It was pretty cool. But I was a kid when I was there, and hadn't realized just how unique it was. At the deep end, there was a window, and from the locker room, you could see people swimming underwater.
I truly miss the variety of the old fashioned resorts. Modern resorts are so sterile and despite their attempts to stand out they all end up looking like variations on the same monotonous theme.
I miss the old resorts, they were so much more unique. Then again I also miss old mob Vegas and dirty Times Square so I'm probably kinda odd. People were always dressed nicely, and the kids that were there behaved before the disneyfication of Vegas.
I WISH I was born a little bit earlier, 1987 here. The richness of times past makes me yearn. Just like the cars of old, nowadays everything is generic and cold.
@shandelstovell8070 I miss the old fashion and people actually caring about what they wore in public. The manners were a lot better also. Things in general are way better now, but I do miss a lot of stuff from when I was a kid. We went to the Poconos and the Catskills on vacations when i was young. You just don't have that kind of thing anymore.
Wonderful documentary. I worked at Grossingers for 4-5 years. In 1983 i started at the Front Desk doing the night audit and moved into the accounting dept. I had the time of my life.
Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 10 years of the "Abandoned" series, I remember subbing in around late 2015 and been it's going on since. Congrats on releasing 78th episodes of this mate. Keep going strong!
right?? I could care less about most of the places on which they make documentaries... until I watch them that is. Bright Sun can make any random abandoned place sound super interesting.
Played golf there for 35 years right up until it closed. Amazing course, still my favorite track. I can remember driving by the the indoor pool when it was still open. Watching it deteriorate over the years was sad. Great video, Thanks for the memories.
I live in the Catskills in a small town. I heard stories of my small town being popular with tourists way back when and we had a lot of factories. Then the town started to go downhill with tourists no longer visiting and the factories moving overseas or flat out shutting down. Now the town is slowly rebuilding as an art town.
That happened in northeastern Minnesota as the mining industry changed. There is still iron mining, but it doesn't need the armies of men like in the old days. Fortunately northern MN is beautiful, and had always attracted artists and vacationers, so they were able to pivot.
We recently visited the old Bethlehem Steel Mill in Bethlehem, PA. The org that led this historical rebuilding site for the public to enjoy and learn about and local & community non-profits have done a fabulous job of rebuilding this area and drawing locals in for various events, Visitors can walk through (on a very safe ramp) to see how the once massive steel manufacturing operation worked. There is a museum there too with old steam driven equipment and looms to see. And the nearby town of Bethlehem has lots of shops and eateries too. There's just so much IMPORTANT American history there to see. Hopefully there are SOME smaller resorts that have been or can be rejuvenated and bring people back in to enjoy the beautiful Catskills.
I was working there when it closed in February 1986. It was sad to see how far it fell into disrepair. I have very fond memories and, yes, I made lifelong friends.
One thing that massively changed: Back then, even middle class families could take a week or two vacation every year. That is becoming a pipe dream for a lot of families I know, unless they put themselves in debt up to their tuchus for a Disney trip.
The local steel mill would close in the depths of the summer as too much heat and the electric arc furnace strained the grid. Employees were free to do as they wished. Union job.
@@rogersmith7396ea well it’s kinda ironic that your complaining about people being able to afford these things but yet the factory’s that allow people to afford these things are being closed. Hmm. Not complaining necessarily just making a point
This doesn’t contradict your point at all, but I think we need to start acknowledging that “middle class” has become an almost meaningless concept. Families with household incomes of under $50,000 and families with incomes ten times that all consider themselves “middle class,” because in the US, everyone wants to be “middle class.” You actually can make almost no statement about what “middle class people” can and can’t do, because almost everyone who isn’t living in a run-down trailer or flying a private jet considers him or herself a “middle class person” (and probably some run down trailer and private jet people do too). I don’t disagree with your central point that more people used to be able to take longer vacations and that wages are stagnating, but I just think we need to drop the term “middle class.” If “middle class” were defined in a such a way that it didn’t include almost the entire population, most of the people you’re talking about who can’t afford a week vacation would not be “middle class.”
I worked at Grossingers in 1975. so many People would drive up to the catskills every weekend. Golf, food, shows was awesome. The concord had 1 of the best famous golf course the Monster. So sad the good ole days
@@BrightSunFilms have a few suggestions for 6 abandoned episodes (I know it's a lot but I've been recently interested in some lesser known areas), all of which are actually towns. Suggestion 1. Picher Oklahoma and its satellite towns of Cardin, Oklahoma, Hockerville, Oklahoma, Douthat, Oklahoma, Zincville, Oklahoma (useless but weird thing, Zincville is Nicknamed St. Louis for some reason???), and Treece, Kansas. They're all part of the Tar Creek Superfund Site and as a quick rundown of what happened was mining companies mined lead there and then left all the waste. This caused many cases of lead pollution and the towns were shut down from 2009-2012. The only one still with residents is Treece, which still has one. Suggestion 2. Wittenoom, Western Australia. It is a ghost town where almost nothing remains. The last resident left in 2022 And it was disincorporated in 2007. Basically what happened was blue asbestos was mined there and health concerns arose. It was a company town till the 60s. Suggestion 3. Gilman, Colorado. Basically it was a company town and transferred hands multiple times before closing under the ownership of Viacom, Inc (I wish I was joking. A television company owned the mining town) due to the health concerns around lead mining in 1987-ish. Suggestion 4. Byrnesville, Pennsylvania. Byrnesville Pennsylvania is the lesser known abandoned town that was affected by the Centralia mine fire. I'm not sure if it was covered in the Centralia episode but in 1999 the town was evacuated and demolished. The only remnants are a statue, a garage, and the main road that has become part of route 61. Suggestion 5. Frick's lock Historic District. Frick's lock Historic District, usually just known as Frick's lock, is a small village in Pennsylvania that was abandoned following the construction of the nearby Limerick Nuclear Power plant, which was right across the river. People still visit the modern ghost town despite it being private property. Suggestion 6: Time Beach, Missouri. This town was a very high class tourist destination between the 30s and 70s. Tourism flopped and the town became so poor they couldn't even pave their roads (important for later.) Meanwhile the Vietnam war was happening. Why do I mention this? A product for Agent orange was being produced nearby. Some guy took that and used it to clean stuff. Multiple farms reported that horses dropped dead and their children got sick. Then he arrived to Times Beach. Remember how I said they couldn't even pave their roads? Times Beach hired this guy to use the toxic product which contained Doxin to clean their roads. The Federal government shut the town down quickly after that. The town is now home to route 66 state Park, and the last remaining building is a visitors center used for the park.
