Red Apple Rest

Last updated
The Red Apple Rest in March 2013, seven years after the place was abandoned. The building is now fenced off. Red Apple Rest - March 2013.JPG
The Red Apple Rest in March 2013, seven years after the place was abandoned. The building is now fenced off.

The Red Apple Rest was a cafeteria-style restaurant on New York State Route 17, in the Southfields section of Tuxedo, New York. [1] It was a noted way station for people traveling to the hotels of the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.

Contents

Before the New York State Thruway was built, the travel time from New York City to the Catskill Mountains was often four or five hours, especially during weekends. The Red Apple Rest, located almost halfway, became a major roadside stopping place. [2] The restaurant was opened in May 1931 by Reuben Freed. [3]

Demolition of the site began on October 31, 2023. [4]

History

Red Apple Rest signage on NY 17. The former restaurant in visible in the distance Red Apple Rest and NY 17.jpg
Red Apple Rest signage on NY 17. The former restaurant in visible in the distance

The Red Apple Rest had a great deal of business during the 1940s and 1950s. It was open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and was patronized by so-called "Borscht Belt" comedians and professional athletes as well as families traveling to campgrounds and resorts. [3] Although the Thruway (which was built beginning 1953) bypassed the restaurant, and vacationing in the Catskill Mountains became less popular after the 1960s, the restaurant remained very busy until the 1970s. In 1965 the Red Apple Rest served one million customers. [3]

In his book on Jewish comedians in America, The Haunted Smile, author Lawrence J. Epstein said that comedians would stop at the Red Apple Rest late at night and "would go over the acts, describe the audience, and gather gossip about the other comedians and about routines ripe for buying or 'borrowing.'" [5]

The Red Apple Motel, which is sited on the hill to the west of the restaurant, was used by performers late into the 1970s. Several Rock and Roll musicians stayed during their bookings in New York City. The location was secluded and the staff was either 'cool about it' or uninformed. Many well known performers roamed through nearby Sterling Forest while waiting to travel to their nighttime venues. One hotel guest that can be named now is George Carlin, who stayed in room 102 during his Saturday Night Live opening week. He required silence during the morning hours to allow for rest, but was very active with the staff during the night. It was common for him to trial material with the night shift desk clerk.

The front of the Red Apple Rest in January 2015, nearly nine years after abandonment Red Apple Rest - front.jpg
The front of the Red Apple Rest in January 2015, nearly nine years after abandonment

After 53 years under the Freed family management, the Red Apple Rest was sold in 1984 to a Greek businessman who ran it for another 21 years. At that point it was mostly catering to locals due to the fact that the Catskills had dwindled away as a destination. It closed in September 2006—purportedly for various reasons. [1]

The restaurant was featured in several movies such as Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry , A Walk on the Moon , Tenderness and Oliver's Story , [3] and the November 28, 2013, installment of Bill Griffith's comic strip Zippy . [6]

Possible redevelopment

On August 25, 2011, the Times Herald-Record ran an article about the town of Tuxedo and a group of British entrepreneurs looking to find a location for a new Ace Eatery. Inspired by a YouTube video, the Red Apple Rest was nominated as a potential place to open a new-eatery meant for bikers. Tuxedo town supervisor Peter Dolan mentioned that about 17,000 bikes go through Tuxedo during the summer. However, the building also needed major renovation work and was up against many other possible locations. If the Red Apple Rest had been chosen, the new restaurant would have opened in 2012. [7]

Stop at the Red Apple book

The Red Apple Rest in August 2024 after partial demolition of the structure Red Apple Rest - August 2024.jpg
The Red Apple Rest in August 2024 after partial demolition of the structure

Founder Reuben Freed's youngest daughter, Elaine Freed Lindenblatt, published Stop at the Red Apple (SUNY Press, 2014), a memoir chronicling the 50-plus-year history of the original Red Apple Rest in its heyday and beyond. [8]

Demolition

A partial demolition of the Red Apple Rest began on October 30, 2023 due to a section of the building collapsing that year. As a result, one-thirds of the building came down. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuxedo, New York</span> Town in New York, United States

