By Lisa Schiffman
The phrase “Let’s Go To The Mountains” is resounding again for a new generation of city-dwellers, including many Queens residents, who have discovered the Catskill region’s numerous charms.
Only a two-hour drive from New York City, the Catskills, which encompasses Sullivan, Ulster, Delaware and Greene counties, has experienced a resurgence in popularity among many writers, artists, media celebrities as well as just plain folk as a premier vacation destination. People are drawn to the Catskills for the beauty of its tranquil lakes, hemlock-topped mountains, secluded forests, and crisp country air as well as for its quaint country inns, full-service resorts, and plethora of sight-seeing, sports, shopping and dining options.
“It’s a privilege to live here. Every weekend getting away from the hustle and bustle in the city. There are great restaurants, shopping, antiqing or theatre if we want to see a show. There is just so much to do here,” said Barbara Fischer, who, following a growing trend among upscale New Yorkers, recently purchased a second home, in Rock Hill, Sullivan County. “In the Hamptons there is just the beach,” added Fischer’s husband, Les. “Here there are activities year round.,” he said.
The Catskills has a long history as a resort area. In the 19th century sumptuous palaces built on mountain ledges alongside pristine lakes catered to a well-heeled gentile clientele. Later on, the hotels of the “Borscht Belt,” named after the beet soup that was an ethnic staple for Eastern European immigrant Jews, became renowned for serving oversized portions and for producing legions of entertainers.
With the introduction of air-travel in the 1950s, their popularity waned, and the landscape around Sullivan County became littered with the burned-out and abandoned empty shells of former hotels. The entire region fell into an economic decline.
Times are changing. Gov. George Pataki’s announcement last August to build three gambling casinos in Sullivan and Ulster County, promises to give local tourism a much-needed boost. In other plans, the Catskills are about to be reinvented as a major cultural mecca. In the planning stages is a $40 million year-round performing arts center to be built in Bethel, on the former site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
In the meantime, for those looking to go to the Catskills for a day, a weekend or longer, there are accommodations to suit every conceivable taste and budget. For those who like the conveniences of an all-inclusive resort with a full meal plan, there are several options. At Kutsher’s Country Club, one of the last remaining old-time resorts in Monticello, a homey, informal atmosphere prevails. Facilities include an 18-hole golf course, indoor ice rink, boating and fishing on the lake, indoor and outdoor pools, a health club, racquetball and tennis. Chicken soup, brisket, and all the traditional Jewish favorites are served in the dining room.
The Villa Roma, in Callicoon, has a decidedly Italian atmosphere. Amenities include a fitness club, game room, indoor and outdoor pools, racquetball, ski slopes, nightly entertainment, and bocce. For golfers, there is an 18-hole course.
Step back in time to a more genteel era at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, one of the last surviving Victorian resorts. Built by two Quaker brothers in 1869, this 261-room National Historic Landmark is perched on a mountaintop above Lake Mohonk in the Shawangunks. Afternoon tea and cookies is served. Although there is plenty to do, sitting on rocking chairs on the veranda remains a perennial favorite. For those more actively inclined, the resort offers footpaths and trails, golf, tennis, riding, croquet, ice-skating, exercise classes, as well as nightly entertainment.
For antique lovers who prefer the intimacy of a country inn, there are many choices. The Bradstan Country Hotel, on White Lake, features a cottage and five elegantly appointed suites, each with private bath, lovingly restored by Innkeepers Scott Samuelson and Edward Dudek. “Our clientele come from all areas: Long Island, New Jersey, Canada and Europe. Our name has gotten around,” said Samuelson. A cabaret on the premises offers entertainment on weekends and has a full bar. “We host some of the top names in cabaret throughout the summer,” Samuelson said. Set to perform this month include performers Marcus Simeone, Natalie Gamsu and Jeanne MacDonald.
For a romantic getaway, try The Inn at Stone Ridge, in Stone Ridge. The inn, an 18th century stone mansion set on 40 acres amid gardens, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On the first floor is Millways, a gourmet restaurant.
To pamper mind and body, visit one of the new holistic health spas in the area. At the New Age Health Spa in Neversink, guests practice yoga and meditation, and dine on low-fat gourmet fare organically grown on spa grounds. Massage, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, body wraps and facials are available.
The Catskills is a sports lover’s paradise. Whether it be fishing for trout on the Beaverkill River, rafting on the Delaware, or camping in the Catskill Forest Preserve, the possibilities are endless.. For golf enthusiasts, Grossinger’s Country Club in Liberty has 27 holes of golf, a driving range and putting greens, and full facilities. The famed “Monster” course at The Concord, in Kiamesha Lake, has 18 holes of golf and an 80-seat restaurant.
Greene County provides some of the best scenic views for hiking. Not to miss is Kaaterskill Falls, the highest waterfall in the East at 260 feet, which inspired such famous 19th century painters as Thomas Cole.
Food gourmands need not worry: there are a multitude of dining options available in the Catskills. Old favorites include Bernie’s Holiday Restaurant, in Rock Hill, which serves up Chinese and American cuisine. Overlooking a pond , The Eldred Preserve specializes in trout. Eleven different varieties are prepared, including Trout Amandine. The Old Homestead Steakhouse, in Monticello, offers surf and turf. The 24-ounce sirloin steak is a specialty of the house.
Gangsters have long been part of Catskills lore. Swan Lake, in Sullivan County, was frequently used as a dumping ground by the mob: the body of Mobster Walter Sage was found buried there with a slot machine tied around his neck in the 1930s. Join other treasure hunters in the search for Dutch Schultz’s fortune in gold, which he is reputedly said to have buried somewhere alongside the banks of the Esopus Creek, in Phoenica, before being gunned down by the Syndicate in 1935.
For those with nostalgic memories of summers spent at the bungalow colonies and hotels of the Jewish Catskills, The Catskills Conference, held August 23 through the 25th, at Kutsher’s Country Club, is an opportunity to reconnect with old friends. The conference is organized by the Catskills Institute, a historical preservation society dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Jewish Catskills, which in its heyday during the 1950s and 1960s included over 500 hotels and bungalow colonies. The organization’s founder, Phil Brown, a former Catskills veteran and professor of sociology at Brown University, also teaches a seminar there on the history of the Catskills. This year’s conference includes lectures and film clips on the White Roe resort, an adult camp that flourished in the 1940s, as well as a three-hour bus tour of former hotel sites.
For more information on the resorts and restaurants mentioned:
Kutsher’s Country Club, 845-794-6000, Monticello.
Bradstan Country Hotel, 845-583-4114, Route 17B, White Lake.
The Inn At Stone Ridge, 845-687-0736, Route 209, Stone Ridge.
Mohonk Mountain House, 845-255-1000, Mohonk Lake, New Paltz.
New Age Health Spa, 845-985-7601 or 1-800-682-4348, Route 55, Neversink.
Villa Roma, 845-887-4880, Villa Roma Road, Callicoon.
Bernie’s Holiday Restaurant, 845 -796-3333, Route 17, Rock Hill.
Eldred Preserve, 845-557-8316, Route 55, Eldred.
Old Homestead Steakhouse, 845-794-8973, 472 Bridgeville Road, Monticello.
More information on the Catskill Institute can be found at catskills.brown.edu.
