Exploring a Massive Catskills Resort Ravaged by Fire - The Brown's Hotel 

From 1973-76, I performed at Brown's for the entire summer as a member of the "teen rock band". The glory days were somewhat over by the 70s, but it was still a GREAT paying musician's union job! Paid for my college tuition and introduced me to a whole lot of interesting people! In 2016, was hiking for an entire afternoon with a guy who I met on the Appalachian Trail in VA when I found out that he had been burned out of his Brown's Hotel condo in this fire. He was still waiting for a settlement. Hard to see the place in shambles like this.

Seeing stuff like this, gives me this feeling of longing. Memories so far gone, nostalgia you'll never get to experience again, fading glimpses of dreams.

That's such a cool detail that whenever you're outside you can hear the highway nearby droning on. It's like a continuous reminder of how the world moved right past this place.

Stairwells/elevator shafts always look so apocalyptic when left standing on their own

i can’t stop thinking about someone’s beloved tiger just sitting there alone on the bed 🥺

Something so sad about a perfectly made bed with a cute stuffed animal on it in a destroyed building.

I appreciated you sarcastically commenting on how things have been moved around to make perfectly framed shots. Plenty of urban explorers cannot understand look but don't touch the way you do, especially when there is a thumbnail on the line.

The stage being backlit by natural light gave me goosebumps. Even with the damage that room looks spectacular.

Stayed there as a kid in the mid 80s. I remember being bored and that the pool smelled like a horse stable. George Burns appeared and the caricature of Jerry Lewis in the theater freaked me out.

That was an interesting find - ballroom and all. My favorite part is the "oops we forgot your birthday" card 😂

It’s makes me sad seeing people’s belongings just abandoned. Especially the family photos. It seems like everyone evacuated and never went back for their things.

That grandpa's condo broke my heart. So much photos and memories left behind.

My brother and his department fought this fire back in 2012 and it was massive!!! I grew up in the area until I left in 1995, it's sad to see that this is still standing and rotting. This should've been demolished. The Browns' Hotel was something back in the day.

I love how clean your footage is and i love that ya’ll talk now and show us your personality. Thanks for giving us the endless entertainment and fascination in abandoned stuff we all share!

This is so sad to see that the apartments were abandoned and the items left behind. The trivia pursuit game just left as the fire must of interrupted their play. Thanks for sharing this awesome footage with us all ..

Would be cool to see a documentary on the rise and fall of the Catskills. Seems really interesting to me.

My dad's band played all over the Catskills during the 60s and 70s and I gotta wonder if they ever had a gig at this place. Anyway, great footage as always. I love how your cameras seem to be impervious to the dark; no noise whatsoever.

I feel a vibe in that theater.Probably amazing back in the day when shows were on.

I know personally how long the smell of smoke sticks around, my grandpas house burned 10+ years ago, I don't remember exactly when exactly, but 80% of the stuff that was saved was put in the attic of the garage. If you go up there on a hot summer day the sweet/sour smell of smoke damaged stuff hits you like a ton of bricks

Judging by the clothing, the sticky notes, and the overall atmosphere of these condos, it looks to me like most of the residents were elderly and that would make sense to me, since it must have seemed really cool to have a condo inside a very historic hotel, which they likely visited when they were younger. That makes it even more sad that the owners refused to fix it's fire safety equipment for one reason or another and the building ultimately paid the price for this oversight. I'm sure it's likely that the elderly's family members were the ones who went back for what was left of their family's stuff and unfortunately missed a lot of personal belongings. Great explore as always, guys. Keep up the great work!

Wow that fire looked horrible when it happened. Wonder wha it had looked like with some of the original things it had b4 the fire... great job guys... can't wait for another video

I can't claim to be a regular viewer, but your videos never disappoint. You are doing an important job. It's so beatiful and sad at the same time, to see how time will eventually destroy everything. Decay is all around us, but it only becomes visible when viewed in greater steps. To wander through the remains of given up homes, looking at vacant possesions and left behind family photos makes every human existance seem so much more fragile, than every day life would ever suggest, but it's all so very real. Pripyat was the first place to bring that to my attention, but these videos make it so much more obvious how it isn't a rare occurance at all. Many of the owners have lived through so much more after this incident, have deceased or are living good lives up until this day. I can't describe how these images make me feel.

I love to hear from people who actually lived there & hear there stories

Think of all the happy memories this place created for families visiting through the decades. Your videos always haunt my dreams and I think about days gone by, never to return.

Sadly, the condo owners got nothing. Insurance refused to pay anything because they were misled about the condition of fire alarm and sprinkler systems. The costs to cleanup and mitigate asbestos and tear down remaining structures far exceeds the value of the property. This was the biggest fire in Catskills history, and they had a lot of them.

