The Atlas Obscura Podcast Lost Wonder: The Borscht Belt with Marisa Scheinfeld (Classic)
Feb 26, 2026
Marisa Scheinfeld, a photographer and author who documents forgotten Borscht Belt resorts. She explores abandoned Catskills hotels, recalls summers working at famed resorts, and describes the region’s scale, entertainment scene, and unique mid-century design. The conversation covers why the circuit thrived and why it faded, and how photography helps preserve its memory.
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How A Driveway Walk Sparked A Photo Project
- Marisa Scheinfeld began photographing Borscht Belt ruins after exploring driveways and finding forgotten sites like the Laurels with an Olympic-sized pool.
- She pieced images and archive photos together to ask what happened between vibrant pasts and their present decay.
Personal Lifeguard Summer At The Concord
- Marisa worked as a lifeguard at the Concord in the mid-1990s, calling it one of the best summers despite the hotel's decline.
- That last operating summer informed her personal connection to the resorts before they closed and were auctioned off.
Follow Driveways Then Check Archives
- Explore abandoned places by following curious cues like unused driveways and local archives to link present ruins with historic images.
- Marisa combined street-level exploration with archive research to reconstruct stories and create her book.