Adding to the list- Sharon Springs, NY. Another resort area for primarily Jewish New Yorkers, but had numerous hotels and resorts, which have long since closed. The town had a mini- resurgence in the late 1990’s when a few of the larger abandoned hotels were purchased and renovated/revitalized by (ironically) Ex-NYC residents who also wanted to escape the city. I have long since moved away from this area, so I am unaware if that trend continued, or if the hotels which had re-opened are still operating. If you do end up researching this area, look up The Pavilion Hotel. It was an absolutely massive gorgeous hotel that had an interesting history. From what I remember being told back in the 1990’s, the owner was a really eccentric lady who swore that if FDR was re-elected President of the US for a 4th time, she would tear the hotel down. He was, and she apparently did, or so the rumor went…
2 malls because it's getting difficult to edit the long list. The Galleria Pittsburgh Mills. Opened in 2005, this near ghost mall features only 20 stores now, and is the last Mills mall to exist. Over 85 percent of the place is abandoned. The only area that still has life is the Entrance. Even then it's dead. It's decline started around 2011, where stores began closing left and right, but 2015 is where it really started to ramp up, and the pandemic was the final straw. I have a personal connection because I was here as a toddler.. sad to see it go to waste. it was auctioned for 100 dollars Another mall that might get a revival. Johnstown Galleria. Johnstown Galleria opened In the nineties, and has since grown pretty dead. The anchor stores run independent and half the mall is a whole other world of abandoned stores except for a lucky few compared to the life-filled other half.. even then that's starting to close. The new owner has big plans to revive it and so far it's working. His rolling rink he installed in the former glowgolf course is successful and the food court has almost all it's places filled again, a huge contrast to two years ago when there were only 2 tenants.
I went there once, in 1974, when I was 5. Everyone talks about the indoor pool, but I remember the outdoor pool. It was the first time I ever saw a 10 meter diving platform, which to me looked about 300 feet high. Also, it wasn't heated, and felt ice cold.
I Emceed, at a 4 day event. Back in the late 1980s. Up, at an old resort in the Poconos. It was truly wondrous. It was a step, back in time. I would imagine it's gone, today. It was funky LOL. And so I've always enjoyed, dry camping in the mountains. From the, Shenandoah's, the Blue Bridge, Allegheny, Appalachian Trail and the Catskills. Not to mention Maine and Vermont. Truly a flavor of the past. The early days of, 13 Colonies. When the US was just taking hold. Yes the Borscht Belt. And where, Woodstock 1972 happened also. Such history. Such a Jewish Annex. Back in the day. When you just popped in the car and drove a few hours elsewhere. To enjoy some peace and relaxation. When people knew how to, not go to extremes. To have fun. Not have to be neurotic. With everything you do. And when nuclear families still existed. When there were families. That existed. Before everybody got divorced, later. It was good times. Enjoyed by all. Those were simpler times. When people would contemplate, thoughts, quietly. Never again. RemyRAD
I worked and lived at the Concord Resort Hotel 1985 until it closed for good in late 1998 at the Men's Health Club as a Licensed Masseur. It seemed like whenever a grand old hotel like Grossinger's closed the Concord business temporarily benefitted a little with influx of new patrons. NYS's legislature dragged their feet on gambling and casinos in the State and with competition from airlines the grand old Concord closed. Every day I am grateful for my time there. Thanks for the memories.
After years of watching your videos of not only Abandoned but also Cancelled and Bankrupt, I've learned that there's really no such a thing as "to big to be left abandoned", the amount of poor planning, mismanagement, and simple negligence we've seen has showed me they don't really care how big the building, or even the land is, just how much does it cost to fix, how much will it make, and if neither can outperform the losses then they will rather let it rot to the ground.
I learned to figure skate and ski at Grossinger's. When I got a little older, I worked as a busboy and waiter in their main dining room and coffee shop, as well as an assistant tennis instructor.
Was ar Grossinger probably in the late 1980's or early 90's for a 2 day educational meeting with the DMV. The decline was very visible even then with so much of the hotel in poor condition. Over the years I had occasion to stay at Concord,Raleigh,Pines,Nevele,and Stevensville. Most of these visits were to be part of the singles weekends offered by these hotels in the 70's and 80's especially the Concord. One had a teriffic weekend with hundreds of singles,entertainment , tennis ,teriffic food all for a bit more than $100. Per day. Met a few women that I dated back in NYC. Wonderful memories.
Mrs. Maisel brought a good bit of that back to the screen, what with Abe sucking down icy cold tomato juice (no wodka?) the activities, and even the big show room where comics played to refine their acts.
It's great to see abandon places that many people across the world never heard of the place. Thanks to channels like yours make it possible. GG my guy.
Yknow I made a 3d rendering of the thumbnail for my college courses some time last year for an art project. Just chose a random picture of an abandoned pool and did it. Who'd have thought he'd do an episode on this place.
This story reminds me so much of Atlantic City, where the area has so much potential to be something really great, yet planners act like gambling and mostly resorts are the only answers to saving the place.
My family stayed at the Raleigh and The Pines, not as fancy but incredible memories. My grandmother was awe struck by the amount of food she could enjoy. With the cost of airfare and hassle of flying these days I’m surprised if these type of resorts don’t start gaining favor again.
The Borscht Belt was not all the Catskills, just a small portion. When I was in high school, our band went to the Corcord. It was beyond amazing. Huge pool, gobs of tennis courts outside, golf course, lake, inside, tons of tennis courts, pool, ice skating rink, hall with walls made of glass and floors with huge slabs of black and white squares of marble, there was shopping, beauty parlors, everything. The photo you show at 3 seconds is the Concord. The stairs went up to the dining room. When we performed on the stage for a recording (it had great acoustics), they wanted to make sure we knew we were sitting where people got their start and performed often. They gave us a huge list, Joan Rivers, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Dom Delouise, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Johnny Carson, Barbara Streisand, Todi Fields, eventually people like Jerry Seinfeld. They said they would go to the Catskills to try out and practice their acts before appearances. They have rebuilt the Concord, while on property originally belonging to the Concord it is not on the original hotel site, in fact, it's on the other side of the lake.
So much of what makes this so stunning is the memories many of us had-likely as kids-of vacations in the Catskills, complete with a special freedom of being a bit more independent (of parental oversight) in a safe enclave of sorts, having no real have-to's, maybe flirting with staff or other (young) guests, etc. It sounds so silly and simple, but it was a respite, as every vacation should be. But ... what also distinguished it from so many other places was the sense that we were in someone's home, grand and oversized as it may have been-whether we (our parents) knew the owners or not, there wasn't the anonymity of "corporate branding"-there was something different about the Mountains, almost as though we were visiting family we hadn't met before. I don't know how that can be brought back-and as we all get older and there are fewer connections and memories get lost, resurrecting our experiences is likely impossible. But, oh, it was a time.
Honestly, the argument could be made that so much of what made that time unique for so many guests was the dedication to making a variety of memorable experiences that were specific only with them, everytime you visited. And there was a soulfulness involved in it, and that came from the actual people involved in creating that unique enrichment that always stood out to those who were there to enjoy it, there were faces and people actually attached to it all which made it that much easier to leave impressions to make you *want* to return, if that makes sense? like you said, it was like visiting a relative! It sounds like they did really well with building that relationship between the business and the consumer. It feels like a lot of that has been lost in the across the hospitality industries, in exchange for being more ‘efficient’ and streamlined, which really just comes across as detached, sterile, and impersonal. When the truth of the matter is, there’s something indispensable about taking the extra time and care to build and develop those human connections!
It still amazes me how far you have come in a considerably short time, excellently researched and written no matter what documentary you post from any of your series you are guaranteed to have an excellent informative video. Thanks for all you do Jake
Right from the beginning, the first thing that caught my eye--the pools with diving boards! When I was growing up, we used to absolutely love staying at hotels with diving boards. They're a real rarity these days, probably the result of injury lawsuits and unaffordable insurance I suppose.
