht Belt declined throught the 1980s, it began to influence travel trends as destination resorts (like Disney World) and all-inclusives (like Club Med) gained worldwide appeal.  While its two most famous resorts, Grossinger's and The Concord, were still among the world's largest and most luxurious, the advent of casino gambling in Atlantic City, NJ created a do-or-die situation for the entire Borscht Belt.  Adding insult to injury, uncsuccessful attempts to revitalize the region included empty promises of casino gambling.  Many resorts spent millions of dollars on upgrades and renovations preparing for casinos, but to no avail.  A domino affect ensued as more and more resorts closed along with the businesses that depended on them. Among the hardest hit were farmers, who's biggest customers were the resorts.
By 1990 it was accepted that the Borscht Belt would never recover.  Today, many Catskills storefronts are vacant, unemployment is high, the dairy industry is small, and prisons have replaced resorts as one of the region's primary industries.  The area is also experiencing a dramatic influx of Hasidic Jews who establish, operate, and reside in tax-free religious retreats located on (or near) many of the former resort properties.  As their numbers increase, the tax burden on local residents and businesses increases as well.  Resentment of this burden and a misunderstanding of the Hasidic lifestyle result in incidents of anti-semitism every now and then.
Despite economic and cultural differences, people are returning to the Catskills.  Many cite the current ecomonic crisis, convenience, rising travel costs, and international safety issues, although most are returning due to new attractions such as Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (built on the site of the historic 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair) and Monticello Motor Club (a private auto racing facility).  The most notable project is Entertainment City (a billion dollar project currently underway to redevelop the famed Concord Resort property).  Several other hotels, water parks, and mega casino resorts have also been proposed for the region.
Although the US Department of the Interior (under the Bush Administration) denied legalization of Native American casinos in the Catskills in early 2008, the issue is far from dead as a new Secretary of the Interior (under the Obama administration) will likely revisit the issue.  If approved, the first Catskills casino would likely open at the site of the defunct Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake.  Other proposed casino sites include the current Monticello Gaming and Raceway in Monticello, the town of Bridgeville near Quickway Exit 107, and the town of Mamakating near Quickway Exit 113.
A successful Catskills legacy:
Famed Brown's Hotel in Loch Sheldrake was converted into
the beautiful Grandview Palace Resort condominium community.
A Catskills tragedy:
Following a devastating fire in 2000, the mostly repaired Paramount Hotel currently sits empty in Parksville, NY.
These message boards are great resources for hotel pictures and memorabilia.
Recommended Catskills Internet Message Forums:
Amazing Forums: The Catskills: A Paradise Lost?
The Catskills Institute: Research Queries
Voy Forums: The Borscht Belt
Yahoo Groups: Catskill Mountains - Sullivan & Ulster Counties
Yahoo Groups: Ellenville (Includes: Accord, Greenfield Pk, High View, Kerhonkson, Wurtsboro)
Yahoo Groups: Fallsburg  (Includes: Mountaindale, Rock Hill, Thompsonville, Woodridge)
Yahoo Groups: Liberty  (Includes: Callicoon [Youngsville], Ferndale, Parksville, Swan Lake)
Yahoo Groups: Loch Sheldrake  (Includes: Hurleyville)
Yahoo Groups: Monticello  (Includes: Kiamesha Lake)
Yahoo Groups: Woodbourne  (Includes: Grahamsville, Neversink, Ulster Heights)
Recommended Catskills Films:

          Catskills Comics (2008) (Documentary)



         IN THE WORKS:
         documents the 100 year history of the last remaining
         original Borscht Belt resort.
Broadway Shows About the Catskills:
Online Catskills News Resources:
The Daily Freeman  (Kingston, Ulster Cnty)
The River Reporter  (Narrowsburg, Sullivan Cnty)
Sullivan County Democrat  (Callicoon, Sullivan Cnty)
The Times Herald-Record  (Sullivan & Ulster Cnty)
The former Windsor Hotel in South Fallsburg today.
The once "stately" resort now serves as a religious school.
Ghostly ruins of the Eldorado Hotel in South Fallsburg
currently lie rotting above the Old Falls of the Neversink River.
The abandoned Pines Hotel in South Fallsburg today.
Please click here & here for two interesting Pines websites
Catskills News Briefs:
  • 6/2009:  A controversial three mile long construction project is now underway to eliminate traffic signals and upgrade Route 17 (the Quickway) into I-86 in Parksville.  The existing four lane highway, which currently bisects the town, will be converted into a two lane local road.  A brand new, four lane interstate will bypass the town just to the south.  Highway ramps will enable access to and from the town.
  • 5/2009:  Hopes legalizing Native American casinos in the Catskills have been rekindled.  Three tribes that previously sought permits have revived plans for gaming facilities and are now seeking approval from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.  Prior hopes were dashed by former Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in 2008.
  • 4/2009:  Construction has been halted on the billion dollar replacement for Kiamesha Lake's famed Concord Hotel due to the global economic crisis.  The Vegas style resort (to be built in phases) will include a large casino with VLT slot machines as well as hotels, entertainment venues, convention space, retail space, restaurants, an indoor waterpark, a 5/8 mile harness track, and luxury homes nestled along the resort's famed golf courses.
  • 1/2009:  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to signal the grand opening of Honor's Haven Resort and Spa near Ellenville.  The event was a landmark moment in Catskills history because it marked one of the few successful transformations of a former Borscht Belt hotel into a world class spa resort.  Please click here for additional info.
