Abandoned - Penn Hills Resort

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  • Опубликовано: 18 ноя 2021
  • Use code BSF14 for up to 14 FREE MEALS + 3 Free Gifts across 5 HelloFresh boxes plus free shipping at bit.ly/3vLb1Ka
    Nestled in the iconic hills of the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania, sits a resort almost as famous as the location it resides in. Penn Hills Resort began all the way back in the 1940's and grew to be one of the most popular and iconic honeymoon destinations in America. A luxurious symbol for a natures getaway complete with heart shaped hot tubs in their suites. However, as years went on, people stopped coming not just here, but for most of the Poconos resorts. Join me today as I find out what happened to this incredible hotel and more broadly, what happened to the Poconos.
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    --------------
    BrightSunFilms 2021
    Presented in 4K
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Комментарии • 1,4 тыс.

  • @LGR
    @LGR 2 года назад +139

    I can _smell_ these images. 03:29

    • @Adam-ln4og
      @Adam-ln4og 2 года назад +12

      You know you are watching good content when @LGR is commenting on it, and it's not tech. :)

    • @juxxtapoz
      @juxxtapoz 2 года назад +8

      Smells like cigarettes

    • @Mikko088
      @Mikko088 2 года назад +3

      Lol. Just keep smelling that old tech. ;)

    • @Dedicatedtolivinginthepast
      @Dedicatedtolivinginthepast 2 года назад +4

      LGR?
      LGR!

    • @ZachArmstrong02
      @ZachArmstrong02 2 года назад +3

      LGR watches this I be damned lol

  • @Slytheringrrl2
    @Slytheringrrl2 2 года назад +361

    Our honeymoon in 1996 was at the Pocono Gardens Lodge. I picked it because I figured I'd never again feel so entitled to revel in the honeymoon cheesiness of it. And BOY was it cheesy! Heart shaped tub, mirrored ceiling, the works. And incredibly fun and romantic. I now figure that was about the last good year before it started going downhill.

    • @victorlowry844
      @victorlowry844 Год назад +5

      I worked at Pocono Gardens in 1981.

    • @e.jenima7263
      @e.jenima7263 Год назад +3

      aw im sorry to hear that. welp at least you got to rump around in the 70's time warp :)

    • @thomaslouis5626
      @thomaslouis5626 Год назад +15

      You mean your marriage or the resort? 😆

    • @jakerazmataz852
      @jakerazmataz852 Год назад

      @@skimanfree1073 🎵"Beautiful, Mt. Airy Lodge."🎵

    • @MiggerPlease
      @MiggerPlease Месяц назад

      @@victorlowry844Jakes girl so hot wow

  • @MultiTelan
    @MultiTelan 2 года назад +422

    That's incredibly frickin depressing. I love the look of 50s and 70s decor and structures. Seeing them destroyed just feels like history going away, no matter what the building was used for.

    • @melissabudreau4551
      @melissabudreau4551 2 года назад +14

      I appreciate the fact that you use the word "frickin". I use that word all the time.

    • @MultiTelan
      @MultiTelan 2 года назад +5

      @@melissabudreau4551 heck yeah. Ever since high school. Before that, it was nothing. Awesome to know another person says it too!

    • @usamade5943
      @usamade5943 2 года назад +20

      It's a shame so many people think they have the right to trespass and damage other people's property.

    • @tr0picz33
      @tr0picz33 2 года назад +13

      Same, I love the vibe and feeling of that decor and wish I could’ve seen it in its hay day as well. I’m probably the minority that would prefer something like Penn Hills over a tropical island getaway.

    • @JadeEyes1
      @JadeEyes1 2 года назад +7

      It may no longer be there physically, but as long as there are photographs, books, and videos like this, history lives on.

  • @daholyness354
    @daholyness354 2 года назад +180

    I’m actually a local of the Poconos and I live like 10 mins away from here! a large portion of it unfortunately burned down (due to people and kids going in it and mess around) and now they are tearing the rest of it down (due to it being to dangerous and people keep going in) it does sadden me it was massive!!

    • @ColeyDuncan
      @ColeyDuncan Год назад +1

      Me too. Hopefully when (if) they finish tearing it down, something useful will be done with the property. I drive past this place a couple times a week, and it's depressing. It's a piece of history of the Poconos that's become little more than an eyesore today.