When my dad was on town council back in the 90's, they were redoing the insurance on our town's public pool. He said when one insurance company representative opened the documents he said "Oh, it has a diving board? We're not insuring that." and the guy pushed the folder back across the table. The company flat our refused to insure any pools with diving boards, and the companies that would were charging drastically higher rates. And that's the story of how my childhood community pool lost its diving board.
It hit me after reading your comment just how rare diving boards have become. I still have this image in my mind of large indoor pools having a 12" deep end with at least one diving board. But when I stop and think of it, I can't recall the last time that I actually saw one...
Mountain Lake Lodge in Southwest Virginia, where Dirty Dancing was filmed, is absolutely gorgeous with a short hike for a beautiful view of the blue ridge mountains. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area/visiting Virginia Tech
My mom was born and raised in new york, i myself am from long island new york but moved out to michigan at 6. My mom told me her parents owned a hotel in the Catskills when she was a little kid. I dont recall the name of the hotel they had but she used to tell me how she would run the front desk when he parents went out for date nights. They didnt own the hotel for her whole life, just a part but it makes me wonder if its still there or its sitting abandoned or is demolished. I love watching videos about abandoned places but also find them sad as they were at some point beautiful and lively and now most sit in rot and decay. Love how jake does documentary style videos too and its just so relaxing to watch in the evening or listen to during work.
Oh my goodness! That opening picture! Swoon! Sometimes you run across a video you have to watch twice back to back. Really enjoyed this one. Great job!
My grandparents use to take me to the Irish Weekends at Concord and Browns in the 90s. They even had a non kosher kitchen added for the Catholics. The last Irish weekend we went to after the other resorts closed was the last resort standing Villa Roma.
Rocky Marciano is one of my favourite boxer of all time, fascinating finding out he trained here, I know he trained relentlessly which included punching under water, interesting to think he may have done that in the swimming pool. On the topic of his relentless training modern boxers run 4 - 6 miles every four days when training for a camp, he ran 15 miles every single day in a boxing training camp so over a half mathron a day in the sorrounding countryside of the grossinger's resort. He also had coustom heavy bag that was 300lbs in weight, when a normal heavy bag is 100lbs. It meant he could throw 100 punches round one with power few have ever mustered and then in round 15 throw 100 punches with the same amount of power. Broke more bones than any other boxer in history. Fascinating man and very kind outside the ring. Sorry I went on a tangent, made memories flood back.
@@csnide6702 , not a lot of people that had been born after the 1960s know this, but even Muhammad Ali said that, if Rocky Marchiano had still boxed instead of being retired, then he, meaning Muhammad Ali, would have been essentially completely destroyed...his words, not mine. There was a documentary that was made in the 1960s that goes into this a bit more in depth, and it was also the first time that a computer was used to determine an outcome of a fight, or a sporting event.
@@paxhumana2015 yeah... I remember the computer "fight"... Rocky said that Ali had great handspeed and would cut him up , but also said that eventually he (rocky) would catch up to him and land his power shots..... Fighters that fought Rocky said it was like hitting a fence post for 10 rounds - meaning hitting Rocky wasn't a issue - but after 10 rounds the fence post started hitting back ! 😁
I'd like to thank the show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for introducing me to the Catskills and the vacations that many in the Jewish community would take there during that area's boom period. I had no idea about this place or its history before that show and then Jake did a few episodes covering hotels in that area. You have helped fill in some of that history for me that I would otherwise have not known about. Thank you!
Now I understand a punchline from an old lost 'Honeymooners' skit. Ralph tells Alice she's got it easy being a housewife, and she retorts "Whadda you think this is, Grossinger's???"
Top notch. Your videos always give a sense of what it was like to live back then and attend these places. The pools here are crazy cool. Reminded of Sutro Baths.
Welcome back and congrats on #78! The Nevele is pretty cool also. I wish The Concorde never got demolished, that was huge. The Pines Resort nearby would make for another great video. I love these old Borscht Belt resorts
I can’t believe I’ve been looking forward to these videos for 10 years!! I started watching these as a sophomore in high school and I’m 25 now 🤯 you do such a great job with these documentaries and I’m still just as excited to click on them!
The algorithm recently fed me the first of your mini-docs, and I've been powering through them. Very good research, and amazing stories. This one specifically made me so sad, then very hopeful. I currently work in the marketing department of a century old family run company, and I get so much joy from any archival work I get to do with them. I often feel like an important part of their 105yr history. Seeing this video is a reminder of how things that seem immovable are not, and that's sad, but you did an amazing job at reminding us that it's the memories and the stories that we pass down that really matter. Great work!
You know the weekend starts perfect and smooth when Bright Sun Films brings out a new Video. 💪 I really love your channel, keep up this incredibly good work!
I played golf at the Big G many times through the 1990s and 2000s. It was a beautiful and tough course and even as things declined, being a very mature course, it held up even with minimal maintenance. I really hope the course can be saved and reopened, even without a major hotel.
Grossinger’s was just a product of unknowingly bad timing. They wanted to reopen in 1987. The same year as the stock market crash. They wanted a full gold resort in 1993 but was followed soon thereafter by the credit card crunch. Capelli wanted to reopen in 2001 as a luxury resort and then 9/11 happened. They wanted to reopen it as a casino hotel but the government bill to bring that industry to the Catskills fell through because of Lehman almost killing the American casino industry. They demolished it and wanted to rebuild a new facility but then Covid and the 2022 recession happened. When you look at it like this, it’s like the universe itself wanted the resort demolished.
Growing up, I attended several family reunions at resorts in the Poconos and Catskills which no longer exist. Unity House and Kutsher's come to mind. Last year, we had our reunion at Camelback Resort in the Poconos. It was nice, but it lacked the charm of those bygone resorts.
This made me as sad as your video about the Nevele…my wife grew up in this area, only a mile from the Nevele, and about twelve from Grosingers…my wife actually had her Sweet Sixteen at Grosingers (yes we are Old!)
i love this. i will never experience this hotel nor do i want to explore it in its current state. But I love knowing the relevance and the story here. I feel like you do the work you do to provide some sort of significance to abandoned companies and buildings that may not get the chance to tell their stories. we advance through knowledge so not knowing is unacceptable. keep up the fantastic work.
I've been waiting for a good video about the Borscht Belt/Catskills area and resorts. Back in the mid 2000's I got into Urban Exploration sites when I was trying to explain to someone about iron lung machines and found some of the early urban exploration sites. While looking into that my ex-wife had a huge interest in "Dirty Dancing" and that led me into looking up the history of the Catskills area and I found a lot of good sites looking into the resorts of the area and Grossinger's was one of them as well as The Concord and The Pines. This led me down a path of wanting to know more about them and what led to the demise of the area and why these places closed. A lot of the conclusions that I came to about why the area went the way that it did are much like the conclusions you draw in this video. With air travel becoming affordable and routes more frequent and wider ranging starting in the 60's there became so many options for trips regardless of the time of the year so it no longer became "Time to go to the Catskills" for the family retreat. There is a place that is between NYC and the Catskills along one of the highways called "Red Apple Rest" which was a rest stop for lunch or dinner while traveling between the two. It still stands to this day according to Google Maps. This also kind of ties into some of your other videos about abandoned resort hotels like Holiday Inn Holidomes, and other semi resort hotels that have faded away because of the changes in travel habits. The days of an affordable semi resort stay along a road trip are gone, as are resorts like those in the Borscht Belt. The Borscht Belt had an advantage for years because they had a captive audience not only for summer, but they also had snow skiing and winter sports as well as you could play golf, swim, play tennis, and ice skate during the summer. I find your comments about trying to develop the area with casinos interesting because with the changes in state and now federal regulations regarding casino style gambling on tribal lands being wide spread that style entertainment is easy to access and places like the Mississippi River Boat casinos have lost out on the area that they thrived. Sorry for the long answer, this video just tied together a lot of thoughts.