Places where the catastrophe has spread, fire damage, decay has its way with time; a slow pressure of faults spreading.. Then you come to a perfectly clean place.. excellently shot and the sound is extraordinary. Very good use of ambient music, that I assume you made. You guys are triple threats, meaning you have all the assets of talent and ability that makes quality motion pictures.

It's interesting to see all the different apartment rooms and the styles of furniture people had. It reminds me of the show "The Golden Girls" with all the 1980's/90's looking furniture etc. :P

i love how your videos have progressively gotten longer. you started with around 20 minutes, now we're looking at about a 25-55 minute timeframe of video time. i love it.

Keep in mind that lower income families in the 90's would be likely to have furnature from the 80's. Only the well to do have current era trappings.

24:22 that’s only thing that always upset me when I use to explorer. The family photos left behind. Photos weren’t as replaceable as they are now. After hurricane sandy I lost a shit ton of family photos. Broke my heart, yet again I’m happy I got out safely. Great video.. again. Nice job guys.

Ive seen several other RU-vid videos over the years of this property and yours was definitely In the top two. Very interesting content. You have included much more of the history. Your video, stills, commentary on the fire and remarks on interior design were both professional and funny. I can really tell how much experience you have video touring these kinds of properties. I love it when videographer’s answer questions instead of just asking them. I have seen so many of your interesting videos. I wish you guys would publish a book on the history of your explores and your best still photographs.

This is one of the few times I feel like it's better off being torn down. I mean, when 77% of the compound is burned down rubble, and the other 23% is fire damaged it's a wonder it even got to stay standing this long.

Some of that 90's stuff in there was very, very expensive of the time... Even those couches they were very pricey... Neat to see.. thanks

It's always astonishing to see how much damage can be caused from these fires... amazing work showing this resort!

We had taken tours when it was open as condos Prices started at 19,900 and went up to 79,000

37 Minutes of ya'll critiquing people's interiors - I am LIVING for this.

Man, I played there during the Summers from 1984 - 1987. I played on that showroom stage every night and then late at night, there was a lounge called the Brown Derby across from the showroom doors. Looks like that is totally gone. Looks quite different now! Spent a lot of time in that outdoor pool too. I have lots of pictures from back then.

My family spent a Christmas/New Year holiday at The Concord in 1978/79, not far from this hotel. I remember my dad took us the the Brown's just to see if we wanted to go there the following year. I remember liking the Concord much better because the game arcade was huge!

The Lost Boys is a GREAT movie!! When it came out I was SO EXCITED because it was the first rated R movie I was going to be allowed to watch. I highly recommend it!!

This is the best exploration channel here are RU-vid, I like how you guys make the videos about the location and don't make the videos just about yourselves

I've been watching you guys since the very beginning... and it's really neat to see how far you've both come with your assumptions / understanding of... well... just the world / everything. You guys are still young, and this is coming from an 80s born who's creeping a lil too near to 40 these days.... Basically, much of your early content is still the same quality, great exploration, great locations, etc... but the banter is often short sighted due to minimal exposure to, well... just everything. BUT... as time has gone on you two have really gained a much wider scope, and it shows. Not just this video, but other later ones really put it on display. It shows what sort of folks you are ... as there are the type of folks that just aren't interested to learn about all these various facets of various topics, work places, technologies, manufacturing, etc... then there are the type that care to learn everything they can about everything, consuming information like the other side does reality TV and opinions as facts. One content and satisfied with a "whatever", and the other only content and satisfied when facts have been presented in an indisputable and scientific way. Truly gaining insight and knowledge from an experience, while the other is simply happy to sign on with whatever popular opinion is tossed their way. Good people... you guys are good people. I mean, even with that man-bun actively burning XP you're still on the good people side, so it's pretty strong indeed.

The Lost Boys is a cult classic! One of the best vampire movies ever made. You guys have to watch it

very suprised no homeless people, or runaways have lived here. It's also extremely upsetting to see all of the damage done, peoples lives probably fell apart due to this. All of the devastation is so, so sad.

That was one of the quickest “I told you so” I’ve heard happen. Only one month

I used to live in the Catskills and as a child I never knew about these resorts back then...definitely would have been interesting to have memories of them ✌🏻

In this episode we find a top knot on top of Bryan's head.

The electrical switch gear room has federal pacific breakers, they lost the UL because most of the breakers would not trip when there was an overload.

Being a mailman for 20yrs im rather surprised the PO hasn’t removed those boxes. They are quite expensive and could most definitely be used to replace older boxes.

my dad used to live about 15 minutes from there, you could smell the smoke in the air for weeks after. there were rumors going around too that it had been arson from the owners. crazy to see you guys so close to somehwere i know so well!!!