Current Accommodations In or Near the Catskills Include:

1712 House (Stone Ridge)
5 Star Colony (Greenfield Park)
87 Motel (New Paltz)
A Sparrow Hawk Bed & Breakfast (Stone Ridge)
Acra Manor Resort and Hotel (Acra)
Albergo Allegria Bed & Breakfast (Windham)
Alpine Inn (Oliverea)
Andes Hotel (Andes)
Astoria Motor Court (Leeds)
Atlas Motor Lodge (Highland)
Baker's Bed & Breakfast (Stone Ridge)
Baumann's Brookside (Greenville)
Bavarian Manor (Purling)
Baxter House Bed & Breakfast (Roscoe)
Bear Paw Lodge (Yulan)
Beaverkill Valley Inn (Lew Beach)
Bellayre Lodge & Cabins (Pine Hill)
Belvedere Country Inn (Stamford)
Bernhard Bungalows (South Fallsburg)
Best Western (Monticello)
Best Western (West Coxsackie)
Big Indian Springs (Big Indian, NY)
Blackhead Mountain Lodge & Country Club (Round Top)
Blackthorne Resort (East Durham)
Bradstan Country Hotel (White Lake)
  Formerly Browns Hotel Royal
Brookside Bed & Breakfast (Haines Falls)
Buena Vista Motel (Delhi)
Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa (New Paltz)
Caleb Street's Inn (Catskill)
Capri 400 Resort Motel (Port Ewen)
Captains Schoonmaker's Bed & Breakfast (High Falls)
Carl's Rip Van Winkel Motor Lodge (Leeds)
Catskill Adventure Resort (Wurtsboro)
Catskill Lodge (Windham)
Catskill Motor Court (Catskill)
Catskill Mountain House (Napanoch)
Catskill Mountain Lodge (Palenville)
Catskill Seasons Inn (Shandaken)
Cave Mountain Motel (Windham)
Cedar Terrace Resort (Cairo)
Chestnut Inn at Oquaga Lake (Deposit)
Christman's Windham House (Windham)
Clark House Bed & Breakfast (Woodstock)
Clove Cottages (High Falls)
Cobblestone Motel (Phoenicia)
Cold Spring Lodge (Big Indian)
Colonial Inn (Pine Hill)
Colonial Motel (Grand Gorge)
Colonial Motel Resort (Kerhonkson)
Comfort Inn (Saugerties)
Conte's Bungalows (Ferndale)
Continental Motel (Kerhonkson)
Copperhood Inn & Spa (Shandaken)
Country Meadows Bed & Breakfast (Gardiner)
Country Motel (Unadilla)
The Country Place Resort (East Durham)
Country Place Resort (East Durham)
Country Roads Campground (Giboa)
Country Suite Bed & Breakfast (Windham)
Courtyard by Marriott (Kingston)
Covered Bridge Campsite (Livingston Manor)
Crystal Brook Resort (Round Top)
Cuomo's Cove (Windham)
Days Inn (Catskill)
Days Inn (Liberty)
Days Inn (Wurtsboro)
DeBruce Country Inn on the Willowemoc (De Bruce)
Deer Mountain Inn (Tannersville)
Deer Watch Inn (Durham)
Delaware Court Motel (Fleischmanns)
Delaware Valley Campgrounds (Downsville)
Downsville Motel (Downsville)
Eagle Valley Cabins (Deposit)
Econo Lodge (Monticello, New Paltz)
Ecce Bed & Breakfast (Barryville)
Eggery Bed & Breakfast Inn
Eldred Preserve (Eldred)
Emerson Resort & Spa (Mount Tremper)
Fairlawn Inn (Hunter)
Farmer's Little House Bed & Breakfast (Thompsonville)
Fifth Floor Farm Bed & Breakfast (Jeffersonville)
Forester Motor Lodge (Hunter)
Fosterdale Motor Lodge (Fosterdale)
Fox Hill Bed & Breakfast (Highland)
Friar Tuck Spa Resort and Convention Center (Catskill)
Frost Valley YMCA (Claryville)
Full Moon (Big Indian) Formerly the Valley View House
Gateway Lodge Bed & Breakfast (Highmount)
Gavin's Irish Resort and Country Inn (East Durham)
Golden Guernsey Bed & Breakfast (Cochecton)
Golden Leaf Inn (Tannersville)
Greenville Arms 1889 Inn (Greenville)
Griffin House Bed & Breakfast (Jeffersonviille)
Guestward Ho Family Campground (Deposit)
Guest House Bed & Breakfast (Livingston Manor)
Hampton Inn (Kingston)
Hancock House Hotel (Hancock)
Hanah Mountain Resort & Country Club (Margaretville)
Harmony Hill of Clermont (Clermont)
Harmony House Bed & Breakfast (Saugerties)
Happy Days Campground (Kauneonga Lake)
Helen Morrell Guest Cottages (Wurtsboro)
High Falls Motel (High Falls)
High Peak Motel (Haines Falls)
Highland Manor Bed & Breakfast (Highland Manor)
Highlands Inn (Fleischmanns)
Hilltop Acres Resort (Jewett)
Hilltop Farm Campsites (Mountaindale)
Holiday Inn (Kingston)
Honor's Haven Resort & Spa (Ellenville)
Formerly the Fallsview Resort & Country Club
Horse & Hounds Bed & Breakfast (Bethel)
Hotel Vienna (Windham)
Howard Johnson (Liberty)
Howard Johnson (Saugerties)
Hull-O-Farms  Family Farm Vacations (Durham)
Hunter Inn (Hunter)
Hunter Lake Campground (Parksville)
  An orthodox Jewish resort
Inn at Hudson (Hudson)
Inn At Lake Joseph (Forestburgh)
Inn at Orchard Heights (New Paltz)
Inn at Stone Ridge (Stone Ridge)
Ithaka House Bed & Breakfast (Pine Hill)
Jeffersonian Bed & Breakfast (Jeffersonville)
Jeronimo's Resort & Conference Center (Walker Valley)