Tuxedo is a town located in Orange County, New York, United States, along the Ramapo River. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 3,811. The town is in the southeastern part of the county in the Ramapo Mountains. New York State Route 17 and the New York State Thruway pass through the town. The name is derived from a Lenape word tucseto, which has several known meanings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuxedo Park, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Tuxedo Park is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. Its population was 645 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area. Its name is derived from an indigenous Lenape word of the Munsee language, tucsedo or p'tuxseepu, which is said to mean 'crooked water' or 'crooked river'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Route 17</span> Highway in the Southern Tier of New York

New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for 397 miles (638.91 km) through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Southern Tier Expressway east through Corning to Binghamton and the Quickway from Binghamton east to Woodbury, where it turns south to follow the Orange Turnpike to the New Jersey state line near Suffern, where it connects to New Jersey Route 17. From the Pennsylvania border to the village of Waverly and from Binghamton to Windsor, NY 17 is concurrent with Interstate 86 (I-86). Eventually, the entire east–west portion of NY 17 from the Pennsylvania border to Woodbury will become I-86 as projects to upgrade the route to Interstate Highway standards are completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rest area</span> Public area, usually adjacent to limited-access highway, used for rest from travel

A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway service area (UK), services (UK), travel plaza, rest stop, oasis (US), service area, rest and service area (RSA), resto, service plaza, lay-by, and service centre (Canada). Facilities may include park-like areas, fuel stations, public toilets, water fountains, restaurants, and dump and fill stations for caravans / motorhomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borscht Belt</span> Cultural region of United States

The Borscht Belt, or Yiddish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York, straddling both Upstate New York and the northern edges of the New York metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Thruway</span> System of controlled-access highways within the U.S. state of New York

The New York State Thruway is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning 569.83 miles (917.05 km) within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), a New York State public-benefit corporation. The 496.00-mile (798.23 km) mainline is a freeway that extends from the New York City line at Yonkers to the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley by way of I-87 and I-90 through Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Thruway is the fifth-busiest toll road in the United States. The toll road is also a major route for long distance travelers linking the cities of Toronto and Buffalo with Boston and New York City.

In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting staff. Speakers of British English may be unfamiliar with the terms, which are translated in British English as commis waiter, commis boy, or waiter's assistant. The term for a busser in the classic brigade de cuisine system is commis de débarrasseur, or simply débarrasseur. Bussers are typically placed beneath the waiting staff in organization charts, and are sometimes an apprentice or trainee to waiting staff positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jekyll & Hyde Club</span> Restaurant in New York, United States

The Jekyll & Hyde Club was a theme restaurant owned by Eerie World Entertainment in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The name and theme derive from Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 Victorian gothic novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sardi's</span> Restaurant in Manhattan, New York

Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City. Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the caricatures of Broadway celebrities on its walls, of which there are over a thousand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concord Resort Hotel</span> Former resort in New York, United States

The Concord Resort Hotel ) was a resort in the Borscht Belt of the Catskills, known for its large resort industry in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Located in Kiamesha Lake, New York, United States, the Concord was the largest resort in the region and was also one of the last to finally close in 1998, long after the others closed. At the Concord, there were over 1,500 guest rooms and a dining room that sat 3,000; the resort encompassed some 2,000 acres (8.1 km2). The resort was a kosher establishment, catering primarily to Jewish vacationers from the New York City area, and it was more lavish in decor and activities than comparable large Catskill resorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roscoe Diner</span>

The Roscoe Diner, located in the hamlet of Roscoe in Sullivan County, New York is a frequent stopping point for those traveling Route 17 between New York City and Upstate New York. The one-story diner with flagstone exterior is just off the Roscoe/Lew Beach exit. It is a popular spot both for students heading to and from colleges in New York State, for flyfishermen as well as locals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food and water in New York City</span>

In New York City, there is an extensive water supply system that supports several programs and infrastructure pertaining to the city's food supply. City officials, agencies, and organizations cooperate with rural farmers to grow food more locally, as well as protect waterways in the New York metropolitan area. The New York City Department of Education operates a school-time and summertime breakfast/lunch program. The city is also deprived of supermarkets in several neighborhoods, and the city government has addressed the problem by allowing extra street vendors to operate. To encourage food safety, the government also operates a restaurant-grading system that it introduced in 2010. The various food programs have made the city a model for food systems internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S&W Cafeteria</span> United States historic place

S&W Cafeteria was a Charlotte, North Carolina-based chain of cafeteria-style restaurants. The chain specialized in low-cost, Southern-style food. Branches were located in the Southeastern United States from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Georgia.

