Welcome
Nate and Sadie Friedman welcome you to The Brookside Hotel web-site. Just as they did in years past at the hotel itself, they hope that you will enjoy your visit and come back many times to enjoy some wonderful memories of the vacations and time spent at their hotel. While we hope you will get pleasure from this web-site you won’t be able to taste the food in the dining room or laugh at the entertainment in the famous “No-Name Room”.
From its beginning as a farm and guest house in the 1930s, The Brookside Hotel was linked to the history of the Catskills and of Kerhonkson. We want to make sure this history is not going to be lost as time continues to pass. We may have waited too long already, like Nate Friedman many guests are unfortunately not with us anymore, but our hope is that those of you who have memories of The Brookside from your vacations and stays, or those of you who have family stories that include The Brookside will enjoy these pages and pictures. And, those of you who may have your own stories to tell, your own memories, and your own pictures will share them with us and others as we try to reconnect The Brookside Hotel family again. Take advantage of the link to send us your stories and pictures.
On this web-site you will be able to post your memories and stories as well as let us know that you have pictures that we will be able to include them on this web-site. We look forward to hearing from you and hopefully continuing to enjoy the wonderful memories from those times.
Sadie, Barry, Richard and Suzanne all send their thanks that you have found this web-site. If you or your family ever visited the Brookside please check out some of the pictures we have been able to find that help us remember days long gone. If you have pictures from your visits to the hotel or know someone who does please send them to Richard at rbfriedman946@yahoo.com or to sadiefriedman@comcast.net” so we can include them in our history.
Sadie spends the winters in Florida in West Palm Beach and returns to New York in the late Spring until early Fall. She is keeping busy with friends, bridge, emailing old and new friends, and her family. She can still tell all of us in the family where people sat in the dining room, who they came with and what room they had….so she would love to hear from old guests and their families.
September 6, 2014:
- email Sue at Brookside123@gmail.com or call at 845-339-0002
- email Rich at friedman946@yahoo.com or call at 603-714-2311
The past months have only confirmed how much all of us depended on her guidance and advice, and how much she will be missed by all.
I am Si’s daughter. I was lucky enough to spend every summer in Kerhonson.
After school ended each year I was excited and happy to head upstate.
I remember the fun of daycamp, swimming in the pool.
The freedom I had to explore (remember flatrocks) I loved finding my way there, just sitting on the sunny rocks and finding a real sense of peace and tranquility.
Every summer I felt a great sense of community being with the “bungalo people and mingling with the hotel guests. I felt safe and secure and the summers were the best times of my life. Later on, like a lot of the family, I went on to my first jobs, babysitting, counselor, receptionist. I loved the Brookside. It is an important part of my history, the shaping of my character. I loved my Uncle Nate, So big and so gentle and loving. And Aunt Sadie, a beautiful person who I could talk to for hours,(now not then, she didn’t have enough time back then.) I wish that time was not long gone. Now with my own children and grandchildren, I wish there was a place like the brookside where we could all meet.
I ‘ll never forget all of those summers and the wonderful people I got to know. Many are gone now, but I will never forget these special times and people. They all live on in my memories.
And I admit, sometimes I go back there in my mind and this always makes me smile.
I spent every winter (January or February) going to the Brookside in the 70s for the Washawski Family Circle. Our whole family would gather there for a weekend. I remember saving my quarters for the game room (I thought I had so much for the weekend when I saved $20 in quarters). I would blow through those quarters in the first day and then run to my dad (playing poker in the elevated area??) and ask him for more change. I remember sleding out front and playing Bingo in the main area (never won anything). Going to the pool with my Dad was always a highlight. At some point we started to change to different hotels (? after the fire in the 80s) but the Brookside was always the best memories. I still have the miniature picture inside the magnifying glass from the photographer that was there. I am hoping there are more pictures posted from the 70s and 80s. The gameroom seemed so much bigger back then. Thank you so much for putting this site together.
Bruce Grossman MD