Thank you so much for our last time to walk down memory lane. So many great memories with my family. There’ll never be another place like this. We’d go up for a week every winter. So many adventures and memories. Truly so sad
harryrez No one seems to care about history today sadly! There will never be anything like this built in the future. Buildings today are plastic trash, places like this are joy from the good old days. I want to thank you again for these video's/ thank you!
Thank you for sharing this special place. I am so sad to hear the sadness in your voice. Once where there was so much life to nothing just saddens me. If the walls could talk the stories they would tell.
Was there in 1969 at Kutshers Basketball Camp, played Pig against Wilt Chamberlain. We had Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Jack Marin, Gus Johnson and more players from the NBA as well as College players like John Riker from NC I believe. Fond memory of this place...
Harry ....your video of the "last day of kutshers brought a tear to my eye.......I spent many a weekend there in the 60s and 70s with my parents...... thank you for sharing........
harryrez I can feel your pain I often walk around where my first job was now abandoned and weirdo's ruin everything they can. It is truly heart breaking!
I've made remarks on Part 1 of this video about less-than-ideal videocam technique. But thanks, really, for these fascinating glimpses of the places usually hidden from public view. Especially before the orgy of vandalism which inevitably followed closure of these once-mighty resorts.
Thanks for that harryrez. I forget what the humble phone is capable of ! For what it's worth HD videocams are getting cheaper all the time, check on eBay. At least you captured something of Kutsher's right at the time of its closure. Videos filmed after years of abandonment of Grossinger's and The Pines (and others) show the senseless desecration there ... so sad. I stumbled across the whole Borscht Belt story 15 months ago, about early June 2013. At the time I spent days digging deeper into fascinating personal stories of those who had built careers around the area. Kutsher's hung on for over 40 years after the initial rapid decline began in mid-1960's, when cheap air travel and other factors began to take effect. The Catskills' heyday was an amazing era.The romance, non-stop entertainment and the FOOD... mountains of it. You can't stop change. But for those resort staff who knew the good times, then years later to see video footage of the trashed remains... their sense of loss, their emotions & tears, are understandable. It’s an epic story of the rise to prosperity then fall into decay of a once-mighty empire. From comments you made as you filmed, it seems as though you yourself had a personal connection with Kutshers. Can you share a bit more about that please? I’m sure that others viewing your videos here would be equally interested.
Ff Geoff Well, i use to go to the Raleigh when i was younger, they hung around for a long while too. Then after they closed my family started going to Kuthsers. The First year or two that we went it was actually a lot better then the Raleigh, except the Raleigh food was still better! The hotel still had the ice skating rink up and running, they had the golf course, the coffee shop which i would go to for yet more food after a show. They were still getting top name entertainment at that time as well. Ironically enough, all of this was only as short back as 2006. It is amazing what can happen in 8 years. I even had my first kiss at that hotel, which im sure many other people did too
The hotel re-opened for business in 2012. Helen Kutsher died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 19, 2013.[14] On October 10, 2013 at about 12 a.m. a woman accidentally fell to her death from the rooftop at Kutsher's-a five-story drop. She was working the New York Harvest Festival, which was set to host Ghostface Killah, The Original Wailers, Ditch, Immortal Technique and many others. A lawsuit has been announced, alleging that the hotel did not warn the promoters that the building was condemned that week.[15] In December 2013, it was announced that the 1,310-acre property had been sold to Veria Lifestyle, a company owned by Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra, for an undisclosed price estimated to be in the range of several million dollars. The new ownership plans to demolish the hotel and construct a health and wellness destination featuring a 265-room resort. The hotel will be demolished in the coming months.[16] As of June 17, 2014, demolition had been delayed due to asbestos removal.[17]
film about Kutsher's Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort (2012) Kutsher's Country Club is the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills. One of the legendary Borscht Belt hotels during its heyday, Kutsher's has been family-owned and operated for over 100 years. Exploring the full Dirty Dancing-era Catskills experience-- and how it changed American pop culture in the comedy, sports and vacation industries-- this documentary captures a last glimpse of a lost world as it disappears before our eyes. www.imdb.com/title/tt2090669/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
I think what caused these resorts to fail - is the fact they are located in places that have terrible weather most of the year and air travel has gotten so cheap now. The vintage commercials look like fun, mt airy, nevele etc.. but who really wants to be deal with traveling in snowy/cold conditions and skiing when you could be in warm weather for your vacation..