Long time fan here. Time and time again your best work is proven to be when it's just you two, as you apply the required reverence to your surroundings. Further that that, I think you guys are more respectful and somber than any other explorers in the form. That in my opinion is the source of your charm and why your content thrives. Anyway hope you guys are well, looking forward to the next video.

It's crazy how fast water does damage to an interior once the roof starts to leak. Paint starts to peel, and everything starts to rust and rot. I guess it keeps people from squatting there or hanging out for very long because it's so incredibly unpleasant to smell the mold. There's an abandoned gas works here in Virginia that I used to use as my own indoor firing range until one night my shooting apparently got the attention of some passing police and I had to lay low for about an hour until they went away. : )

The bushes you mentioned are actually supposed to be pruned into the shape of a sphere, not grown into a point like that! Landscaper here :) also the trees while have a nice natural look are also supposed to be totally smooth kinda like a traffic cone for example and were overhanging the wall. Still looked nice I’ll give you that but the landscaper in me chuckled at that part of the video. 😂 awesome video as always guys. I’m honestly super pumped for future schools and asylum videos! Those vibes are my favorite!

I always stop everything I'm doing when I get a proper people notification. It's the only urbex channel I enjoy watching and love 😍 how this channel became more and more professional over the years.

Cool to see you guys in my old neck of the woods. I grew up in the area in the 80's, 90's, and left in the early 2000's. My whole life I was always told about what it was like back in its hay-day, but all we knew were just a bunch of crumbling buildings and surrounding poverty. It's a shame what happened to the area, I saw a big change in the 25 years I was there. There are pockets of resurgence, not in the form of big hotels and big name performers, but a younger generation is starting to make things happen in small ways that's having a positive impact. Thanks for going up there!

This explore is a gem in disguise! There is so much detailed everyday life to see - life permanently stopped by a catastrophic fire. I find this video really fascinating. Because, who would want to see these appartments in pristine condition? Its the decay and fire damage that elevates everything above its former tackyness. One example is the grotesquely large chandelier in the ballroom and its tiny but equally corny counterpart in one of the appartments... Ugly then, interesting now.

“The mold is so bad!” No respirators and the Proper People, a tale as old as time

WOW....looks like the venue that Patrick Swayze would be performing at back in the day...It reminded me of Dirty Dancing movie...what a fire, destroyed almost everything, good documenting it as it might be all bulldozed in a few years.. As usual, thanks for the great video and commentary ....😎👍😎

I see you're checking out places around me again. Hopefully, you've managed to find some that aren't so destroyed. Might have spotted you two walking down the road from an abandoned place. There's a rumor that the owner of the hotel might've had someone intentionally set the fire in the boiler room so they didn't have to pay for the costly repairs the building needed and just wanted to collect the insurance money. The boiler room had been so destroyed by the fire because of the inoperable sprinkler system that what had actually caused the fire to start in the boiler room couldn't be determined.

The fact that the wallpaper is intact is a testament to how strong that crap is. Not even the ravages of time are capable of removing it. By sheer coincidence, I just got a set of tapes that contained a similar SNL compliation tape, and _The Lost Boys_ on another tape.

Pretty cool seeing all of the old stage lighting still there! That was a dimmer rack and patch bay I believe. With stage pin connectors. Some places I've worked are going back to Edison connections.

I once read that a ship that had had burned and subsequently repaired would still hold the scent of smoke, and their careers usually went south very quickly.

I appreciate the history you guys provide now in the videos so much! It is so interesting to hear what the place was like and then to see what it has become.

I worked as an athletic director at the Nevele in the winter of 1964, we were always in awe of the more prestigious Brown's Hotel nearby (30 minute drive west). The free room and board was luxurious but I couldn't stay there long at $40/week -- what an experience!

The two of you capture the journey of your explorations in such a stunning way. Your production quality has been, and is currently, top-notch. Keep up the spectacular work.

This exploring was so amazing to watch. Those 37 minutes pass by like 10 minutes. And I love how you guys commenting on stuff and talk in the video so we can get to know your personality a little bit more.

I adore your interior decorating critiques.

Finally notified of a new upload before it becomes an old upload. This is one of my favorite channels.

This is a good representation of how time just passes and does not move backwards, it only ticks forward. Time is a harsh maiden of the universe, we are here for a bit then just gone forever.

Most of that decor is 1970s. Older people lived there. They didn't buy new stuff. The Catskills were crazy. Lots of drinking. The resort we went to had strippers.

First I thought the man bun was a third person than I realized it is Bryan.

I keep coming back to this to snag screen shots. It’s one of the best, and there are miles of videos on the subject. Since I’m unable to explore, my hobby is finding big destroyed properties mostly from fires, and deep dive available history. It’s fun to figure out what was where when nobody can tell me. None of the shots are distributed, it’s just educational for me.

