Location: Liberty, NY
Status: Demolished
Long ago, a specific area in the Catskill Mountains of New York State were bustling with people from all around the country. Some of these people were those from New York City while others would be A list celebrities from Hollywood and beyond. This exclusive area was referred to most as a ‘Borscht Belt’ and it included some of the most famous resorts that were opened for decades. One of these notable places was the once famous Grossinger’s Resort located in Liberty, NY. During its near 70-year run, the resort became famous for its authentic kosher cuisine, friendly staff, and the many different activities that were available to guests year-round. Grossinger’s was the place to be back in its hay day, but was abandoned for over 30 years until it was eventually destroyed. What made Grossinger’s Resort such a special place to stay at? Why was it abandoned for several years? These questions and more will be answered as we take a look behind the legacy of Grossinger’s Resort.
The story behind this resort started when the Grossingers came to Liberty, NY in the early 1900’s after Asher Grossinger failed to start a business to support his family in New York City. Asher soon opened a kosher kitchen in the family’s small and rickety farm house and named it The Longbrook House in 1914. During this time, Asher’s daughter, Jennie, was a hostess at this small restaurant and always greeted and ensured the customers who came by had a pleasant visit. Soon enough, the family business was well-known for their exceptional hospitality thanks to their delicious food and caring staff. As business started booming, the family moved from their small farm house to a 100-acre plot of land and opened The Grossinger’s Terrace Hill House in 1919. Later on, this would become known as the famous Grossinger’s Resort as many new attractions were added to the property by the 1930’s. This included cottages, golf courses, a ski lodge, and much more.
‘Grossinger’s Hotel’ aka The Grossinger’s Terrace Hill House, Circa 1921.
Everything was looking great for the Grossinger family. They were able to have a successful family business and be able to make a living off of it compared to their times of struggle back in the city. Unfortunately, Asher passed away in the early 1930’s. Luckily, the family was able to keep it running as Asher’s daughter Jennie took over the resort and started running it with her husband Harry while business started booming in the following decades. Big named celebrities like Eddie Fisher, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more started staying at Grossinger’s along with the family’s original Jewish cliental. Despite everything the famous resort was known for, one of the key factors for how successful it was came back to the owner, Jennie Grossinger. Jennie always welcomed guests to her family-owned business no matter if they were a celebrity or locals. She always welcomed everyone with open arms, even back when the huge resort was just a small restaurant in the old farmhouse her family lived in years earlier.
During the 1950’s and 60’s, Grossinger’s was considered the crowning jewel compared to the other resorts within the Borscht Belt of the Catskills at the time. A review in the Commentary Magazine in 1954 described Grossinger’s as “to resort hotels as Bergdorf Goodman is to department stores, Cadillac to cars, mink to furs, and Tiffany to jewelers … it has been called Waldorf in the Catskills.” Grossinger’s Resort became famous around the country for not only the resort but also their home-made kosher cuisine among many other things.
An advertisement for Grossinger’s famous rye bread
By the mid 1960’s, Jennie became the sole owner of the resort as her husband Harry dies in 1964 but luckily the rest of her family were helping her run the resort during that time.
Despite the resort becoming well-known all over the country, Jennie always kept true to her family’s business philosophy: "A resort isn't buildings and kitchens and lakes or nightclubs. The real hotel is the people who work here.". This was a quote that she followed for many years until she died in 1972 after suffering a stroke.
After Jennie’s passing, Grossinger's Resort was passed down to Jennie’s two children, Elaine and Paul. The brother and sister duo managed the resort before and were counted on to keep it going with their own children there to help. Unfortunately, the resort experienced a decline in guests in the late 1970’s and 1980’s due to young people wanting to go to more exotic places for their vacations. The resort tried to attract this demographic by hosting a Woodstock Weekend event in 1984 but there weren’t enough attendees.
After 67 years of operations, Grossinger’s Resort closed in 1986 as the family sold the property for $9 million. The company who bought the property tried reviving the resort but became short on funding.
“Grossinger Family is selling Catskill Resort for $9 Million”
For over 30 years, the once famous Grossinger’s Resort sat abandoned at its original site as squatters, vandalism, and the natural elements welcomed themselves into the structure. I visited the aftermath of the resort as it was slowly decaying years after it closed. To my surprise, there was some relics scattered around the former resort that were probably used back in the day. These items included salon dryer chairs, beach chairs, beds, newspapers, and more. Obviously, I didn’t take any of these items, but it was cool to see them still there after all those years.
After decades of slowly rotting away, Grossinger’s Resort was torn down in 2018 as the golf course nearby stayed open for a little longer until that closed too. As of 2022, the site where the resort used to be is empty. There is currently no news about a possible revival of the resort. Hopefully that changes soon. Grossinger’s Resort was one of the most iconic vacation destinations back in the day and I believe there could be a successful revival that would lure in those who stayed at the resort back in the day and those who are interested in more of its historical significance (like myself). Until then, the Grossinger’s legacy will carry on around the Catskill Mountains and beyond.
This has been the story behind Grossinger’s Resort.
If you would like a more detailed history about the resort and all those who were part of it, here is a documentary I made about this amazing place called "Ode to Grossinger's". I covered the timeline of events that happened in the resort's lifetime from when Grossinger's opened to when it was torn down.
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