Learning about the Catskills and Borscht Belt

I had always heard entertainers referring to working in the Catskills, but had no idea about it. Many famous singers and comedians got their start working in the summer at these resorts, but I had no idea just where it was, or why. After a quick search on YouTube last evening, my wife and I were surprised how close to home this really was. And many of these entertainers would cycle through the circuit through Toronto ,Hamilton , Buffalo, and NY city. The history of the Borscht belt was equally interesting for us, as the immigrant people, mostly Eastern European Jewish folks looking for a summer vacation spot to escape the heat of the city, flocked to the Catskills mountains. The rise and fall of this was well documented, and a very interesting example of immigrants assimilation into the larger population. Meanwhile back here in my home county, only a few miles away from our farm. The similar thing was happening. Near the town of Pontypool, the Jewish immigrants from Toronto had set up summer vacation getaway camps, but on a much smaller scale. Thankfully Toronto isn?t NewYork, just wants to be.
Sullivan and Orange counties in NY state must have seen tremendous economic boom and bust through the 20th century with summer vacation folks. I wonder if this will once again happen , with folks of modest means looking to escape the city. We certainly see this happening here, as city people now plug our roads and parks on summer weekends.

Bruce, The Catskills is where I grew up and you can still see some of the old hotels. Unfortunately the one my wife?s worked at and where our reception for our wedding burned to the ground a few years ago. It was the Rexmere hotel in Stamford N.Y. The last photo is my aunts who where at Sharbot lake farmers market have you ever been there?

Sullivan County, NY is, and has been for the 20+ years I've watched, the summer vacation spot for thousands upon thousands of Jewish people from Brooklyn and other boroughs of NYC. They cycle through about every two weeks and stay in clusters of bungalows. They don't do the night clubs anymore but just go out walking, swimming, gathering. I remember putting on a demonstration at the annual Sullivan County Airshow and on the Sunday of the show there was a virtual sea of black and white.

Incidentally, we call the Catskill mountains "The Jewish Alps".

One of the guys I used to work with worked at the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake(NY) as a Ski Instructor back in the ?50s. He taught Buddy Hackett how to ski there.

That was a booming place back then!

I think the movie Dirty Dancing was reference back that era set in the Catskills. I hope it does come back, same music and the whole deal. The entertainment world today is only interested in people in drag or green hair and 3 eyes, with no regard for real talent or traditional music.

My neck of the woods. Pass by what is left of those old hotels every day remember when they were booming. Browns Hotel, Grosingers, Kutchers, Concord and many others. I taught skiing at The Pines hotel and we worked with the ski shops of the other hotels on busy weekends to supply everyone with equipment and lessons. Many groups came to the hotel. Schools, colleges even NYC PBA took over the hotel for two weeks, 1500 cops, they got a little crazy at times. After a number of years you saw a bit if everything. The Concord used to have a huge fireman's convention with companies showing equipment ECT ECT. I met some interesting people.
The director of our ski school was a former olympian, WWll RAF pilot, and from the noble class. He had pictures of many movie stars he had taught to ski or skied with, he had quite a life.

First, I must apologize for posting this in the wrongforum, I thought I was posting in Tractor Tales, my mistake. From replies I have read, it seems tourism in the Catskills is far from dead. And I can see from pictures and videos I have watched , the natural beauty of this area will always be an attraction. The big resorts may be gone, and headline entertainment may be gone as well, but it looks like these mountain resorts in there original form may once again enjoy a strong popularity. And an economic benefit for the towns and counties. Fascinating bit of history to learn about.

Now they built a casino to revitalize the area and it is hemorrhaging money.
Casino losses

queen of catskills

Another thing worth mentioning, with a Jewish clientele sometimes we would see/meet someone with numbers tattooed on their arm. Concentration camp survivors.

Bruce, my grandmother was born in the nearby city of Troy NY, when she was a young gal, she spent summers down in the Catskills in the late 20's and 30s'. She told me a lot about those days and places nearby here, always loved going to their farm east of here in the rocky Appalachian kind of mountains close to Mass. just to hear the stories.