Tucked away in the quiet town of Monticello, NY, lies what's left of the legendary Kutsher's Hotel and Country Club. Once a stop for performers like Jerry Seinfeld, Woody Allen and Dean Martin, it now sits abandoned and partly demolished. Kutsher Road, now a ghost town of discarded homes, is closed off to traffic, making my exploration a bit more difficult. Adding to my anxiety was the ever-present danger of running into the security guards patrolling the grounds (I was a mere seconds away from bumping into them as I wandered around).
As urban exploring goes, this was at the top of my list. As I write this, it is in the process of being demolished, and I am undoubtedly one of the last people to view this crumbling structure in all of its decaying glory.
A few highlights worth mentioning:
- The white Yamaha grand piano still sits quietly in the massive ballroom.
- I was able to get access the top floor of the hotel for a bird's eye view of the property--magnificent!
- The hotel rooms are actually still intact, with mattresses, comforters, and even tissues.
- The backroom bar area is STILL stocked with full bottles of alcohol.