    • @Ashley-ek3cd
      @Ashley-ek3cd Год назад +3

      last time was more likely insurance.

    • @lyzziekelly
      @lyzziekelly Год назад +2

      yea.....the narrator explained everything, we all heard it lol

    • @NyhnaLawTarot
      @NyhnaLawTarot Год назад

      i love how they find a way to blame homeless squatters for rich developers leaving their establishment to rot. tf? ima be in that mf too if i need it 😂

    • @MoMoMyPup10
      @MoMoMyPup10 Год назад +1

      @@lyzziekelly yeah like, 'thanks for living so close and sharing all the juicy details the guy in the video didn't get to' 😂

  • @KoriDawn
    @KoriDawn 2 года назад +558

    Fun Fact:
    My parents stayed here during their honeymoon. They will celebrate 49 years together next week.
    And yes...I sent them a link to this video.🌠

    • @lonelyshrimpart
      @lonelyshrimpart 2 года назад +30

      Yo that's actually pretty cool!! Happy early 49th to them!

    • @Ron4885
      @Ron4885 2 года назад +17

      They'll get quite a kick out of this video.

    • @johnnyfreedom3437
      @johnnyfreedom3437 2 года назад +13

      My ex-wife and I used to go up regularly. We even got snowed in for a few extra days in the honeymoon suite with the heart-shaped tub! That was also a great family resort as we would bring the kids up a couple times a year as well. The Poconos are still a nice place to go, either with your lover or with your entire family!!

    • @kicapanmanis1060
      @kicapanmanis1060 2 года назад +1

      Good to hear that!

    • @Quality3rr0r
      @Quality3rr0r 2 года назад +1

      That's awesome! Good for them :)

  • @susanmiller4159
    @susanmiller4159 2 года назад +623

    Interesting how the “ideal” honeymoon locale has changed over time. Fun video.

    • @BrightSunFilms
      @BrightSunFilms  2 года назад +60

      Thanks!

    • @map3384
      @map3384 2 года назад +33

      Absolutely. In 1995 when my wife and I got married it was off to Miami to cruise to the Caribbean on our honeymoon.

    • @AaronShenghao
      @AaronShenghao 2 года назад +14

      @@map3384 still a great way to spend a honeymoon.

    • @map3384
      @map3384 2 года назад +5

      @@PaulRudd1941 was this before or after the Korean War? Lol

    • @map3384
      @map3384 2 года назад +17

      @@PaulRudd1941 Wow. His and hers green communist fatigues. What a picture you must have made at the party.

  • @sterlinsilver
    @sterlinsilver 2 года назад +226

    Even though it was outdated, thats actually what I love about it. I would gladly pay to stay a night in the 1970s. A shame all that ultramodern architecture is just rotting away now. I hope they save the sign at least...

    • @5roundsrapid263
      @5roundsrapid263 2 года назад +31

      I know, right? If it could have stayed open a few more years, the kitsch value of it would have been a huge draw!

    • @sterlinsilver
      @sterlinsilver 2 года назад +11

      @@5roundsrapid263 its a shame that it just couldnt hang on...

    • @mrkipling2201
      @mrkipling2201 2 года назад +22

      Such a shame. I hate seeing once thriving places where so many people made great memories turn to this.

    • @sterlinsilver
      @sterlinsilver 2 года назад +27

      @@mrkipling2201 it wouldnt be so bad if it was an untouched decay either, its the fact that people just go in and smash everything up. Absolutely no respect...

    • @mrkipling2201
      @mrkipling2201 2 года назад +5

      @@sterlinsilver definitely. I totally agree with you.

  • @jamieaiken919
    @jamieaiken919 2 года назад +81

    I can say without a bit of irony that I would absolutely stay at one of these resorts. They’re so wonderfully campy.

  • @topnep548
    @topnep548 2 года назад +241

    Jake and his love for abandoned retail probably would’ve stayed there

    • @OversteerAllDay
      @OversteerAllDay 2 года назад +6

      Yeah, but, does he have a wife or girlfriend? Probably been weird to others that would’ve probably thought he was f**king himself.

  • @mattrosensweet1502
    @mattrosensweet1502 2 года назад +90

    FYI: Coven Haven has been remodeled regularly over the last 20 + years. The hearts shaped tubs were given new tile and apple shaped was added as well. There are many upgrades that have been done to maintain the interest.