Part of the downfall of the Catskills was when the AC Expressway was built and the Garden State Parkway was built making a trip to Atlantic City a lot quicker, that’s also what happened to Asbury Park New Jersey.

It's very impressive how nature wins all back.There are plants even in the burned car!

That chandelier should be salvaged and repurposed somewhere else.

That perfectly made bed with the tiger on it. Really hammers home the point that these people woke up that morning and started their regular routines totally unaware of the tragedy that was ahead of them. That and the Trivial Pursuit board all set up.

Looking at this now and looking back at those pictures of how it was is crazy. It was full of life, people roaming the halls, playing in the pool you could hear laughter. Now..a shell of once was.

As a person, who work in a hotel more than 11 years, it is really sad to see, what this place has become..

YUS! I love the Catskills! Y’all always make my weekends better!🌸✌️💜

I am from Orange County NY. 45 minutes from NYC and these hotels are in my backyard. I find these explores fascinating!!!! Please do more of them. Thanks.

The chandelier in the dinner theater, in its day was just beautiful, gives you a sense of how regal the place was.

Proper People always delivers high quality content !

Usually these videos are sad because of the decay and destruction of the building, the lost potential and faded glory. This one is far more human then most PP videos. Peoples entire lives seems like were abandoned, pictures, books, clothing, all left behind. Some of these rooms look like they are barely touched while others are heavily decayed. Only a few short years ago people were living there and one day left never to return.

Guys: Love your channel and the good work you bring. The Catskills history will be gone soon, so thanks. Please do wear protection in building such as this. The mold and asbestos are hazardous and will do damage to your lungs. You won't be heroes if that happens. I have lung scarring likely from working in my home around insulation, and I didn't wear protection. I'm 48. I don't want to see that happen to you, especially given the good work you do. Thanks. The furniture was likely from the 80s and based on the intact condos, it appears that many young families also lived there hoping to make a life for themselves--on the cheap. Those folks lost everything and could not retrieve their belongings because of the destruction, insurance rules, threat of collapse, water damage, etc. This video really made me sad but in a good way. My heart goes out to all who lost their livelihoods, their life savings, and any mementos.

actually sobbing at this one. god. when you guys got into that room with the red couch and blue walls I was totally hit with the feeling of walking into someone's home, but in this burned out building. wow.

I was just watching your video and it’s so sad that happened. A friend of my grandparents knew the couple and stayed in one of the apartments until the fire broke out

God those pedestal tvs. I had forgotten about them.

Always love the back ground information you give on your visits and seeing old photos of what placed used to look like. Keep up the Stirling work!

Favorite things about this video: 1) Your interior design critiques (some of those rooms were like a time machine to the '90s, holy crap.) 2. Bryan's topknot ;-)

I can close my eyes and hear the laughter in the ballroom, a comedian on stage, Brylcreem, Aqua Velva for the gentlemen and for the ladies, chiffon dresses. Waiters bustling between tables (Apparently Jerry Lewis was once a busboy), a good time had by all. Leaving the resort at the end of the season, never to return. So sad to see it in such disrepair.

Literally live 10 minutes from here , it's cool to see inside after the fire......it was a bad fire when it happened

It is puzzling how uncertain the turn of events is. A wonderful place, almost iconic, where I would love to stay myself - I really like how it looked in its heyday (by the way, I really like your montage, the way you present it). The good fortune is gone, but the place has been adapted in quite an interesting way. I like that each room here was completely different - here an attempt at elegance, there a killer mix of colours. I understand that sometimes it is necessary to adapt to new conditions and not to cry over spilt milk, and that after the famous resort, the time has come here for standard apartments. It is a pity, a great pity that it all ended like this. It is good that Mr. Brown does not see it. I think his heart would break at the sight of it.

The hole in the wall backlighting the stage that used to be backlit manually is totally the universe having the last laugh

It makes you think that was those peoples lives, stopped in a heartbeat. It's kind of sad really

I have those trees in my yard and they do grow like that!

12:39 a Dickbutt cameo was absolutely NOT what I was expecting. That threw me for a loop.

On a more serious comment, The dining and a show room gave me memory's of The Shining and Jack in tha ballroom, thay Era.....

"CJC" chairs just chillin even upside down!!!!

I live 15 minutes from here! I've always wondered what this place was and what happened. I'm able to get that with this video and it's awesome! It blows my mind that this area used to be so popular considering its state now...

Stellar editing, cinematics, and a fascinating tour all around! I wonder what other amazing finds would have been if the fire hadn't totally destroyed so much of the place :(

It’s beautiful and eerie at the same time. I don’t know really anything about cameras and lighting but this is an excellent quality video.