I don't see the point in bulldozing these amazing old buildings. Even the Concorde... they are all in the middle of no development, what's the harm in leaving them up? Sooner or later another use would've been found for them
I think I saw a video the other day of this hotel being razed down..I think the video date was the last week of Oct of 2013.The video is on the side with the title Kutscher's dining hall torn down or something.Isee there are 1 or 2 others with the hotel being bulldozed down.
harryrez This was never what she wanted she wanted Mark to continue to run it but Mark Passed the buck to the new manager who drove it into the ground I used to live in a little building outside of the dining room called the hickory I Know every square inch of the place still remember it like it was yesterday when you were on the main floor you should have gone into room 901 it was expensive room because of the hottub
I actually figured that, it all makes perfect sense. As soon as Helen dies, Mark sells it. It was so sad, he lift all his fathers things, including the basketballs and baseball that were autographed, they were auctioned off. I wish i knew about room 901
harryrez he left everything Ungrateful peace of shit had me working 5.15 an hour and made me work outside my department he was rude and everything was handed to him along with a multimillion dollar hotel
Very very very shaky video hard to watch, seasick. Too bad about the lady who fell from the roof and died the week it was condemned. Things moved pretty fast then didn't they? Wonder if the only part that was demolished was the bldg she fell from. These places didn't really deserve to fail, their people never put any money back into them. They rotted away from the day they were built. Planned obsolescence, their people get very rich.
Thank you so much for our last time to walk down memory lane. So many great memories with my family. There’ll never be another place like this. We’d go up for a week every winter. So many adventures and memories. Truly so sad
harryrez No one seems to care about history today sadly! There will never be anything like this built in the future. Buildings today are plastic trash, places like this are joy from the good old days. I want to thank you again for these video's/ thank you!
Thank you for sharing this special place. I am so sad to hear the sadness in your voice. Once where there was so much life to nothing just saddens me. If the walls could talk the stories they would tell.
Was there in 1969 at Kutshers Basketball Camp, played Pig against Wilt Chamberlain. We had Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Jack Marin, Gus Johnson and more players from the NBA as well as College players like John Riker from NC I believe. Fond memory of this place...
"So sad. So, so sad."
Yeah, that pretty much sums up what happened to Sullivan County.
Harry ....your video of the "last day of kutshers brought a tear to my eye.......I spent many a weekend there in the 60s and 70s with my parents...... thank you for sharing........
I feel the same way, even though i was not there until the early 2000s, to see how far this place went down hill from 2006-now is just unbelievable!
harryrez I can feel your pain I often walk around where my first job was now abandoned and weirdo's ruin everything they can. It is truly heart breaking!
I've made remarks on Part 1 of this video about less-than-ideal videocam technique. But thanks, really, for these fascinating glimpses of the places usually hidden from public view. Especially before the orgy of vandalism which inevitably followed closure of these once-mighty resorts.
No problem i myself wish i had a better camera to work with. Unfortunately all i had was my phone.
Thanks for that harryrez. I forget what the humble phone is capable of ! For what it's worth HD videocams are getting cheaper all the time, check on eBay. At least you captured something of Kutsher's right at the time of its closure. Videos filmed after years of abandonment of Grossinger's and The Pines (and others) show the senseless desecration there ... so sad.
I stumbled across the whole Borscht Belt story 15 months ago, about early June 2013. At the time I spent days digging deeper into fascinating personal stories of those who had built careers around the area. Kutsher's hung on for over 40 years after the initial rapid decline began in mid-1960's, when cheap air travel and other factors began to take effect. The Catskills' heyday was an amazing era.The romance, non-stop entertainment and the FOOD... mountains of it.
You can't stop change. But for those resort staff who knew the good times, then years later to see video footage of the trashed remains... their sense of loss, their emotions & tears, are understandable. It’s an epic story of the rise to prosperity then fall into decay of a once-mighty empire.