    • @thekingsilverado8419
      @thekingsilverado8419 2 года назад

      Do they allow Bobcats as guests?

    • @Ashley-ek3cd
      @Ashley-ek3cd Год назад +1

      do you mean cove haven in Lakeville, or cove haven entertainment resorts as a whole, because for the most part jusy Paradise Stream has been renovated with a few things being done in the other two resorts.

    • @mattrosensweet1502
      @mattrosensweet1502 Год назад +1

      @@Ashley-ek3cd The resorts, but I used to live at the other. Hopefully they have been remodeled too.

    • @kayyrosS1
      @kayyrosS1 Год назад +1

      lol yea cove haven is practically still the same, still disgusting and moldy

    • @dannoneyabiz1277
      @dannoneyabiz1277 11 месяцев назад +1

      @@kayyrosS1 I stayed at Cove Haven back in the 90's. it looked run down back then. I remember walking into the gift shop and seeing all sorts of sex toys and thinking it doesn't get more cheesy than that

  • @raerobertson5509
    @raerobertson5509 2 года назад +41

    My parents honeymooned here in 1967 when they still had the little white cottages. My mom still has the black & white photo album showing pictures of them both ice skating in the indoor rink, lounging by the pool, sitting with other couples in the restaurant and bar, horseback riding... It really looked quite idyllic.

  • @troncdenadal2816
    @troncdenadal2816 2 года назад +160

    May I suggest doing a video covering the Rainbow Funhouse? It was a relatively famous indoor playplace for children located in Torquay, England that actually started out as a church before being converted into a children's funhouse in 2001. It closed down and was left abandoned in 2017 due to having gained a bad reputation , being regarded as a filthy, unkept and unsafe place by many local parents. A fire broke out inside the abandoned funhouse in 2019, leaving it in an even more deplorable state and causing it to gain fame among urban explorers and those interested in abandoned places in general. It's a really interesting place, I recommend you look it up!

    • @zoeyelh
      @zoeyelh 2 года назад +3

      yes i'd like to see that

    • @brookeg5979
      @brookeg5979 2 года назад +3

      This would be an interesting subject for the UK based Expedition Theme Park channel, which does a series called Expedition Extinct. They do videos from all over the world but have a lot of local UK experience. I'm definitely on board no matter which channel does it, sounds super interesting!

    • @personwitharat9039
      @personwitharat9039 2 года назад

      Rainbow fun house is one of the most iconic liminal space photos!

    • @kyliethelittlespider-mangirl94
      @kyliethelittlespider-mangirl94 2 года назад

      Me too!

    • @shona5512
      @shona5512 2 года назад +2

      Come to think of it, I don't think I can recall Jake making many videos on places outside of Canada & USA.

  • @galacticwarrior7573
    @galacticwarrior7573 2 года назад +834

    I appreciate the storytelling approach versus walking around showing the ruins haaa the relief

    • @royalewithchz
      @royalewithchz 2 года назад +15

      💯 %

    • @nakaharaindria
      @nakaharaindria 2 года назад +75

      I think for BSF, exploring abandoned buildings and telling its stories are two different series in this channel. The one telling stories will be titled as, "Abandoned - "name of building/other places" while the exploring one will not. But yeah, I agree with you, I like this series better because it's always fascinating to find the story behind it.

    • @PrinceFame25
      @PrinceFame25 2 года назад +16

      Yes 👍… Other RUclipsrs do great work but I like the story telling and flashback’s on how it was then vs now.

    • @zoeyelh
      @zoeyelh 2 года назад +3

      word

    • @BrettJamesBishop
      @BrettJamesBishop 2 года назад +12

      This is why Jake and his channel is head and shoulders above the rest. Keep his name in mind. He's going to have an amazing career.

  • @lisaparyani4860
    @lisaparyani4860 2 года назад +47

    Can’t believe this just showed up. I love the kitschy heart tubs. For some reason the smaller houses look like from dirty dancing.

  • @michaelevans3618
    @michaelevans3618 2 года назад +4

    Pocono Palace is another resort that remains! Champaign glass and heart-shaped hot tubs, private saunas, private swimming pools in some rooms, somewhat outdated decor, nightly rates upwards of $250 for the cheapest room on a cheap night. An ex took me to stay there a few years back, and after I watched the video I checked to see Pocono Palace is still around. Yep!