I could show you where the toboggan run was. Fascinating history! You hit all the high points in 16min. Impressive! A 'fresh' Catskill/Grossinger vid is a rare event and when it is this good it is a treat, thanks.
I never stayed at Grossinger's, but I did stay at the Concord as a kid in the 1980s. It was a great experience, especially the enormous dining room. I later stayed at Kutsher's in late 1999/early 2000 for a conference and it was clearly on its last legs. These resorts had character that set them apart from corporate hotel chains. It's a shame that none of them exist any longer.
This is a fine example of why, the US will never have any 500 year old structures still being used, like they have in Europe - actually the EU has many 1000+ year old structures still used. But the US has a different attitude. Out with the Old, and In with the new. There never seems to be enough money to maintain a well build old structure, but always enough money to tear it down and build something different.
Another amazing video, Jake! It almost gives me nostalgia to look back on these older resorts, despite having never been there myself. Also looking forward to the possible future Bed Bath and Beyond bankrupt episode, as they just liquidated all of their assets a few weeks ago.
I have zero interest in gambling, and if I did, I'd go local, online, or to Vegas(online for convenience, local if I wanted in-person, Vegas if I wanted that maximalist experience). What I absolutely WOULD be interested in would be a resort in the mountains like Grossinger's was in its heyday. That sounds awesome. Spending time in nature is all the more valuable with how immersed we are with the internet all day every day.
I look forward to each and every one of your videos, they each have a quality that makes me feel so comfortable and at home. Thank you for all you do & your amazing hard work.
I have been subscribed for a few years, its been months since YT has popped up a video of yours to me. I thought you quit filming. Atleast now I have some binge material!
The vibe is different but the history is every bit as rich- I’m referring to Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, a Hudson River destination that is still thriving. You might want to check it out…😢
I had a wonderful time there......April 1973. I came to Grossinger's from New Rochelle, NY. BTW. I am married now, & live in Connecticut, but I still think of that time. And Marc Smith is my screen name here.
Boy has this place changed. I was here with my family around 1967 when all of the buildings were fairly new. I can still remember the pool with all of these people either swimming or lounging about like it was yesterday. Sad to see how run down it has become.
Been watching you for years! So glad you are still making videos! I haven’t seen one in a while (maybe the weird algorithm) so I was very happy to get this on my feed!
This area to me seems very similar to the smoky Mountain areas of Tennessee and North Carolina which is still very popular, but the Catskills are not at this time. SsJust a little confusing to me.
I have a suggestion for the next episode: Eagle Mountain, California. Similar to Centralia, Pennsylvania, it was a mining town that eventually became abandoned after the company had shut down in the early 80's. The use of it after was being a correctional facility and multiple attempts to develop the land. Nearby, hydroplants exist. Recently, a company purchased the land and mines for $22.5 million. It is unknown what they are going to do with it.
Good evening bright sun film 🎥 I love your historical documentary on videos and walkthrough of abandoned places keep up the great Job. Especially this hotel I can imagine how it was in it year's with amazing things. Well keep up the great Job mate.
Jake, you really ought to cover the Sprint World Headquarters in Overland Park, KS. I worked overnight security there during covid and got to explore the vast empty campus and office buildings at my leasure!
I live 3 mins away from grossingers and the abandoned building were always a spectacle themselves. The large pool room and hotel rooms were crazy. Not to mention the golf course is absolutely beautiful. It really is a shame that that’s what it came to, it’s a beautiful place
Couple of notes. The Catskill resorts had world class entertainment - all the major comics, singers and bands played there. In addition there was hotel sports league with teams composed of the best college players in country.
That indoor pool building was stunning, a beautiful piece of modernist architecture. What a massive shame it was demolished.
And even more tragic seeing it again, ruined, and vandalized
It was pretty cool. But I was a kid when I was there, and hadn't realized just how unique it was. At the deep end, there was a window, and from the locker room, you could see people swimming underwater.
@@winternow2242 that sounds like it would have been so cool to see
I truly miss the variety of the old fashioned resorts. Modern resorts are so sterile and despite their attempts to stand out they all end up looking like variations on the same monotonous theme.
Yeah, most of the hotels are parts many hotel chains.
They all have this ultra modern bland feel
I miss the old resorts, they were so much more unique. Then again I also miss old mob Vegas and dirty Times Square so I'm probably kinda odd. People were always dressed nicely, and the kids that were there behaved before the disneyfication of Vegas.
I WISH I was born a little bit earlier, 1987 here. The richness of times past makes me yearn. Just like the cars of old, nowadays everything is generic and cold.
@shandelstovell8070 I miss the old fashion and people actually caring about what they wore in public. The manners were a lot better also. Things in general are way better now, but I do miss a lot of stuff from when I was a kid.
We went to the Poconos and the Catskills on vacations when i was young. You just don't have that kind of thing anymore.
Wonderful documentary. I worked at Grossingers for 4-5 years. In 1983 i started at the Front Desk doing the night audit and moved into the accounting dept. I had the time of my life.
Every day was an adventure. Never knew who you might run into. Lou Goldstein was there doing his daily shows.
Did you do any dirty dancing?
Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 10 years of the "Abandoned" series, I remember subbing in around late 2015 and been it's going on since. Congrats on releasing 78th episodes of this mate. Keep going strong!
Thank you so much!
Bright Sun Films produces excellent documentaries.
Thanks!
Agree
The straight forwardest comment
right?? I could care less about most of the places on which they make documentaries... until I watch them that is. Bright Sun can make any random abandoned place sound super interesting.
They are the best
Played golf there for 35 years right up until it closed. Amazing course, still my favorite track. I can remember driving by the the indoor pool when it was still open. Watching it deteriorate over the years was sad. Great video, Thanks for the memories.
I live in the Catskills in a small town. I heard stories of my small town being popular with tourists way back when and we had a lot of factories. Then the town started to go downhill with tourists no longer visiting and the factories moving overseas or flat out shutting down. Now the town is slowly rebuilding as an art town.
That happened in northeastern Minnesota as the mining industry changed. There is still iron mining, but it doesn't need the armies of men like in the old days. Fortunately northern MN is beautiful, and had always attracted artists and vacationers, so they were able to pivot.
We recently visited the old Bethlehem Steel Mill in Bethlehem, PA. The org that led this historical rebuilding site for the public to enjoy and learn about and local & community non-profits have done a fabulous job of rebuilding this area and drawing locals in for various events, Visitors can walk through (on a very safe ramp) to see how the once massive steel manufacturing operation worked. There is a museum there too with old steam driven equipment and looms to see. And the nearby town of Bethlehem has lots of shops and eateries too. There's just so much IMPORTANT American history there to see. Hopefully there are SOME smaller resorts that have been or can be rejuvenated and bring people back in to enjoy the beautiful Catskills.