Jerrys 3 River Campground (Pond Eddy)
Jimmy O'Connor's Windham Mountain Inn (Windham)
Jingle Bell Farm Bed & Breakfast (Highland)
Juniper Woods (Catskill) A nudist campground
The Hudson Valley Resort and Spa (Kerhonkson)
  FormerlyThe Granit Hotel
Kaatskill Mountain Club (Hunter)
Kaduk Bungalows (Greenfield Park)
Kampgrounds of America (Saugerties/Woodstock)
Kate's Lazy Meadow Motel (Mt. Tremper)
Kenmore Country Bed & Breakfast (Palenville)
Kilcar Hotel (Norton Hill)
Kittatinny Campgrounds (Barryville)
K-J Western Campground (Windham)
The Kopper Kettle Motel (Windham)
Kutshers Country Club (Monticello)
La Duchesse Anne (Mount Tremper)
Lake Motel (Ulster Park)
Lander's River Trips (Narrowsburg)
Lange's Groveside Motel (Acra)
Lanza's Country Inn (Livingston Manor)
Lazy G Campgrounds (Woodridge)
Lazy Pond Bed & Breakfast (Liberty)
Lefevre House Bed & Breakfast (New Paltz)
Lipkowitz Bungalows (Ferndale)
Little Duck Bed & Breakfast (Jeffersonville)
The Lodge at Rock Hill (Rock Hill)
Magical Land of Oz (Livingston Manor)
Makowsky's Cottage Colony (High Falls)
Maplestone Inn (Saugerties)
Margaretville Motel (Margaretville)
Margaretville Mtn Inn & Village Suites (Margaretville)
Margaretville Suites on Main (Margaretville)
McGrath's Motel (East Durham)
Meadowwood Inn (Arkville)
Minnewaska Lodge (Gardiner)
Mohonk Mountain House (New Paltz)
Montgomery Bed & Breakfast (Saugerties)
Moondance Ridge Bed & Breakfast (New Paltz)
Mount Merino Manor (Hudson)
Mountain Meadows Bed & Breakfast (New Paltz)
Mountain Pearl Bungalows (Swan Lake)
Mountain View Bungalows (Monticello)
Narrowsburg Inn (Narrowsburg)
Nevele Grand Resort and Country Club (Ellenville)
Neversink River Campground (Woodbourne)
New Age Health Spa (Neversink)
New Jan's Colony (Ellenville)
New life Campground (Saugerties)
New Paltz Hostel (New Paltz)
Nickerson Park Campground (Gilboa)
Northland Motel (Fleischmann's)
Octagon Farm Bed & Breakfast (Walton)
Old House On a Hill Bed & Breakfast (Ferndale)
Olympia Hotel (Hensonville)
Onteora Mountain House (Boiceville)
  Home of late mayonnaise millionaire Richard Hellmann
Oppenheimer’s Regis Hotel (Fleischmanns) Kosher Cuisine
Peacefull Valley Campground (Downsville)
Pearlman's Lakeside Bungalow Colony (Kauneonga Lake)
Papacton Cabins (Downsville)
Phoenicia Belle Bed & Breakfast (Phoenicia)
Phoenicia Village Motel & Cottages (Phoenicia)
Pike Lane Bed & Breakfast (Woodstock)
Pine Hill Arms Hotel & Restaurant (Pine Hill)
Pine Lake Manor (Greenville)
Pinecrest Acres Bungalow Colony (Ulster Park)
Pinegrove Ranch and Family Resort (Kerhonkson)
Pleasant Vally Motel (Pleasanst Valley)
Point Lookout Mountain Inn (East Windham)
Polaces's Family Vacation Resort (Catskill)
Quality Inn and Conference Center (Catskill)
Quality Inn and Suites (Kingston)
Rainbow Golf Club (Greenville)
Ramada Inn (Kingston)
Red Barn Campground (Hankins)
Red Ranch Motel (Catskill)
Reflections Bed & Breakfast and the Center for Creative      Therapies & the Arts (Forestburgh)
Regal Wankref Country Colonies (Mountaindale)
Reynolds House Inn and Motel (Roscoe)
  Guests have included John D. Rockefeller
Riedlbauer's Resort (Round Top)
Rip Van Winckel Motor Lodge (Leeds)
Rip Van Winkle Campground (Saugerties)
River Hill Bed & Breakfast (Milton)
River Run Bed & Breakfast (Fleischmanns)
Rocking Horse Ranch Resort (Highland)
Rockland House (Roscoe)
Rodeway Inn Sky Top (Kingston)
Rodeway Inn and Suites (New Paltz)
Rondout Valley Camping Resort (Rondout Valley)
Rosehaven Inn (Hunter)
Rosemond Bungalows (Woodridge)
Roxbury Motel (Roxbury)
Russell Brook Campsites (Cooks Falls)
Sat Nam Yoga Spa (Hurleyville)
Saugerties Lighthouse (Saugerties)
Scott's Oquaga Lake House (Deposit)
Schwartz's Inn (Kingston)
Scribner Hollow Lodge (Hunter)
Shamrock House (East Durham)
Shandelee Brook Spa (Livingston Manor)
Shandelee Lake Inn (Livingston Manor)
  Available for special functions only
Shanley Hotel (Napanoch)
  A haunted inn frequented by Eleanor Roosevelt 
  and Thomas Edison
Shangri-La at Mountain Gate (Oliverea)
Sheeley House Bed & Breakfast (High Falls)
Sims Resort Colony (Monticello)
Slide Mountain Forest House (Oliverea)
Skop's Bungalows (South Fallsburg)
Sky Lake Lodge (Kerhonkson)
Skytop Colony (New Paltz)
Skyway Camping Resort (Greenfield Park)
Smith's Colonial Motel (Hancock)
South Wind Hotel (Woodbourne)
Spring Mountain Resort (Spring Glen)
  An orthodox Jewish resort - Formerly the Homowack
Starlite Motel (Big Indian)
Star Lite Motel (Kerhonkson)
Stewart House Bed & Breakfast (Athens)