  • @leoandcagalli
    @leoandcagalli 2 года назад +43

    I grew up in the Poconos and have driven past this place many times, thanks for the trip down memory lane!

  • @rgs8970
    @rgs8970 2 года назад +57

    The moss-covered carpet is the exact same carpet that they used in the Fellowship Hall of the evangelical church I went to as a kid, which was, indeed, built in the 70s... I spent many an hour staring at that pattern. so weird to see it again, in photos of an abandoned resort across the country from me

  • @bryanb9000
    @bryanb9000 2 года назад +172

    Heck yeah. Jake your abandoned series is one of my favorites on RUclips. Excited to watch this one after work!

  • @mamaburr2963
    @mamaburr2963 2 года назад +3

    My husband and I went to this place on our fifth anniversary..We had such a great time..We are married 43 years... Great 👍 video..Thanks for the memories

  • @JackiTuriello
    @JackiTuriello 2 года назад +34

    this is only about 3 minutes from my house, it’s always been fascinating to me. it’s sad to see it now that it’s been burned down multiple times. :/ there’s also an abandoned ski resort up the road from there. but trust me, even if they don’t build another resort like Penn Hills, the poconos is filled with tourist traps, we will always be a tourist destination. maybe not a large one, but we have plenty of resorts that bring in a god awful amount of people and traffic year round hahaha.

  • @skandarc2810
    @skandarc2810 2 года назад +204

    Good stuff haha. Those places are truly a relic, but they have charm. For comedic and scientific purposes you and Brennen should stay at the Cove and get in the two story champagne glass hot tub lol. Also loved the cute sponsor ad at the end haha🧑🏻‍🍳. You guys are the best!

    • @EllicottCity1
      @EllicottCity1 2 года назад +4

      Stayed at the Cove in '09 - what am experience lol

    • @robs531
      @robs531 2 года назад +4

      I stayed in the tower at Paradise Stream.

    • @jasonwomack4064
      @jasonwomack4064 2 года назад +21

      That champagne tub scenario would be incomplete without Dan Bell topless with a Marlboro.

    • @greyeaglem
      @greyeaglem 2 года назад +1

      That champagne glass jacuzzi looks dangerous. I wonder how many people have fallen over the side?

    • @kristencrowhurst4356
      @kristencrowhurst4356 Год назад +2

      It is actually so fun! Cove haven still has 3 locations and they are a fun place with pretty good food!

  • @ferristhorn5931
    @ferristhorn5931 2 года назад +87

    Have you ever heard of Cementland? I feel like you would be interested in it. It's an abandoned and unfinished adventure park/interactive art installation in St. Louis, which never opened because the man building it died during construction. It's a tragic and fascinating place.

    • @zoeyelh
      @zoeyelh 2 года назад +3

      i'd like to know more and see this place. sounds intriguing

    • @gogglespisano24
      @gogglespisano24 2 года назад +7

      He died DUBIOUSLY during construction. I just looked this up and the story is a little nuts.

    • @jonathankleinow2073
      @jonathankleinow2073 2 года назад +8

      Anyone visiting St. Louis should also check out the City Museum, Bob Cassilly's biggest accomplishment in the city. It's difficult to describe but absolutely worth seeing.

    • @michaelmccarthy4615
      @michaelmccarthy4615 2 года назад +4

      Jake should do a story on Cementland...
      It looks really interesting and has mystery surrounding the story

    • @babecat2000
      @babecat2000 2 года назад +1

      Yes do a story on cementland. It sounded cool. Wish he hadn't of died. I have been to the city musem it is less a musem and more like a playground for all ages.

  • @fatebreakerproductions
    @fatebreakerproductions 2 года назад +11

    While it wasn't mentioned by name, the picture at 12:31 is of the Fairmont Hotel in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. Absolutely beautiful place, as well as the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff. Very happy to see a little shout-out for us Albertans.

  • @ThaDirtyBubble
    @ThaDirtyBubble 2 года назад +13

    Penn Hills will forever be my favorite abandoned location of all time. It was my first urbex outing and it was truly something special. We even managed to hit the nearby *Summit Resort* in Tannersville in the same night. I have so many stories and fond memories of the Poconos.