That's a really nice new identity to bring in. It will draw in lots of good people.
I was working there when it closed in February 1986. It was sad to see how far it fell into disrepair. I have very fond memories and, yes, I made lifelong friends.
One thing that massively changed: Back then, even middle class families could take a week or two vacation every year. That is becoming a pipe dream for a lot of families I know, unless they put themselves in debt up to their tuchus for a Disney trip.
The local steel mill would close in the depths of the summer as too much heat and the electric arc furnace strained the grid. Employees were free to do as they wished. Union job.
@@rogersmith7396ea well it’s kinda ironic that your complaining about people being able to afford these things but yet the factory’s that allow people to afford these things are being closed. Hmm. Not complaining necessarily just making a point
@@Bound2BeatU No idea what you are on about. My comment describes Kansas City when I was in high school in the early 70s.
@@Bound2BeatU The billionaires shipped millions of jobs to China and now China is challenging the US for biggest military. Very clever, Republicans.
This doesn’t contradict your point at all, but I think we need to start acknowledging that “middle class” has become an almost meaningless concept. Families with household incomes of under $50,000 and families with incomes ten times that all consider themselves “middle class,” because in the US, everyone wants to be “middle class.”
You actually can make almost no statement about what “middle class people” can and can’t do, because almost everyone who isn’t living in a run-down trailer or flying a private jet considers him or herself a “middle class person” (and probably some run down trailer and private jet people do too). I don’t disagree with your central point that more people used to be able to take longer vacations and that wages are stagnating, but I just think we need to drop the term “middle class.” If “middle class” were defined in a such a way that it didn’t include almost the entire population, most of the people you’re talking about who can’t afford a week vacation would not be “middle class.”
I worked at Grossingers in 1975. so many People would drive up to the catskills every weekend. Golf, food, shows was awesome. The concord had 1 of the best famous golf course the Monster. So sad the good ole days
Somehow you manage to always capture that nostalgic feeling.. and its so good! Ty for another great production video.
Thankfully Google has taken control of the Internet's content which means that Jewish stories like this can now be told.
Busy Earnin'! That song brings back memories of playing FIFA 15 as a kid. Pretty good song too.
Congratulations on 78 episodes of Abandoned Jake! For better or worse, here’s to 78 more!
Thank you so much!
@@BrightSunFilms have a few suggestions for 6 abandoned episodes (I know it's a lot but I've been recently interested in some lesser known areas), all of which are actually towns.
Suggestion 1. Picher Oklahoma and its satellite towns of Cardin, Oklahoma, Hockerville, Oklahoma, Douthat, Oklahoma, Zincville, Oklahoma (useless but weird thing, Zincville is Nicknamed St. Louis for some reason???), and Treece, Kansas. They're all part of the Tar Creek Superfund Site and as a quick rundown of what happened was mining companies mined lead there and then left all the waste. This caused many cases of lead pollution and the towns were shut down from 2009-2012. The only one still with residents is Treece, which still has one.
Suggestion 2. Wittenoom, Western Australia. It is a ghost town where almost nothing remains. The last resident left in 2022 And it was disincorporated in 2007. Basically what happened was blue asbestos was mined there and health concerns arose. It was a company town till the 60s.
Suggestion 3. Gilman, Colorado. Basically it was a company town and transferred hands multiple times before closing under the ownership of Viacom, Inc (I wish I was joking. A television company owned the mining town) due to the health concerns around lead mining in 1987-ish.
Suggestion 4. Byrnesville, Pennsylvania. Byrnesville Pennsylvania is the lesser known abandoned town that was affected by the Centralia mine fire. I'm not sure if it was covered in the Centralia episode but in 1999 the town was evacuated and demolished. The only remnants are a statue, a garage, and the main road that has become part of route 61.
Suggestion 5. Frick's lock Historic District. Frick's lock Historic District, usually just known as Frick's lock, is a small village in Pennsylvania that was abandoned following the construction of the nearby Limerick Nuclear Power plant, which was right across the river. People still visit the modern ghost town despite it being private property.
Suggestion 6: Time Beach, Missouri. This town was a very high class tourist destination between the 30s and 70s. Tourism flopped and the town became so poor they couldn't even pave their roads (important for later.) Meanwhile the Vietnam war was happening. Why do I mention this? A product for Agent orange was being produced nearby. Some guy took that and used it to clean stuff. Multiple farms reported that horses dropped dead and their children got sick. Then he arrived to Times Beach. Remember how I said they couldn't even pave their roads? Times Beach hired this guy to use the toxic product which contained Doxin to clean their roads. The Federal government shut the town down quickly after that. The town is now home to route 66 state Park, and the last remaining building is a visitors center used for the park.
Adding to the list- Sharon Springs, NY. Another resort area for primarily Jewish New Yorkers, but had numerous hotels and resorts, which have long since closed. The town had a mini- resurgence in the late 1990’s when a few of the larger abandoned hotels were purchased and renovated/revitalized by (ironically) Ex-NYC residents who also wanted to escape the city. I have long since moved away from this area, so I am unaware if that trend continued, or if the hotels which had re-opened are still operating.
If you do end up researching this area, look up The Pavilion Hotel. It was an absolutely massive gorgeous hotel that had an interesting history. From what I remember being told back in the 1990’s, the owner was a really eccentric lady who swore that if FDR was re-elected President of the US for a 4th time, she would tear the hotel down. He was, and she apparently did, or so the rumor went…
@@lisarodriguez194watch this comment section just become suggestions for abandoned episodes lol
2 malls because it's getting difficult to edit the long list.
The Galleria Pittsburgh Mills.
Opened in 2005, this near ghost mall features only 20 stores now, and is the last Mills mall to exist. Over 85 percent of the place is abandoned. The only area that still has life is the Entrance. Even then it's dead. It's decline started around 2011, where stores began closing left and right, but 2015 is where it really started to ramp up, and the pandemic was the final straw. I have a personal connection because I was here as a toddler.. sad to see it go to waste. it was auctioned for 100 dollars
Another mall that might get a revival.
Johnstown Galleria.
Johnstown Galleria opened In the nineties, and has since grown pretty dead. The anchor stores run independent and half the mall is a whole other world of abandoned stores except for a lucky few compared to the life-filled other half.. even then that's starting to close. The new owner has big plans to revive it and so far it's working. His rolling rink he installed in the former glowgolf course is successful and the food court has almost all it's places filled again, a huge contrast to two years ago when there were only 2 tenants.
I went there once, in 1974, when I was 5. Everyone talks about the indoor pool, but I remember the outdoor pool. It was the first time I ever saw a 10 meter diving platform, which to me looked about 300 feet high. Also, it wasn't heated, and felt ice cold.
God, what a heartbreaking story. Im feeling nostalgic for a past that I never lived.
I Emceed, at a 4 day event. Back in the late 1980s. Up, at an old resort in the Poconos. It was truly wondrous. It was a step, back in time. I would imagine it's gone, today. It was funky LOL.
And so I've always enjoyed, dry camping in the mountains. From the, Shenandoah's, the Blue Bridge, Allegheny, Appalachian Trail and the Catskills. Not to mention Maine and Vermont. Truly a flavor of the past. The early days of, 13 Colonies. When the US was just taking hold.