Stone Wall Acres Bed & Breakfast (Youngsville)
Stonegate Bed & Breakfast (Highland)
Stratton Falls Campground (Roxbury)
Sunview Motel (Tannersville)
Sunrise Bunglaows (Rock Hill)
Sunrise House Bed I Breakfast (Jeffersonville)
Sunshine Cottage Bed & Breakfast (Lake Huntington)
Sunny Hill Resort and Golf Course (Greenville)
SunnyLane Colony (Greenfield Park)
Super 8 Motel (Highland)
Super 8 Motel (Kingston)
Super 8 Motel (Monticello)
Super 8 Motel (New Paltz)
Super 8 Motel (Sidney)
Superlodge (Kingston)
Susan's Pleasant Pheasant Farm (Halcottsville)
Swan Lake Camplands (Ferndale)
Swinging Bridge Lake Campgrounds (Mongaup Valley)
Tennanah Lake Golf and Tennis Club (Roscoe)
Terrace Motel (Ellenville)
Thompson House (Windham)
Total Tennis (aka Kaatsbaan Lodge)
Trail Motel (Boiceville)
Travel Inn (Monticello)
Twin Gables Gust House (Woodstock)
Twin Lakes Lodge (Hurley)
Upper Delaware Campgrounds (Calicoon)
Uncle Pete's Camping (Phoenicia)
Union Street Guest House (Hudson)
Valkyrian Motel (Fleischmanns)
Valley Brook Inn and Cottages (Wurtsboro)
Victorian Knoll Bed & Breakfast (Stone Ridge)
Villa at Saugerties Bed & Breakfast (Saugerties)
Villa Roma Country Club (Callicoon)
Villa Vosilla (Tannersville)
Village Green Bed & Breakfast (Woodstock)
Village Motel (Ellenville)
Wagon Wheel Bungalows (Fallsburg)
Washington Irving Inn Bed & Breakfast (Hunter)
Wenton Motel (Saugerties)
West Branch Angler and Fishing Resort (Hancock)
Weyside Inn & Cottages (Big Indian)
Whip-O-Will Family Campsite (Round Top)
Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast (High Falls)
Wild Rose Inn (Woodstock)
Willowemoc Campgrounds (Livingston Manor)
Winter Clove Inn (Round Top)
Winwood Inn (Windham)
Wolff's Maple Breeze Resort (Catskill)
Woodbine Inn & Arts Center (Palenville)
Woodstock Country Inn (Woodstock)
Woodstock Inn on the Millstream (Woodstock)
Woodstock Lodge (Woodstock)
Woodstock on the Lake Campgrounds (Bethel)
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Birchwood Acres                     (Woodridge) A family campground
Additional Catskills Accomodations Can Be Found At:
Bed and Breakfast.com: Catskills
Catskill Accommodations.com
Catskill Mountain Region Guide
Catskill Region
Catskill Reservations.com
Catskills Information
Great Western Catskills
Greene Tourism
I Love NY.com: Catskills
New York Campgounds
Round The Bend: The Catskills
Sullivan County Visitors Association
Ulster County Tourism: Accommodations
The Ashokan Reservoir
Destinations and Activities In and Near the Catskills:
The Catskill Mountain region offers plenty to do year-round for visitors and enthusiasts.  Activities include antiquing, auto racing, auto shows, birding, boating, camping, canoeing, fall foliage viewing, farmers markets, festivals, fly fishing, fun parks, golfing, hiking, historic sites, hang gliding, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, hunting, ice climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, orchards, paragliding, rafting, rock climbing, skiing, skydiving, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snowtubing, swimming, tubing, vineyards, vintage train rides, wineries, and water parks.  Specific destinations include:
  • Andes (in Delaware County)
  • Catskill Park (camping, climbing, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, and trapping)
  • Dehli (in Delaware County)
  • Kittatinny Canoes (canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and tubing down the Delaware River; Pike County, PA)
  • Mountain Wings (hang gliding, paragliding, and ultra-lighting; in Ulster County)
  • Roscoe (Trout Town USA; in Sullivan County)
  • Slide Mountain (the tallest peak in the Catskills at over 4000 feet; in Ulster County)
Catskills Borscht Belt Resort Towns Included:
Accord, Bethel, Bloomingburg, Callicoon, DeBruce, Divine Corners, Ellenville, Fallsburg, Fleischmann's, Forestburgh, Ferndale, Glen Wild, Greenfield Park, Harris, Hasbrouck, High View, Highland Lake, Hurleyville, Jeffersonville, Kauneonga Lake, Kenoza Lake, Kerhonkson, Kiamesha Lake, Lake Huntington, Liberty, Livingston Manor, Loch Sheldrake, Monticello, Mountaindale, Napanoch, Narrowsburg, Neversink, North Branch, Oakland Valley, Parksville, Rock Hill, Roscoe, Sackett Lake, South Fallsburg, Spring Glen, Swan Lake, Thompsonville, Ulster Heights, White Lake, White Sulphur Springs, Ulster Heights, Woodbourne, Woodridge, Wurtsboro, and Youngsville.  Click here for a map of the Borscht Belt.