  • @eily_b
    @eily_b 2 года назад +24

    I loved the little white cabins from the 50s and the zinnias in front of them. I think with all the cottage core vibes, tiny houses and van life thing going on, cabins could really be something for vacation again. Additional to all of that: Covid. A lot of people want to stay away from others and enjoy their own little cabin to relax. I would rent a 50s cabin there if they'd build some....

    • @MegaMagicdog
      @MegaMagicdog 2 года назад +1

      You should come to Mt. Charleston, NV (a 45 minute drive from the Strip) in the Toyaibe National Forest. There are cabins for rent there near the Mt. Charleston Lodge (Lodge just burned down but they are rebuilding and the cabins are untouched).

    • @e.jenima7263
      @e.jenima7263 Год назад

      I agree, even if they are a bit dated and Primitive I think more old fashioned resorts and hotels like that would appeal to more young people now. Although many for amusement sakes would probably be into the tackiness of the 70's hotels i think many younger holiday makers and honeymooners would be into the old 1880's- 1950s cottage, lodge hotels and tavern resorts and hotels.

  • @jxchamb
    @jxchamb 2 года назад +44

    Problem with the Poconos is that everybody expects Patrick Swayze to show up and dance with you. Sadly, that is not going to happen. RIP Dalton.

    • @JoshuaKimbrough
      @JoshuaKimbrough 2 года назад +14

      Dirty Dancing took place in the Catskills Though

    • @jxchamb
      @jxchamb 2 года назад +7

      @@JoshuaKimbrough Darn it. I was fifty fifty on that. But I didn't have time to fact check. I feel so stupid because I adore the Swayze.

    • @eily_b
      @eily_b 2 года назад

      I don't think people in the Poconos (or Catskills) would expect Patrick Swayze to show up. People who watched the movie back then are in their 50s now and PS is dead...

    • @jxchamb
      @jxchamb 2 года назад

      @@eily_b Guess it's just me. Everytime the doorbell rings I hope that it's him on the other side of that door.

    • @sunnyscott4876
      @sunnyscott4876 2 года назад +2

      I grew up in Vegas so I knew nothing about the Poconos except that I saw Dirty Dancing. That was honestly my only frame of reference.
      RIP Patrick Swazye ❤💛🌻🌼🌾🌼🌻💛❤

  • @DMJoeBing
    @DMJoeBing 2 года назад +69

    I was born just down the road in East Stroudsburg. My parents chose to leave the area in 1989 partially due to the shift in industry that some locals could see coming. Crime was starting to rise and helped keep tourists away. Sad to see 30+ years later.

    • @johnbags2525
      @johnbags2525 2 года назад +5

      Hence the “6th borough”. There goes the neighborhood, as they say(once “they” start moving in)

    • @starpowerj
      @starpowerj 2 года назад +2

      I was born in Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg in '93.
      You're right, it's not been the same for years. The entire area is nothing but major retailers and gas stations.

    • @patrickcoyne1292
      @patrickcoyne1292 2 года назад +3

      i was born in stroudsburg. and still live in the area. it went down the drain totally after 2001.

    • @DMJoeBing
      @DMJoeBing 2 года назад +3

      That's why my parents got out in 1989 with us. I've been back once, in 1991.

    • @thekingsilverado8419
      @thekingsilverado8419 2 года назад +3

      Be glad if y'all moved away the traffic in that area off I 80 and 33 is like Russian Roulette with 7 bullets.

  • @fensysltd2471
    @fensysltd2471 2 года назад +30

    I remember accidently coming across this place in maybe 2012. Fascinating to see a place go downhill so quickly. Wasn't really vandalized at that point. You didn't picture it but there was a lobby that looked like the bridge of the enterprise. Completely 70's.

  • @whyjnot420
    @whyjnot420 2 года назад +13

    Being born in Connecticut in 1980, I heard so many of my friends parents mention vacations in the Poconos. This was an area that meant so much to so many people back in the day. It is sad to see the decay of the area, I can only imagine how people who fondly remember their vacations here would feel.

  • @carterscheibel1115
    @carterscheibel1115 2 года назад +23

    BSF: **posts more that 2 videos in one month**
    Me: impossible..

  • @stevend3753
    @stevend3753 2 года назад +606

    Imagine if all the DNA in that heart shaped tub could talk.......