Yes the Borscht Belt. And where, Woodstock 1972 happened also. Such history. Such a Jewish Annex. Back in the day. When you just popped in the car and drove a few hours elsewhere. To enjoy some peace and relaxation. When people knew how to, not go to extremes. To have fun. Not have to be neurotic. With everything you do. And when nuclear families still existed. When there were families. That existed. Before everybody got divorced, later. It was good times. Enjoyed by all.
Those were simpler times. When people would contemplate, thoughts, quietly. Never again.
RemyRAD
I worked and lived at the Concord Resort Hotel 1985 until it closed for good in late 1998 at the Men's Health Club as a Licensed Masseur. It seemed like whenever a grand old hotel like Grossinger's closed the Concord business temporarily benefitted a little with influx of new patrons. NYS's legislature dragged their feet on gambling and casinos in the State and with competition from airlines the grand old Concord closed. Every day I am grateful for my time there. Thanks for the memories.
After years of watching your videos of not only Abandoned but also Cancelled and Bankrupt, I've learned that there's really no such a thing as "to big to be left abandoned", the amount of poor planning, mismanagement, and simple negligence we've seen has showed me they don't really care how big the building, or even the land is, just how much does it cost to fix, how much will it make, and if neither can outperform the losses then they will rather let it rot to the ground.
I learned to figure skate and ski at Grossinger's. When I got a little older, I worked as a busboy and waiter in their main dining room and coffee shop, as well as an assistant tennis instructor.
Was ar Grossinger probably in the late 1980's or early 90's for a 2 day educational meeting with the DMV. The decline was very visible even then with so much of the hotel in poor condition. Over the years I had occasion to stay at Concord,Raleigh,Pines,Nevele,and Stevensville. Most of these visits were to be part of the singles weekends offered by these hotels in the 70's and 80's especially the Concord. One had a teriffic weekend with hundreds of singles,entertainment , tennis ,teriffic food all for a bit more than $100. Per day. Met a few women that I dated back in NYC. Wonderful memories.
Mrs. Maisel brought a good bit of that back to the screen, what with Abe sucking down icy cold tomato juice (no wodka?) the activities, and even the big show room where comics played to refine their acts.
It's great to see abandon places that many people across the world never heard of the place. Thanks to channels like yours make it possible. GG my guy.
GG Allin
Yknow I made a 3d rendering of the thumbnail for my college courses some time last year for an art project. Just chose a random picture of an abandoned pool and did it. Who'd have thought he'd do an episode on this place.
@@noahbryant4856 noice hell yeah bruh. I gotta see what this looks like. hope you passed the class on it bruh.
@@Solidier1 honestly i feel like it wasn't my best work or anything, definitely needs some touch up whenever I get back into 3D art hahaha
This story reminds me so much of Atlantic City, where the area has so much potential to be something really great, yet planners act like gambling and mostly resorts are the only answers to saving the place.
My family stayed at the Raleigh and The Pines, not as fancy but incredible memories. My grandmother was awe struck by the amount of food she could enjoy.
With the cost of airfare and hassle of flying these days I’m surprised if these type of resorts don’t start gaining favor again.
The Borscht Belt was not all the Catskills, just a small portion. When I was in high school, our band went to the Corcord. It was beyond amazing. Huge pool, gobs of tennis courts outside, golf course, lake, inside, tons of tennis courts, pool, ice skating rink, hall with walls made of glass and floors with huge slabs of black and white squares of marble, there was shopping, beauty parlors, everything. The photo you show at 3 seconds is the Concord. The stairs went up to the dining room. When we performed on the stage for a recording (it had great acoustics), they wanted to make sure we knew we were sitting where people got their start and performed often. They gave us a huge list, Joan Rivers, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Dom Delouise, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Johnny Carson, Barbara Streisand, Todi Fields, eventually people like Jerry Seinfeld. They said they would go to the Catskills to try out and practice their acts before appearances. They have rebuilt the Concord, while on property originally belonging to the Concord it is not on the original hotel site, in fact, it's on the other side of the lake.
The Concord was part of the Borscht Belt and was in the Catskills
Did you just repeat tennis courts and pools right after you mentioned it?
@@Kbernitt4371 yes, but not all the Catskills are part of the Borscht Belt.
@@Unknown_Ooh yes, outside and inside.
Thank you that’s really interesting. I wish I could have seen it
So much of what makes this so stunning is the memories many of us had-likely as kids-of vacations in the Catskills, complete with a special freedom of being a bit more independent (of parental oversight) in a safe enclave of sorts, having no real have-to's, maybe flirting with staff or other (young) guests, etc. It sounds so silly and simple, but it was a respite, as every vacation should be. But ... what also distinguished it from so many other places was the sense that we were in someone's home, grand and oversized as it may have been-whether we (our parents) knew the owners or not, there wasn't the anonymity of "corporate branding"-there was something different about the Mountains, almost as though we were visiting family we hadn't met before. I don't know how that can be brought back-and as we all get older and there are fewer connections and memories get lost, resurrecting our experiences is likely impossible. But, oh, it was a time.
Honestly, the argument could be made that so much of what made that time unique for so many guests was the dedication to making a variety of memorable experiences that were specific only with them, everytime you visited. And there was a soulfulness involved in it, and that came from the actual people involved in creating that unique enrichment
that always stood out to those who were there to enjoy it, there were faces and people actually attached to it all which made it that much easier to leave impressions to make you *want* to return, if that makes sense? like you said, it was like visiting a relative! It sounds like they did really well with building that relationship between the business and the consumer. It feels like a lot of that has been lost in the across the hospitality industries, in exchange for being more ‘efficient’ and streamlined, which really just comes across as detached, sterile, and impersonal. When the truth of the matter is, there’s something indispensable about taking the extra time and care to build and develop those human connections!
It still amazes me how far you have come in a considerably short time, excellently researched and written no matter what documentary you post from any of your series you are guaranteed to have an excellent informative video. Thanks for all you do Jake
Even dressed down , the people still dressed much more dapper than today
Right from the beginning, the first thing that caught my eye--the pools with diving boards! When I was growing up, we used to absolutely love staying at hotels with diving boards. They're a real rarity these days, probably the result of injury lawsuits and unaffordable insurance I suppose.
Yes!! WE LOVED going to hotels with high-dives (as we called them). They were so much fun to jump off of as a kid!
and that most hotel pools now are so shallow--- 5-6 feet
When my dad was on town council back in the 90's, they were redoing the insurance on our town's public pool. He said when one insurance company representative opened the documents he said "Oh, it has a diving board? We're not insuring that." and the guy pushed the folder back across the table. The company flat our refused to insure any pools with diving boards, and the companies that would were charging drastically higher rates. And that's the story of how my childhood community pool lost its diving board.
It hit me after reading your comment just how rare diving boards have become. I still have this image in my mind of large indoor pools having a 12" deep end with at least one diving board. But when I stop and think of it, I can't recall the last time that I actually saw one...
Mountain Lake Lodge in Southwest Virginia, where Dirty Dancing was filmed, is absolutely gorgeous with a short hike for a beautiful view of the blue ridge mountains. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area/visiting Virginia Tech
Massive indoor pool was so iconic and majestic.