Locating Former Catskills Borscht Belt Hotels:
Borscht Belt hotels were mostly clustered on or near routes 42, 52, and 209 and are pretty easy to locate because ruined swimming pools and handball courts dot the landscape.  Defunct hotels serve as homes, inns, schools, rehab centers, spiritual centers, and religious retreats.  Please click the links below to see how many properties look today. 

Still operating as resorts, hotels, or inns:
Brown's Hotel Royal (now Bradstan Country Hotel)
Fallsview Hotel (now Honor's Haven Resort & Spa)
Granit Hotel (now the The Hudson Valley Resort)
Homowack Lodge (now the Spring Mountain Resort)
Kutsher’s Country Club
Nevele Country Club (now the Nevele Grand Resort)
Raleigh Hotel (now a religious retreat/hotel)
Villa Roma Resort

Still standing but used for other purposes:
Aladdin Hotel (now a religious camp)
Avon Lodge (now a religious camp)
Brickman Hotel (now Shree Muktananda Ashram)
Brown's Hotel (now the Grandview Palace)
Cherry Hill Hotel (now a religious camp)
Evans Hotel (now a private community)
Fieldston Hotel (now a religious camp)
Gibber Hotel (now a religious school)
Gilbert's Hotel (now Shree Muktananda Ashram)
Grand Hotel (in Parksville, now a drug rehab center)
Karmel Hotel (now Stage Door Manor Theater Camp)
Klein's Hillside Hotel (now a religious camp)
Lake House (now a religious camp)
Leibowitz Pine View Hotel (now a medium security prison)
Leroy Hotel (now part of Sullivan Community College)
Murray Hill Hotel (now a drug rehab center)
Nemerson Hotel (now a religious school)
New Brighton (now a religious school for special needs)
Pioneer Country Club (now a religious camp)
Ridge Mountain Hotel (now a religious camp)
Shagrin's (now a religious camp)
Schenk's Hotel (now a religious camp)
Windsor Hotel (now a religious school)

If you can identify the following former resorts please email catskills@clickywicket.com
Old Whitelake Tpke in Swan Lake (near Butrick Rd)
Heiden Rd in South Fallsburg (near Ranch Rd)
Heiden Rd in Bridgeville (at Route 17)
Old Monticello Rd in Liberty (near Twin Bridge Rd)
Budd Rd near Woodbourne
The Young's Gap Hotel in Parksville during the 1920s.
This picture is from a postcard found on Ebay.
Even eerier than the rotting relic of the Young's Gap Hotel
are the ruins of the hotel's famous lawn fountain.
The Catskills Institute has the most complete listing of Borscht Belt resorts and an extensive collection of photos, postcards, and other memorabilia as does Classic Catskills and Ebay.  Vanishing Catskills, Forsaken Places, and Bratchny feature hotel photos including the abandoned Grossinger's, Concord, and Pines hotels.
Famous Defunct Catskills Hotels:
The Aladdin
The Alpine
The Ambassador
The Arrowhead Lodge
The Avon Lodge (House of Joy)
Blackman's
Block's
The Blue Eagle
The Breeze Lawn
The Breezy Corners
Brickman's
The Brookside
Brown's
The Campbell Inn
The Capitol
The Catskill Mountain House
Chait's (Su Casa)
Chester's
The Columbia
The Commodore
The Concord
The Delano
The Delmar
The Echo
The Eldorado (Zeiger's)
The Elm Shade
The Esther Manor
The Evans
The Fairmont
The Ferndale Villa
The Fieldston
The Flagler
The Flamingo
Gibber's
The Gilbert's
Goldberg's
The Grand
The Grand Mountain
The Granit
The Greenwood Inn
Grossinger's
The Heiden
The Horseshoe Lake House
The Hotel Glass
The Hotel Kaaterskill
The Israel
The Hotel Levitt
The Hotel Wawonda
The Irvington
The Karmel (now Stagedoor Manor)
The Kenmore
Klein's Hillside
The Lake House
The Laurel House
The Laurel Park
The Laurels Country Club
The Leroy
The Lexington
The Loch Sheldrake Inn
The Majestic
The Mayfair
The Melbourne
The Monticello Inn
The Morningside
The Mountain Lake
The Murray Hill
The Morningside
The Mount Meenagha
The Nasso
The National
The Nemerson
The New Brighton
The New Edgewood
The New Kensington
The Normandie
The Oliver Hill
The Olympic
The Overlook
The Overlook Mountain House
The Palace
The Paramount
The Parkston
Pauls
The Pine Grove
The Pine Tree Villa
The Pine View (Leibowitz's)
The Pines
The Pioneer Country Club
The Plaza
Pollack's Fallsburg Country Club
The President
The Raleigh
The Richmond
The River View
The Rosemont Lodge
The Rosenblatt
The Roxy (New Roxy, Green Acres)
Rubin's Maple View
The Sackett Lake Lodge
The Savoy
The Saxony
Schenk's (Schenk's Paramount)
The Seven Gables
The Sha-wan-ga Lodge
Shagrin's
The Shawangunk Country Club
The South Wind Resort
The Sugar Maples
The Sunnyland
The Swan Lake
The Swannanoa
The Tamarack Lodge
The Tannersville Inn
The Tansville
The Tremper Inn
The Trojan Lake Lodge
The Upper Ferndale Country Club
The Victoria Mansion
The Waldemere
The Waldheim
The Wayside Inn
The West End Country Club
The White House Lodge
The White Lake Mansion House
The White Roe (singles resort)
The Windsor
The Wyndmere
The Yama Farms Inn
Ye Lancashire Inn
The Young's Gap
Zalkins
Famous Defunct Catskills Bungalow Colonies:
Of the thousands of bungalow colonies located throughout the Borscht Belt, the most notable included: Anawana Beach, Barron's, Belfour, Benn-Ann Cottages, Berger's, Blueberry, Breezy Corners, Calvin's, Carol House, Colony Club, Cutler's Cottages, Colonial House, Dishner's, Dormick's, Echo Lake Manor, Elm Shade, Embassy, Fairoaks, Fallsburg Mansion, Fialkoff's, Finkelstein's, Friedlander's, Goodman's, Grandview, Green Acres, Greenberg's, Hammer's, Hand's, Hemlock Grove, Highland Park, Hillcrest, Hillside, Hilltop, Holiday Hill, Holiday Park, Homestead, Ideal, K&K, Kassack's, Kaufman's, Klinger's, Kozan's, L&L, Lansman's, Lapidus, Lebanon, Lefkowitz's, Magestic, Maple Grove, Mayberg's, Maybrook, Meadow Lane, Meisner's, Metropolitan, Moonglow, Morrison's, Okun's, Pancrest, Pesekow's, Phyl-Bob, Pine Hill Cottages, Pine Tree, Pinewood Villa, Pleasant Valley, Queen Mountain, Ratner's, Rosenberg's, Royal, Sadonick's, Salons, Sam Altman's, Schneider's, Schreiberville, Schwartz's Riversite, SGS, Sims, Silvercrest, Silverman's, Slatkin's, Stiers, Sun Circle, Sunnycroft, Sunshine, House, Tel Aviv, Toro Hill, Weiss's, White House, Woodland, and Wurtsboro Gardens.
A Typical Experience at a Large Borscht Belt Hotel:
Large hotels attracted the biggest crowds during the Jewish holidays of Passover, Rosh HaShanah, and Yom Kippur and during the week between Christmas and New Years.  Passover visits were subdued, though, because religious services dominated the schedule and all foods containing yeast were removed from the menu.  The week between Christmas and New Years was the most active because it attracted the widest variety of guests (including non-Jews) and the resorts went all-out to provide every activity imaginable.
Vacations at large Borscht Belt resorts were the model for today's all-inclusive vacations and cruises as guests never had to leave the premises.  Free "house" phones were located throughout the resort and connected directly to switchboard operators.  Hotels offered room service, designer clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, beauty salons, barber shops, shoe shines, smoke shops, gift shops, coffee shops, and news stands.  Repeat guests looked forward to seeing how much the resort had changed and/or expanded.  A common prcatice was to book accommodations in the newest wing, as doing so elevated one's social status.  New buildings were usually connected to the main building by enclosed walkways or underground tunnels.
Most large Catskills hotels were constructed in the Mission, International, or Tudor style.  Large manicured lawns, golf courses, fountains, lakes, swimming pools, and tennis courts often dominated the landscape while grand staircases, terraces, and promemades often dominated indoor settings.   Vast interior spaces (such as lobbies, dining rooms, and night clubs) were the heartbeat of the resort while intimate common areas (such as coffee shops, lounges, smoking rooms, music rooms, and card rooms) were the soul.  Oversized sofas and lounge chairs were strategically placed throughout the resort to provide perfect people-watching opprotunities (which often included "entrances" made by bejeweled and/or fur flaunting guests descending grand staircases as well as the reactions of wannabes).  Gossip filled the air as did thick cigar smoke, the paging of hotel guests, and the sounds of poker chips.  (Gambling was illegal, but a lot of money changed hands none the less).  Poker, Pinochle, Black Jack, Gin Rummy, Dominos, and Mahjong were among the most lucrative forms of entertainment.
Game rooms with pinball machines bustled while jukeboxes blared from music rooms.   While not in vogue yet, gymnasiums offered state of the art equipment, personal trainers, saunas, steam rooms, and massages.  Large resorts also had lavish indoor & outdoor facilities for swimming, tennis, and skating.  Other seasonal activities included boating, hiking, golf, handball, racquetball, horseback riding, basketball, badminton, croquet, volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, skiing, sledding, tobogganing, and snowmobiling.
Daily activities, posted on lobby bulletin boards and announced over loudspeakers, were usually hosted by a "tummeler" (a comedic activities director) such as Lou Goldstein or Krazy Tyrone. The most popular activites included Bingo, Simon Sez, charades, movie watching, magic shows, dance lessons, dance contests, trivia contests, talent contests, tournaments (which included chess, checkers, backgammon, ping pong, miniature golf, and shuffleboard), instructional demonstrations (often cooking or the sculpting of fruits, vegetables, balloons, and blocks of ice), and arts & crafts.  Entertainers included hypnotists (including Pat Collins & the Amazing Kreskin), artists (such as Morris Katz), celebrity chefs, and guest lecturers (which included authors, sports heroes, and motivational speakers).  Most children attended the resort's day camp.