  • @Sunsetsonthehorizon
    @Sunsetsonthehorizon 2 года назад +4

    I went to Penn Hills in 2020 and walked around--it felt super unsafe and unstable (some of those glass overhang structures looked like they would collapse at any second). I was the only person there but then as I'm in the middle of all this broken glass, plant overgrowth, and decay, I heard this tapping noise from inside of one of the buildings. I RAN out of there!!
    Also, it's a dream of mine to stay at Cove Haven!! So cute and kitschy.

  • @tomo334_
    @tomo334_ 2 года назад +36

    This place seems like the perfect area to develop a centre parcs resort. You’ve got nature, developed land etc. Would be perfect in my opinion

    • @larrychilders6599
      @larrychilders6599 2 года назад +6

      Or an Amazon Distribution Center

    • @KrazyKeith4
      @KrazyKeith4 2 года назад +1

      @@larrychilders6599 Or apartments 🤮

  • @makeshift_battlefield_music
    @makeshift_battlefield_music 2 года назад +86

    I love your videos, I think I've seen every one since I discovered your channel a few yrs ago. It just gets better and better. I think capturing the stories of these places is very important work. Not just for entertainment, but as a pursuit of knowledge about history and as an artistic statement about time and change. The stories of these structures are merely settings for stories about people, and the way that people interact with places and eachother over a lifetime. Also I think your Hello Fresh ad at the end was the best Hello Fresh ad I've seen yet lol good job!

    • @BrightSunFilms
      @BrightSunFilms  2 года назад +10

      That means a lot thank you so much!

    • @londo1k
      @londo1k Год назад

      literally same here lol

  • @katiejameson
    @katiejameson 2 года назад +19

    It's too bad to see these places in such a state of disrepair. The memories that have been made there are unforgettable. I'd love to find an old historic place like this or especially the Nevele and bring it back to life again

    • @skimanfree1073
      @skimanfree1073 2 года назад +2

      Nevele in the Catskills also abandoned is Eleven spelled backwards. Just a tidbit.

    • @guymorris6596
      @guymorris6596 Год назад +1

      We are of the same mindset it appears. I'm 58 years old and adore older architectural styles, period clothes and other items. I'm a writer and the Poconos have always appealed to me in the sense that I wanted to travel to New York City from where I lived in Colorado and now Texas. Once there I'd change over into 1950s style clothes, make believe I'm a staff writer for a large magazine in NYC and in bad need of a short trip to a resort in the Poconos. Then board a train to travel back in time like that when life was slower and much simpler than now. I'd still like to follow up on this dream and have written my first poetry book that hasn't been published.

  • @Darkeklaw
    @Darkeklaw 2 года назад +5

    Cove Haven Resorts (Formerly Caesar's Pocono Resorts) survived because they were able to keep interest high because they knew where not to compete. I worked for their Brookdale resort for 13 years. Brookdale was the Family destination while Cove, Paradise Stream, and Pocono Palace always catered to couples, each one with it's own flair. Brookdale is now an addiction recovery retreat. Cove Haven had the heft of having the old Caesar's name behind it for many years after it was sold off and was eventually put into the hands of people a lot like it's founder Morris Wilkens. (who learned his lesson after not patenting the heart shaped jacuzzi, by patenting the Champagne glass one) When Great Wolf came in, Cove Haven got out of the family market.
    With the rise of Great Wolf, Kalahari, and soon the proposed Margaritaville Resort and Campgrounds on the former Pocono Manor site, the Poconos has pretty much shifted to a more family friendly destination. Of course there's also the Resurrection of Mount Airy as a Casino, and Camelback's diversification from just a winter seasonal ski resort to a multi-seasonal destination with the addition of their year round waterpark Aquatopia.
    Looking back on places like Penn Hills, Pocono Gardens, Strickland, the Summit may make it seem like the Poconos is a dying tourist region, but it's actually not. The place is actually attracting more and more visitors each year as places with more imagination, and the ability to change with the times survive where others fail.

    • @beckiejani7782
      @beckiejani7782 Год назад +1

      Strickland's was very pretty in its original style. They added some tacky buildings later on, but it went downhill after the 70s. The Strickland family had sold it to Mt. Airy and the social director, Chase Whitman, had died in September 1979. Just wasn't the same....

  • @mrkylesfilms1
    @mrkylesfilms1 2 года назад +21

    I always pair a new BSF video with a nice spaghetti dinner and cold drinks. The perfect Friday tradition when the time comes. Brilliant stuff as always, Jake!

