1. The Concord Resort Hotel
The Concord Resort Hotel, which was known as the largest resort in the Borscht Belt region, was located in Kiamesha Lake, New York. The Concord was a main competitor of Grossinger’s, expanding substantially in the 1950s to establish its signature entertainment venues, including the Cordillion Room, The Constellation Room, and the Imperial Room, which hosted comedians Jackie Mason and Buddy Hackett. The Concord Resort Hotel stayed functioning until 1998, when it was forced to close due to bankruptcy. [Update: a new complex has been built on the site – Resorts World Casino Catskills and can be seen as a filming location for the Showtime series, Billions.]
Today, the remains of the Borscht Belt resorts sit abandoned. Most hotels and establishments closed their doors in the 1980’s and 90’s, and the once heavily-inhabited structures now lie in a state of decay. Many remain abandoned and for sale, allowing anyone who wishes to venture through the buildings and photograph them.
In recent years, efforts have been made to establish a casino resort at the Borscht Belt, while other hope to return the resort, particularly Grossinger’s, to its former glory. For now, the resort at its peak of popularity still remains a distant memory as it continues to lay deserted and defaced in the Catskills.
For more abandoned locales throughout New York, check out 9 Abandoned Buildings in Upstate NY’s Lake George Region and Photos: Inside NYC’s Abandoned Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island.