Bringing the Borscht Belt Back to Life: Parksville and Livingston Manor Markers Celebrate Catskills History

﻿

The Catskills were once the heart of the Borscht Belt, where towns like Parksville and Livingston Manor buzzed with resorts, entertainers, and families seeking a summer escape. This weekend, the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project unveils its 14th marker in Parksville, with another following later this month in Livingston Manor. More than commemorating the past, these markers bring history alive through art, music, food, and film.

Photographer, historian, and curator Marisa Scheinfeld, along with photographer Isaac Jeffreys, are helping capture and share the story of the Catskills and the Borscht Belt through this ongoing project.

“Parksville, just like so many other towns, had an immense Borscht Belt history,” Scheinfeld explained. “It had the Young’s Gap Hotel—the first all-inclusive, year-round resort. It offered unbelievable amenities. There was an iconic film screen there in 1950. It hosted amazing entertainers, and you know, just had everything. I think we have like 65 hotels in Parksville as our count.”

The Young’s Gap Hotel, a pioneer in the all-inclusive model and featured in the film Catskill Honeymoon, holds a special legacy. “They had their own radio show, part of WVOS. We have a photo of it from the 1940s where they were hosting, I believe, the Mac Schwartz Company, talking about brochures for the season. So, they really had their own sort of compound going on there, ”Jeffreys said.

Even smaller resorts like the New Brighton Hotel and the Grand Hotel contributed to the town’s vibrant culture, but Young’s Gap was “one of the big anchor resorts in the county,” Jeffreys added. “It could go up there with the Laurels and Grossingers and the Nevele. It just kind of dropped off in the late ’60s, so it doesn’t get remembered as much. But it’s really one of the big ones.”

The Parksville marker also highlights Sunset Acres, an African-American resort, acknowledging a broader, more inclusive history. “About less than 10—about a handful of African-American hotels in the area—and Sunset Acres actually, I have to give Isaac all the credit for discovering that,” Scheinfeld said.

Jeffreys shared the story of uncovering Sunset Acres: “I heard about this hotel once before, probably four or five years ago, seeing an eBay listing for a brochure. One day I veered off onto Benton Hollow Road in Parksville, which is now basically covered by Route 17. The property looked like a Borscht Belt hotel, but I couldn’t find much information. Then, at Town and Country Antiques in Liberty, I found a stack of unposted postcards from Sunset Acres. Only one image was shown—a poolside photo with the main building in the background—but finding a full-color 1960s postcard from this place, so close to where it was, was really special. I think we kind of brought it out of obscurity, which is fun.”

Scheinfeld emphasized the project’s dual purpose: “In some ways, it’s almost like a eulogy for the hotels that existed once but no longer exist. But it’s not just about what once was. Parksville is a vibrant place today, and this event celebrates both past and present.”

Later this month, the project moves north to Livingston Manor, which hosted at least 40 hotels. “Livingston Manor was really unique in offering resorts for young people—specifically singles and couples,” Scheinfeld said. “Two hotels, White Row and The Waldemere, are being honored. There were 41 hotels, 12 bungalow colonies. It’s a tremendous history.”

More information is available at www.maytheborschtbewithyou.org, with updates on Instagram and Facebook.

Note: this article was updated on September 30 to correct the number of Parksville hotels quoted by Marisa Scheinfeld. It’s 68 not 25.

Image Credit: Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project