From comments you made as you filmed, it seems as though you yourself had a personal connection with Kutshers. Can you share a bit more about that please? I’m sure that others viewing your videos here would be equally interested.
Ff Geoff Well, i use to go to the Raleigh when i was younger, they hung around for a long while too. Then after they closed my family started going to Kuthsers. The First year or two that we went it was actually a lot better then the Raleigh, except the Raleigh food was still better!
The hotel still had the ice skating rink up and running, they had the golf course, the coffee shop which i would go to for yet more food after a show. They were still getting top name entertainment at that time as well. Ironically enough, all of this was only as short back as 2006. It is amazing what can happen in 8 years. I even had my first kiss at that hotel, which im sure many other people did too
The hotel re-opened for business in 2012.
Helen Kutsher died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 19, 2013.[14]
On October 10, 2013 at about 12 a.m. a woman accidentally fell to her death from the rooftop at Kutsher's-a five-story drop. She was working the New York Harvest Festival, which was set to host Ghostface Killah, The Original Wailers, Ditch, Immortal Technique and many others. A lawsuit has been announced, alleging that the hotel did not warn the promoters that the building was condemned that week.[15]
In December 2013, it was announced that the 1,310-acre property had been sold to Veria Lifestyle, a company owned by Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra, for an undisclosed price estimated to be in the range of several million dollars. The new ownership plans to demolish the hotel and construct a health and wellness destination featuring a 265-room resort. The hotel will be demolished in the coming months.[16]
As of June 17, 2014, demolition had been delayed due to asbestos removal.[17]
film about Kutsher's
Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort (2012)
Kutsher's Country Club is the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills. One of the legendary Borscht Belt hotels during its heyday, Kutsher's has been family-owned and operated for over 100 years. Exploring the full Dirty Dancing-era Catskills experience-- and how it changed American pop culture in the comedy, sports and vacation industries-- this documentary captures a last glimpse of a lost world as it disappears before our eyes.
www.imdb.com/title/tt2090669/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
I remember spending Passover mothers day farthers day and Rosh Ashana and yom kippur and labor Day Weekend
I think what caused these resorts to fail - is the fact they are located in places that have terrible weather most of the year and air travel has gotten so cheap now. The vintage commercials look like fun, mt airy, nevele etc.. but who really wants to be deal with traveling in snowy/cold conditions and skiing when you could be in warm weather for your vacation..
I don't see the point in bulldozing these amazing old buildings. Even the Concorde... they are all in the middle of no development, what's the harm in leaving them up? Sooner or later another use would've been found for them
I think I saw a video the other day of this hotel being razed down..I think the video date was the last week of Oct of 2013.The video is on the side with the title Kutscher's dining hall torn down or something.Isee there are 1 or 2 others with the hotel being bulldozed down.
I used to work here WOW Working housekeeping and seeing what the place looks like now makes me want to cry Thank you so much for sharing this
I know it was very sad, i cant believe what happend either. Your welcome! Helen would be turning in her grave if she saw this
harryrez This was never what she wanted she wanted Mark to continue to run it but Mark Passed the buck to the new manager who drove it into the ground I used to live in a little building outside of the dining room called the hickory I Know every square inch of the place still remember it like it was yesterday when you were on the main floor you should have gone into room 901 it was expensive room because of the hottub
I actually figured that, it all makes perfect sense. As soon as Helen dies, Mark sells it. It was so sad, he lift all his fathers things, including the basketballs and baseball that were autographed, they were auctioned off. I wish i knew about room 901
harryrez
he left everything Ungrateful peace of shit had me working 5.15 an hour and made me work outside my department he was rude and everything was handed to him along with a multimillion dollar hotel
Damn, i didnt know Mark was such a prick, ive heard good things about Helen though
I remember it well!
The hotel bulldozing is on hold til the asbestos has been cleaned up.
Very very very shaky video hard to watch, seasick. Too bad about the lady who fell from the roof and died the week it was condemned. Things moved pretty fast then didn't they? Wonder if the only part that was demolished was the bldg she fell from. These places didn't really deserve to fail, their people never put any money back into them. They rotted away from the day they were built. Planned obsolescence, their people get very rich.
I wish you put a little more effort into your camera work rather than telling us how miserable you were.