It's sad that something like this dont exist anymore.
My mom was born and raised in new york, i myself am from long island new york but moved out to michigan at 6. My mom told me her parents owned a hotel in the Catskills when she was a little kid. I dont recall the name of the hotel they had but she used to tell me how she would run the front desk when he parents went out for date nights. They didnt own the hotel for her whole life, just a part but it makes me wonder if its still there or its sitting abandoned or is demolished. I love watching videos about abandoned places but also find them sad as they were at some point beautiful and lively and now most sit in rot and decay. Love how jake does documentary style videos too and its just so relaxing to watch in the evening or listen to during work.
Oh my goodness! That opening picture! Swoon! Sometimes you run across a video you have to watch twice back to back. Really enjoyed this one. Great job!
Excellent documentary, this is the most thorough video I've seen yet! Well done!
That was a blast from my past. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
if they even make a casine, id love for them to make a replica or homage to the pool room. that pool room is just so good looking! Great job jake!
How did you make a comment on this video 3 days before this video was even posted to begin with?
@@AUM_-po9sc oh lol, that confused the crap outta me
What other secrets do you know, oh time traveler? (seriously how tf)
Man is hacking youtube
I think Jake probably privately releases his videos early to Patreon subscribers and then makes the videos public after some time.
My grandparents use to take me to the Irish Weekends at Concord and Browns in the 90s. They even had a non kosher kitchen added for the Catholics. The last Irish weekend we went to after the other resorts closed was the last resort standing Villa Roma.
Finally! I've been waiting so long for this one. Thank you, Jake.
Rocky Marciano is one of my favourite boxer of all time, fascinating finding out he trained here, I know he trained relentlessly which included punching under water, interesting to think he may have done that in the swimming pool. On the topic of his relentless training modern boxers run 4 - 6 miles every four days when training for a camp, he ran 15 miles every single day in a boxing training camp so over a half mathron a day in the sorrounding countryside of the grossinger's resort. He also had coustom heavy bag that was 300lbs in weight, when a normal heavy bag is 100lbs. It meant he could throw 100 punches round one with power few have ever mustered and then in round 15 throw 100 punches with the same amount of power. Broke more bones than any other boxer in history. Fascinating man and very kind outside the ring. Sorry I went on a tangent, made memories flood back.
He was one of the all time greats.
@@csnide6702 , not a lot of people that had been born after the 1960s know this, but even Muhammad Ali said that, if Rocky Marchiano had still boxed instead of being retired, then he, meaning Muhammad Ali, would have been essentially completely destroyed...his words, not mine. There was a documentary that was made in the 1960s that goes into this a bit more in depth, and it was also the first time that a computer was used to determine an outcome of a fight, or a sporting event.
@@paxhumana2015 yeah... I remember the computer "fight"... Rocky said that Ali had great handspeed and would cut him up , but also said that eventually he (rocky) would catch up to him and land his power shots..... Fighters that fought Rocky said it was like hitting a fence post for 10 rounds - meaning hitting Rocky wasn't a issue - but after 10 rounds the fence post started hitting back ! 😁
@@csnide6702the best quote is from Joe Louis he said Rocky Marciano doesn't fight by the book, but last night I get hit by an entire Library.
Love all your documentaries!
I'd like to thank the show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for introducing me to the Catskills and the vacations that many in the Jewish community would take there during that area's boom period. I had no idea about this place or its history before that show and then Jake did a few episodes covering hotels in that area. You have helped fill in some of that history for me that I would otherwise have not known about. Thank you!
The resort where that was filmed is still there, near Binghamton. It was recently sold and hopes to reopen under new owners.
Now I understand a punchline from an old lost 'Honeymooners' skit. Ralph tells Alice she's got it easy being a housewife, and she retorts "Whadda you think this is, Grossinger's???"
Top notch. Your videos always give a sense of what it was like to live back then and attend these places.
The pools here are crazy cool. Reminded of Sutro Baths.
If they had converted it into a retirement village or long-term care facility they probably could have made a successful business out of it.
That would have been amazing.
Welcome back and congrats on #78! The Nevele is pretty cool also. I wish The Concorde never got demolished, that was huge. The Pines Resort nearby would make for another great video. I love these old Borscht Belt resorts
I can’t believe I’ve been looking forward to these videos for 10 years!! I started watching these as a sophomore in high school and I’m 25 now 🤯 you do such a great job with these documentaries and I’m still just as excited to click on them!
That’s so insane! Even more crazy is that we’re the same age!
@@BrightSunFilms No way!! My mind is even more blown now!
The algorithm recently fed me the first of your mini-docs, and I've been powering through them. Very good research, and amazing stories. This one specifically made me so sad, then very hopeful. I currently work in the marketing department of a century old family run company, and I get so much joy from any archival work I get to do with them. I often feel like an important part of their 105yr history. Seeing this video is a reminder of how things that seem immovable are not, and that's sad, but you did an amazing job at reminding us that it's the memories and the stories that we pass down that really matter. Great work!
That’s really kind of you, thank you!
Perfect future Disc Golf course retreat. Thx Jake, nice work and great report!
Glad you liked it!
I love your videos and absolutely love the videos of the older places like this
You know the weekend starts perfect and smooth when Bright Sun Films brings out a new Video. 💪 I really love your channel, keep up this incredibly good work!
This dudes videos are my entire watch history
I played golf at the Big G many times through the 1990s and 2000s. It was a beautiful and tough course and even as things declined, being a very mature course, it held up even with minimal maintenance. I really hope the course can be saved and reopened, even without a major hotel.
your videos are fantastic and digestible archives, of these local projects that would absolutely be forgotten otherwise. Great video as always!
Thank you so much!
Grossinger’s was just a product of unknowingly bad timing. They wanted to reopen in 1987. The same year as the stock market crash. They wanted a full gold resort in 1993 but was followed soon thereafter by the credit card crunch. Capelli wanted to reopen in 2001 as a luxury resort and then 9/11 happened. They wanted to reopen it as a casino hotel but the government bill to bring that industry to the Catskills fell through because of Lehman almost killing the American casino industry. They demolished it and wanted to rebuild a new facility but then Covid and the 2022 recession happened. When you look at it like this, it’s like the universe itself wanted the resort demolished.
Growing up, I attended several family reunions at resorts in the Poconos and Catskills which no longer exist. Unity House and Kutsher's come to mind. Last year, we had our reunion at Camelback Resort in the Poconos. It was nice, but it lacked the charm of those bygone resorts.
We went here for our Senior trip and it was beautiful..The food was delicious too...
16:30 I hope the name of the music here is "Barubeck Baboo", because that is what it says to me.
This made me as sad as your video about the Nevele…my wife grew up in this area, only a mile from the Nevele, and about twelve from Grosingers…my wife actually had her Sweet Sixteen at Grosingers (yes we are Old!)
So sad to see these iconic places disappear
i love this. i will never experience this hotel nor do i want to explore it in its current state. But I love knowing the relevance and the story here. I feel like you do the work you do to provide some sort of significance to abandoned companies and buildings that may not get the chance to tell their stories. we advance through knowledge so not knowing is unacceptable. keep up the fantastic work.
The thing is: Those times are not coming back. That's because the target customer base - the upper middle class - has basically died out.
