Last a month myself and a good friend of mine made our second trip down to the Catskills area of New York. Once know as the Borscht Belt, it was at one time home to hundreds to resorts, camps and hotels. Most are now gone and the ones that remain are in ruins. This resort, turned Hasidic Jewish boys summer camp, was the last stop on our list for the day.
I could not find much online about this particular resort, except that Neil Sedaka got his start here and ended up marrying the owners daughter. Being a smaller resort it has managed to escape the wrecking ball, a fate most of the large resorts have been unable to avoid.
This place was shut down in 2011 after numerous safety violations were found, including raw sewage sitting outside and many electrical hazards. Upon entering the first building it was plainly obvious why the camp was shuttered. It looked like it had been abandoned for at least 10 years, not four.
The fact that only four years ago 400 boys from Brooklyn called this place home for the summer just blew our minds.
Time for a cold pop.
What was once the pool room had been poorly converted to a library
Very, very poorly.
Bathrooms were still nice at least.
Come on in! Not one building was secured in any way throughout the whole complex.
Memories of better days.
As we were getting ready to leave I spotted what looked to be the outdoor pool in a corner of the property. As we made our way there it began to rain ever so slightly.
As we started to head back to the car the rain stopped and immediately the sun came out. It was then that the biggest rainbow either of us had seen appeared in the sky.
The rainbow stretched from one side of the sky to the other. I could not come close to getting the whole thing in the shot.
Without a doubt this was one of the coolest experience I have ever had while exploring. Seeing a rainbow like that shining over a abandoned and overgrown resort is something I will never forget!!