Penny Cafeteria was a vegetarian restaurant located at 511 Third Avenue (Manhattan) between 34th Street and 35th Street. It opened during the Great Depression, in December 1931. The establishment was opened by the Bernarr MacFadden Foundation, begun by publisher Bernarr MacFadden, in September 1930. MacFadden based the concept on a similar business he opened in the winter of 1902, located at City Hall Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Paltz (village), New York</span> Village in New York

New Paltz is a village in Ulster County located in the U.S. state of New York. It is approximately 80 miles (130 km) north of New York City and 70 miles (110 km) south of Albany. The population was 7,324 at the 2020 census.

American-Jewish comedy is, in part, a continuation of the traditional role of humor in Jewish culture among historical and contemporary American performers. It has appealed to both Jewish and wider mainstream audiences. At various times in American history, the field of comedy has been dominated by Jewish comedians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of Hurricane Irene in New York</span>

The Effects of Hurricane Irene in New York were the worst from a hurricane since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Hurricane Irene formed from a tropical wave on August 21, 2011 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved west-northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters. Shortly before becoming a hurricane, Irene struck Puerto Rico as a tropical storm. Thereafter, it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 120 mph (190 km/h) on August 24. Irene then gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) on August 27. It slowly weakened over land and re-emerged into the Atlantic on the following day. Later on August 28, Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm and made two additional landfalls, one in New Jersey and another in New York. The storm quickly began to lose tropical characteristics and became extratropical in Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown's Hotel (Catskills)</span> Resort in upstate New York

Brown's Hotel was a nationally known resort complex located in the Borscht Belt area of upstate New York, in the Catskill Mountains. It was one of the largest and most elaborate establishments of its kind during an era when the entire region prospered as a tourist destination. From the 1940s to the 1980s, the hotel was a popular vacation destination for many upper-middle-class families living in the New York City metropolitan area. Jewish-American families were welcomed and even catered to specifically by the hotels in the Borscht Belt during a time period when anti-semitism was prevalent in the hospitality industry. Filling a niche, the area quickly became a mecca for Jewish-American families. Brown's Hotel was located in the hamlet of Loch Sheldrake in the Town of Fallsburg, Sullivan County, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Street Waterfront District</span> Neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City

The Columbia Street Waterfront District is a neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City on the Upper New York Bay waterfront between Cobble Hill and Red Hook and situated on the western side of the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (BQE). The neighborhood is locally governed by Brooklyn Community Board 6. The neighborhood was formed in 1957 when the newly built BQE effectively cut Columbia Street off from Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, its two adjacent neighborhoods. The district, once an area that was blighted by empty storefronts, was further emptied of tenants by a 1975 accident, while a sewer line was being repaired, that caused the death of a construction worker and the demolition of 33 buildings. By 1984, an urban renewal project was completed, as well as a brand-new street, houses along which sold out quickly.

Resorts World Catskills is a hotel and casino located in Monticello, New York.

References

  1. 1 2 Al-Rikabi, Ramsey (2007-02-08). "Tuxedo's Landmark Red Apple Rest condemned". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  2. Berger, Joseph (1999-08-30). "Empty Tables and Full Memories; Lines Are Gone at Fabled Cafeteria on Way to Catskills". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sullivan, John (2009-07-27). "Tuxedo Historical Society invites memories, memorabilia from Red Apple Rest". Times Herald Record. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  4. "The demolition process begins at the famous Red Apple Rest in Tuxedo". The Journal News. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  5. Epstein, Lawrence (2001). The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America . PublicAffairs. pp.  114. ISBN   978-1-58648-162-9.
  6. Griffith, Bill. "It Came From Frank Lloyd Wright," Zippy (comic strip), Thursday November 28, 2013.
  7. Sunkin, Alyssa (August 25, 2011). "Suitors for famed Red Apple Rest?". Times Herald-Record . Albany, New York . Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  8. "Home". stopattheredapple.com.
  9. Gomez, Blaise (October 31, 2023). "'Sad to see it go.' Portion of iconic Red Apple Rest torn down in Town of Tuxedo". News 12 Westchester . Retrieved August 11, 2024.

41°14′26.5″N74°10′34.5″W / 41.240694°N 74.176250°W / 41.240694; -74.176250