Another superb abandoned video - think I've watched them all, nice choice of outro music, great track.
This is great! Thank you for keeping the memories alive. It sure was a special place. :)
One of the best out there. As always Jake . Thank you!!
I've been waiting for a good video about the Borscht Belt/Catskills area and resorts.
Back in the mid 2000's I got into Urban Exploration sites when I was trying to explain to someone about iron lung machines and found some of the early urban exploration sites. While looking into that my ex-wife had a huge interest in "Dirty Dancing" and that led me into looking up the history of the Catskills area and I found a lot of good sites looking into the resorts of the area and Grossinger's was one of them as well as The Concord and The Pines. This led me down a path of wanting to know more about them and what led to the demise of the area and why these places closed.
A lot of the conclusions that I came to about why the area went the way that it did are much like the conclusions you draw in this video. With air travel becoming affordable and routes more frequent and wider ranging starting in the 60's there became so many options for trips regardless of the time of the year so it no longer became "Time to go to the Catskills" for the family retreat. There is a place that is between NYC and the Catskills along one of the highways called "Red Apple Rest" which was a rest stop for lunch or dinner while traveling between the two. It still stands to this day according to Google Maps.
This also kind of ties into some of your other videos about abandoned resort hotels like Holiday Inn Holidomes, and other semi resort hotels that have faded away because of the changes in travel habits. The days of an affordable semi resort stay along a road trip are gone, as are resorts like those in the Borscht Belt. The Borscht Belt had an advantage for years because they had a captive audience not only for summer, but they also had snow skiing and winter sports as well as you could play golf, swim, play tennis, and ice skate during the summer.
I find your comments about trying to develop the area with casinos interesting because with the changes in state and now federal regulations regarding casino style gambling on tribal lands being wide spread that style entertainment is easy to access and places like the Mississippi River Boat casinos have lost out on the area that they thrived.
Sorry for the long answer, this video just tied together a lot of thoughts.
I could show you where the toboggan run was. Fascinating history! You hit all the high points in 16min. Impressive! A 'fresh' Catskill/Grossinger vid is a rare event and when it is this good it is a treat, thanks.
This channel makes me scared to ever build a resort 😱😱😱 So many hospitality horror stories 😳😳
perhaps a factor in rapid adoption of short term rental services like AirBnB
Nah, building and running it is fine. Selling it though is where everyone messes up. That's the lesson here.
Can't tell if we have the same taste in TH-cam videos or if you are a god tier commenter. Your CPD is crazy (comments per day).
@@stateradio115Dude Tay Zonday is a god-level TH-camr, period. Chocolate Rain was one of the biggest original YT videos, He's a legend fr.
yo i love your vids bro, been watching for a while now, keep up the good work!
I never stayed at Grossinger's, but I did stay at the Concord as a kid in the 1980s. It was a great experience, especially the enormous dining room. I later stayed at Kutsher's in late 1999/early 2000 for a conference and it was clearly on its last legs. These resorts had character that set them apart from corporate hotel chains. It's a shame that none of them exist any longer.
This is a fine example of why, the US will never have any 500 year old structures still being used, like they have in Europe - actually the EU has many 1000+ year old structures still used. But the US has a different attitude. Out with the Old, and In with the new. There never seems to be enough money to maintain a well build old structure, but always enough money to tear it down and build something different.
I want to say, Thank You, for sharing all these stories with us. I wish you all the best of luck, Jake. From SC.
Another great one --- Thank you Jake... so entertaining.
Another amazing video, Jake! It almost gives me nostalgia to look back on these older resorts, despite having never been there myself.
Also looking forward to the possible future Bed Bath and Beyond bankrupt episode, as they just liquidated all of their assets a few weeks ago.
Rnk all day did this resort a few gears ago .But its nice to get another perspective on it
I have zero interest in gambling, and if I did, I'd go local, online, or to Vegas(online for convenience, local if I wanted in-person, Vegas if I wanted that maximalist experience). What I absolutely WOULD be interested in would be a resort in the mountains like Grossinger's was in its heyday. That sounds awesome. Spending time in nature is all the more valuable with how immersed we are with the internet all day every day.
I look forward to each and every one of your videos, they each have a quality that makes me feel so comfortable and at home. Thank you for all you do & your amazing hard work.
I have been subscribed for a few years, its been months since YT has popped up a video of yours to me. I thought you quit filming. Atleast now I have some binge material!
Welcome back!
The vibe is different but the history is every bit as rich- I’m referring to Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, a Hudson River destination that is still thriving. You might want to check it out…😢
I've been watching you for years and your filmography skills have gotten insanely good, keep it up!
BRO IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS BUILDING, TYSM!!
So cool I’ve been able to help!!
@@BrightSunFilms Ayeeeeee, you replied, ty, cannot wait for the next video!
Fond memories of visiting Catskill Game Farm when I was a kid in the early 80's.
I had a wonderful time there......April 1973. I came to Grossinger's from New Rochelle, NY. BTW. I am married now, & live in Connecticut, but I still think of that time. And Marc Smith is my screen name here.
my favorite channel, i watch every episode you put out! they bring me so much joy and entertainment!
Thank you so much!
Boy has this place changed. I was here with my family around 1967 when all of the buildings were fairly new. I can still remember the pool with all of these people either swimming or lounging about like it was yesterday. Sad to see how run down it has become.
Been watching you for years! So glad you are still making videos! I haven’t seen one in a while (maybe the weird algorithm) so I was very happy to get this on my feed!
Glad to have you here again! Thanks :)
This area to me seems very similar to the smoky Mountain areas of Tennessee and North Carolina which is still very popular, but the Catskills are not at this time. SsJust a little confusing to me.
I have a suggestion for the next episode: Eagle Mountain, California. Similar to Centralia, Pennsylvania, it was a mining town that eventually became abandoned after the company had shut down in the early 80's. The use of it after was being a correctional facility and multiple attempts to develop the land. Nearby, hydroplants exist.
Recently, a company purchased the land and mines for $22.5 million. It is unknown what they are going to do with it.
The same families went at the same time each year. Many friendships & extended families. Better times…
I love the abandoned series it is actually very interesting and cool
Good evening bright sun film 🎥 I love your historical documentary on videos and walkthrough of abandoned places keep up the great Job. Especially this hotel I can imagine how it was in it year's with amazing things. Well keep up the great Job mate.
Jake, you really ought to cover the Sprint World Headquarters in Overland Park, KS. I worked overnight security there during covid and got to explore the vast empty campus and office buildings at my leasure!
Absolutely fascinating and sad at the same time. Thanks for the history lesson and your hard work 😁
Great video as always Jake
Thank you so much!
Excellent. Proud to support this fantastic content.
Great job, 👍
I live 3 mins away from grossingers and the abandoned building were always a spectacle themselves. The large pool room and hotel rooms were crazy. Not to mention the golf course is absolutely beautiful. It really is a shame that that’s what it came to, it’s a beautiful place
6:30 "check out himself" i thought you were about to say something much sadder following that sentence lol
.Excellent video. You always do great job putting these documentaries together with before and after pictures and history. Thanks! 💯👍
Couple of notes. The Catskill resorts had world class entertainment - all the major comics, singers and bands played there. In addition there was hotel sports league with teams composed of the best college players in country.
Super interesting as always Jake