    • @BrightSunFilms
      @BrightSunFilms  2 года назад +4

      Very nice! I hope you enjoyed

    • @johng5710
      @johng5710 2 года назад

      Hopefully it was a Hello Fresh spaghetti dinner

  • @robs531
    @robs531 2 года назад +8

    I spent 6 years working in the Mt. Airy casino. It’s so sad to see all these great resorts decayed.

  • @FirstnameLastname-qc3xx
    @FirstnameLastname-qc3xx 2 года назад +11

    I love the vibe of the poconos. I go there every winter. Idk if you’re familiar with the area but skiing / summer in the poconos is jam packed with people. Everyone just rents houses since there is a lack of hotels or ski resorts.

  • @puccipower
    @puccipower 2 года назад +4

    I remember when this place blew up all over the internet in about 2013-2014, doing the runs on FB photography posts and such. I remember loving the heart shaped tubs and the general strangeness of the building architecture. That’s when I’m sure people began vandalizing it. I didn’t know about the fires though… seeing the way it is now and more recently is just heartbreaking.

  • @Demonicsasuke1
    @Demonicsasuke1 Год назад +3

    I grew up in the Pocono Mountains (literally 10mins away from Pocono Hills Resort). Thanks for doing this mini doc so well :)

  • @mdf3530
    @mdf3530 2 года назад +10

    Who else heard Kevin from Defunctland's voice describing the Nick at Nite suites from his episode on the Nickelodeon Hotel?

  • @davidramos5336
    @davidramos5336 2 года назад +9

    This is so cool to see a video of something I lived around for practically my whole life. My family moved to the Poconos (Tobyhanna) in 1999 to get away from NYC and settle down somewhere quiet. I remember passing this place all the time when we took 191/447 to Stroudsburg to avoid the busy highways and it was always so cool to see the weirdish buildings and golf course. I always wondered what that place looked like in its hay day! Fun Fact: my mother worked as a maid at Cove Haven and nearby at Caesars Brookdale then later Mount Airy casino

  • @callthehook931
    @callthehook931 2 года назад +27

    Some of Cove Haven is also still 70/80s style but are slowly being updated. Their success may be due to still bringing in mainstream talent for shows and events. Also the properties were owned by Caesars Entertainment and then Starwood up until about 10 yrs ago. After that they did loose the family resort Caesars Brookdale to the decline of the area.

    • @davewilson7255
      @davewilson7255 2 года назад +2

      The rumor was that Caesar's got into this business to eventually open a casino and get a gambling license in the Poconos, but that didn't happen, then Caesar's got out of there.

    • @hoorayquestionmark7169
      @hoorayquestionmark7169 2 года назад

      I think that a lot of the brookdale property is now a testament center!

    • @Darkeklaw
      @Darkeklaw 2 года назад +1

      @@davewilson7255 As someone who used to work for the company, Caesar's World Entertainment was actually sold to Bally's. The Pocono Resorts were sold off to ITT Hilton and then to Starwood international, then finally sold to another third party later. There were never any plans to get into gaming by Caesar's World Entertainment and Bally's had no interest in taking the resorts when they bought the larger company
      The partnership between Morris Wilkens and the people who bought Caesar's Palace to create Caesar's world entertainment happened in 1969. Pennsylvania didn't allow Casinos in the state until 2004. That's a long ass waiting game.

  • @jerseygeneral3722
    @jerseygeneral3722 2 года назад +3

    I didn't know much about this particular place, but growing up in the 80s in New Jersey, I can still hear the jingle from the Mt. Airy Lodge commercials.
    I actually went to Cove Haven with my then-wife about 7-8 years ago. It was kind of fun, but definitely a bit of a time capsule. The rooms probably haven't been updated since the 90s and yes, we had a heart shaped tub.

  • @russellbubba7090
    @russellbubba7090 2 года назад +5

    I went to college nearby and actually spent the night in one of the villas back in the early 90's....heart shaped jacuzzi, round bed, windows on the ceiling, fireplace, and sauna.....very cheesy, but fun. As an aside note; the Pocono Raceway was built by the Hulman family that owned Indy. It was actually built for Indy racing but is much more well known as a NASCAR track now. Great job on the story as always...keep up the good work!!

