The Catskills: From Borscht Belt to the New Ruralism
A Mountain Region Reborn
The Catskills have been a destination for urban escapism for nearly two centuries. What began as a Victorian-era retreat for New York's merchant class, then became a mid-century Jewish resort empire, and then fell into decades of decline, is now undergoing one of the most compelling hospitality transformations in the Northeast — driven by remote work, food culture, and a generation of city dwellers seeking rootedness in nature.
The Grand Hotel Era (1820s–1900s)
The first wave of Catskill tourism arrived by steamboat and then rail. The Catskill Mountain House, perched on a 2,250-foot escarpment overlooking the Hudson Valley, opened in 1824 and drew the elite of New York society — politicians, painters, and industrialists seeking relief from summer heat. Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School, painted the surrounding landscape and cemented the region's identity as a place of transcendent natural beauty.
By the 1890s, Saratoga-style grand hotels dotted the ridgelines and valleys. The Ulster & Delaware Railroad made the interior accessible, and resort towns like Fleischmanns, Tannersville, and Livingston Manor became seasonal colonies for New York's upper-middle class.
The Borscht Belt (1920s–1970s)
Beginning in the 1920s and reaching its peak in the post-WWII decades, the Catskills became synonymous with the Jewish resort culture known informally as the Borscht Belt. Sullivan County alone hosted hundreds of hotels and bungalow colonies — from the grand Grossinger's and the Concord to thousands of smaller family-run establishments. At its height, the region drew more than one million visitors each summer.
The Borscht Belt was a cultural incubator of extraordinary reach. Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Woody Allen, Billy Crystal, and Joan Rivers all refined their craft in Sullivan County nightclubs. Resorts like Brown's Hotel invented the all-inclusive model that would later define Las Vegas. The social world created there — of community, of performance, of abundant food — shaped American popular culture for a generation.
The Long Decline (1970s–2000s)
Air conditioning, affordable air travel, and the desegregation of previously restricted resorts drew the Jewish middle class to new destinations. Grossinger's closed in 1986. The Concord shuttered in 1998. Thousands of bungalow colony properties were abandoned, burned, or converted to other uses. Sullivan County's per capita income fell to among the lowest in New York State. The image of crumbling poolsides and peeling paint became a cultural shorthand for American decline.
The Renaissance (2010s–Present)
The reversal began quietly. Artists and Brooklyn creatives priced out of the Hudson Valley discovered Sullivan County's cheap land, dramatic landscape, and proximity to New York City (90 minutes on the Quickway). Small boutique hotels, farm-to-table restaurants, and craft breweries began opening. The pandemic dramatically accelerated this trend: between 2020 and 2022, Sullivan County experienced the largest percentage increase in new residents of any county in New York State.
Today the county hosts a constellation of nationally recognized hospitality destinations: Hana Meadows, Inness (a 225-acre arts compound with a boutique hotel), Catskill Provisions, and Kenoza Hall, among many others. The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Travel + Leisure have run repeated features on the region's culinary and wellness renaissance. Airbnb data consistently ranks Sullivan County among the highest-occupancy rural markets in the Northeast.
The Investment Opportunity
This trajectory — long decline followed by accelerating revival, anchored by permanent proximity to the nation's largest metropolitan market — creates the conditions for durable hospitality asset appreciation. Properties with authentic land, diversified revenue, and strong brand positioning are capturing the premium end of a market that is still in early innings.
Livingston Manor, within Sullivan County, sits at the center of this story: a walkable town with a Main Street food and retail scene, deep landscape character, and a catchment area drawing from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.