Many guests considered their hotel to be an extension of their home, with the dining room as the focal point, and where they could be surrounded by the same group of returning friends.  Loudspeakers promptly announced the opening and closing of the main dining room at every meal.  Children under 12 years of age usually ate in a separate dining room.  Guests were assigned to a specific table for the duration of their stay and most tables sat 8 to 12 people to encourage socialization.  Guests often requested the same table, waiter, and busboy each year and generous tips were considered investments in a college education.  Waiters and busboys frequently became objects of desire for single female guests.
Impeccable place settings of linen, silver, china, and crystal greeted guests at every meal as did napkin sculptures, baskets of Rye bread, and cold vegetable trays (featuring dill pickles).  Guests were encouraged to request as many portions as the wanted.  Bagels & lox (smoked salmon), pickled herring, poached eggs, and stewed prunes were among the breakfast staples.  Borscht, consume (noodle soup), matzoh ball soup, blintzes, kasha, chopped liver, gefilte fish, white fish, and potato knishes were among the lunchtime staples.
Dinner was an event unto itself and was always preceded by a cocktail hour that included hors d'oeuvres (usually cocktail wieners, Swedish meatballs, potato puffs, mini pizzas and mini egg rolls).  Semi-formal attire was required most evenings (with the exception of one or two casual nights).  Formal attire was required on holidays.  Prime rib, brisket of beef, flanken (ribs), pepper steak, and pullet (chicken) were among the dinner staples.  Sugar bow ties, cream puffs, Napoleons, seven layer cake, sponge cake, and ice cream were among the dessert staples.  In addition to traditional staple foods, almost any type of cuisine was available (as long as it was kosher) including cereal, pancakes, salads, cold cuts, chicken, veal, fish, eggs, pasta, and vegetarian dishes.  BBQ, Italian, French, Mexican, and Chinese specialties (among many others) were also common.
After dinner, guests played cards, ping pong, or miniature golf or socialized in the lobby, bar, smoking room, game room, music room, or disco.  Adults then headed to the resort's night club to see featured celebrity performers, usually a singer and a comedian.  After the show, almost the entire audience went to the coffee shop, which would be packed until 2 or 3 am.  Night owls and insomniacs could also attend risque lounge acts until the crack of dawn.  After-hours entertainment included vaudeville & burlesque acts, female impersonators & strippers, and foul-mouthed ventriloquists & comedians (such as "Tubby" Boots).
The abouve "routine" was repeated each day at large Borscht Belt hotels.  The final day of the vacation was subdued (to say the least), though, and always ended with a mix of emotions and long goodbyes.  Upon checkout, however, many guests had already made reservations for their next visit.
The Unofficial End of the Catskills Era:
1969's Woodstock Music and Art Fair marked an unofficial end to the Catskills golden era.
Woodstock Festival Links:
Woodstock.com
1969 Woodstock Festival & Concert
How Woodstock Happenned
Woodstock 69 Remembered
Woodstck Story
The Official Website ofArtie Kornfeld Creator & Promoter
    of Woodstock '69
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Located at the site of 1969's historic Woodstock Music and Art Fair, Bethel Woods is a premier outdoor concert venue and a state-of-the-art museum showcasing the three-day Woodstock concert and the 1960s.
Recommended Catskills Links:
About the Catskill Region
Advertising the Catskills
Amusing Ourselves With Signs
BBC Turns Its Eye to Borscht Belt Comedy
Between the Lakes: Sullivan County
Catskill Archives
The Catskills Come of 'New Age'
The Catskill Guide
The Catskills Institute
Catskill Memories: Presented by HoJoLand
Catskill Mountain Foundation
Catskills Reawakening After a Long Sleep
Catskills Rebirth: Clash of the Old, New
Classic Catskills

Grand Hotels of Early Era Fading From View
Grossinger's 1919-1986
Henry Hudson and the Catskill Gnomes
I Need Attention.com: The Pines
The Munson Diner
The New Hamptons
Opacity.com: The Pines Hotel
Retrospect by John Conway
The Signs of Summer
Sullivan Battles Blight
Sullivan County Overview
Vanishing Catskills
Wikipedia: Catskill Mountains
Wistful Visit to Mountains of Memory
Woodridge 1946
WALDORF IN THE CATSKILLS THE GROSSINGER LEGEND
YouTube Catskills Videos:
Catskills Travelogue 1986
Classic Catskills: Loomis Sanitorium
Classic Catskills: The Flagler Hotel
Classic Catskills: Hotel Row
Classic Catskills: Stevensville Hotel
Memories of the Catskills (Part 1)
Memories of the Catskills (Part 2)
Memories of the Catskills (Part 3)
Memories of the Catskills (Part 4)
Greetings From the Catskills
Catskills Memories
The Rich History of One Catskills Hotel
Morris Katz at Kutsher's
Concord Resort Hotel NY Memories
Eerie remnants of the once majestic Young's Gap Hotel
in Parksville, NY seem to beckon from the woods today.
The abandoned Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake
was the largest Catskills resort and is currently undergoing a
$1 billion redevelopment to be completed in 2010.
The formerly vacant Stevensville Hotel in Swan Lake today.
Prtially renovated, it reopened as the Swan Lake Resort in 1999.
The former Nemerson Hotel in South Fallsburg today.
Like the former Windsor next door, it now serves as a school.
A stop at the Red Apple Rest made every trip up Route 17 complete.
The legendary (defunct) eatery in Southfields, NY apperared in "Oliver's
Story" (1978), "Deconstructing Harry" (1996), and "Tenderness" (2006).
Decaying storefronts, such as this one in Parksville
are common sights throughout the Borscht Belt region.
Still standing but status is unknown:
Ambassador Hotel
Chesters
Echo Hotel
Flagler Hotel
Grand Mountain Hotel
Hotel Israel
Mayflower Hotel
Paramount Hotel
Parkston Hotel and Country Club
Pollack's Fallsburg Country Club
Rosemond Hotel
Stevensville Hotel (recently the Swan Lake Resort)
Tamarack Lodge
Valley View House
Waldemere Hotel
Zucker’s Glen Wild Country Club

Abandoned, ruined, or not in use:
Catskill Mountain House (no longer standing)
Commodore Hotel (in ruins)
Concord Resort (has since been demolished)
Delmar Hotel (abandoned)
Eldorado Hotel (in ruins)
Grand Hotel (in Highmount, no longer standing)
Grossinger's (in ruins)
Kramers Union House / Hotel Charles (in partial ruins)
Laurels Country Club (no longer standing)
Pines Hotel (in ruins)
Plaza Hotel (grounds only; no longer standing)
Young's Gap Hotel (in ruins)





Loch Sheldrake Hurleyville Rd in Loch Sheldrake (at  
    Honorable LH Cook Dr)
Briggs St in Greenfield Park (near Birchall Rd)
Rt 17B near Monticello (at Coopers Corner Rd)
Ironically, though, as memories of the Catskills era fade, interest in it is exploding.  The Catskill Mountain region was a prime travel destination for almost 200 years and was once America's top vacation Mecca.  For the past three decades, though, much of the area has been ignored despite its proximity to major metropolitan areas.  Once praised for cuisine, golfing, and nightclubs only a handful of resort hotels survive and much of the areas surrounding them have become blighted.  How can this be?
Please browse the selection of BOOKS & MOVIES located throughout this website.
The defunct Heiden Hotel in South Fallsburg before fire destroyed it in 2008.  1987's "Sweet Lorraine" was filmed there. 
Schenk's Hotel in South Fallsburg during its heyday.
The people in this 1960s postcard were hotel employees.
The round structure was a Schenk's card-playing room.
The former Schenk's property now serves as a religious camp.
The main entrance to the former Schenk's Hotel as it appears today.
From the same angle as in the postcard.
The once-famous Schenk's garden sculpture as it appears today.
Note its appearance in the postcard.
Jewish Farmers of the Catskills: A Century of Survival
RESORTS OF THE CATSKILLS
Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device
Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device
Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device
Inside the Concord Hotel
Flyover of the Concord Redevelopment Site
The Catskill Mountain House Site
The Pines Hotel South Fallsburg NY (2008)
The Pines Hotel Resort
Nevele Christmas-Chanukah 2008
Nevele Resort TV Commercial (1981)
Stevensville Resort TV Commercial (1970s)
Brown's Hotel TV Commercial (1980)
Kutsher's
Catskill Honeymoon
Max Yasgur speaks at Woodstock '69
The Site of Woodstock - 39 years Later
St Regis Mohawk Casino At Monticello Raceway
Welcome!
I'm a typical child of the Catskills "golden" era...  In the 1950s, my parents were introduced at Brickman's Hotel in South Fallsburg and they later honeymooned at the Nevele Hotel in Ellenville.  Not surprisingly, then, I spent many childhood vacations with them at many of the region's most famous resorts including the Concord,  Grossinger's, Schenk's, the Gilbert's, the Raleigh, the Pines, the Nemerson, the Fallsview, and the Nevele.  I spent so much time there that, by the time I was 17, I never wanted to return to the region again.  Then, shortly after the 9/11 tragedy, my earliest Catskills memories (from Schenk's Hotel circa 1966) began surfacing.  Specifically, an earache I suffered while swimming, a large (very scary) playground bench swing, and a young playmate named "Gina".
While researching these memories, I discovered several Internet message boards regarding the Catskills.  I was amazed at the number of people responding to my queries (including quick replies from someone who remembered the bench swing and from a former social/athletic director who worked at the hotel at about time I suffered the earache).  The number of people seeking information about defunct Catskills resorts and bungalow colonies as well as information about friends, owners, and staff was overwhelming.  Gina remains a mystery to me, but many of these people were great sources of information regarding the era.
I created The Catskills: A Paradise Lost? as a tribute to that era... and to search for Gina, who will always represent a sense of childhood innocence to me.  This website is dedicated to my father, who passed away shortly after I created it.  I realize now that I miss the Catskills era as much as I miss him.  It's becoming all to apparent that firsthand oral histories of the era have become scarce.
THE CATSKILLS
The Catskills Institute is the best resource for Borscht Belt  history and is currently seeking material and artifacts.  Mementos, photos, postcards, newspaper and magazine articles, hotel menus, brochures, home movies, personal memoirs, interviews, local business papers, unpublished poetry, fiction, religious papers, and other items of local interest may be submitted.  Emails regarding submissions should be sent to phil_brown@brown.edu at The Catskills Institute.
Most area residents agree that legalized gambling would help reduce much of the region's blight because revenue generated from related businesses would spur the restoration of downtown areas and historic properties.  Reality TV has also been an advocate.  In 2005, the The Learning Channel's "Town Haul" featured the restoration of several downtown buildings in Sullivan County's Jeffersonville.