  • @happilysolo
    @happilysolo 2 года назад +6

    Most of this has been torn down already. I pass this place on this road often and see less and less of it as trucks leave full of rubble.

  • @chibikim77
    @chibikim77 2 года назад +16

    I remember being fascinated by the abandoned resort by watching Dan Bell. Its something about this place that draws me to it. Im glad I got to know more about the story of the Hills. Excellent research Jake!

  • @SK22000
    @SK22000 2 года назад +5

    I remember these places being advertised in the back of magazines etc. back in the 80’s. They looked so cool

  • @PrinceFame25
    @PrinceFame25 2 года назад +2

    I love the story telling and the flashback videos and photos that you do and everyone behind you helping to put everything together. Keep up the Great work

  • @moniquebrown18
    @moniquebrown18 2 года назад +2

    I live in the Poconos and I can tell you this area is PACKED coming close to year round with tourists. Camelback, Great Wolf, Kalahari, Mt. Airy Casino, hiking, river sports, horseback riding, shopping at outlets, skiing and tubing. It DOES not stop. Happy for the area but I’m stuck in traffic more days than not.

  • @shitdicks6882
    @shitdicks6882 2 года назад +9

    Very well done man. Love how you've done the old original photos and then the empty and then the now, just the way you've done it is simply bliss when it comes these historical places or any places really when possible. Thanks for all your hard work man its really paid off.

  • @MayheM_72
    @MayheM_72 2 года назад +22

    In the mid '00s, my wife and I used to vacation in the Spring and Fall up in the Poconos with my friend and his wife. My buddy and I used to fish for trout while the girls would shop. There was an abandoned resort on the Paradise Creek called Paradise Stream Resort. We'd sneak on the grounds to access the creek. I've tried looking it up online, but it appears there's a Paradise Stream Resort open at this time. I'm not sure it it's a new location, or if they reopened the old one.

    • @richardfarrelljr.7666
      @richardfarrelljr.7666 2 года назад +2

      I can personally confirm that they have a new, smaller location open.

    • @gogglespisano24
      @gogglespisano24 2 года назад +2

      Ah I stayed at Paradise Stream in the 90s!

    • @davewilson7255
      @davewilson7255 2 года назад

      @@richardfarrelljr.7666 One of them caught fire. Was it Paradise Stream?

    • @suehamblin9652
      @suehamblin9652 2 года назад

      Paradise Stream Resort is completely gone .. leveled. Such a shame - it was so pretty in its glory days.

  • @MidwestMomma17
    @MidwestMomma17 2 года назад +7

    This was interesting as all your videos are. I love the backstories and pictures. It's all just put together so well!!!

  • @crazy4vidoegamez
    @crazy4vidoegamez 2 года назад +2

    i learned to ice skate at the ice-a-rama as a lifelong resident of the Poconos i have fond memories of skating there and playing in the acrade

  • @debbiem9218
    @debbiem9218 2 года назад +2

    Great video Jake, as usual well thought out and well-spoken. Just love your videos! Thanks for sharing.

  • @polyesterdreamboat
    @polyesterdreamboat 2 года назад +46

    We're so close to episode 69.
    I hope it's like, Larry Flynt's abandoned sexmansion or something

  • @lauraduplooy
    @lauraduplooy 2 года назад +6

    You two ought to start your own cooking/meal prep show. I'd totally watch just for the commentary. As for the Penn Hills Resort, very nice job. Another great episode!!

  • @januaryrose2989
    @januaryrose2989 Год назад +6

    Thank you for all of your videos! This gives us a way to explore without actually "exploring" per say. Honestly I believe someone should buy this out and keep everything (all the extra buildings and amenities included), as well as keeping the vintage 70s look. Very interesting stuff! Stay safe!!

  • @tina53philly
    @tina53philly 2 года назад +2

    My husband & I went there at some point after our wedding in 1974. It was kitschy, yes, but it was also one of the first all inclusive resorts & perfect for a young married couple who loved the mountains. Plus it was only a 2.5 hour drive from Philadelphia.

  • @Haylerzz
    @Haylerzz 2 года назад +9

    My friend lives near this area and we used to drive by the abandoned site all the time. We would come up with grand plans for what we would do if we bought it.

  • @contrpart
    @contrpart 2 года назад +4

    I just stayed at the Cove Haven resort earlier this year. It was a lot of fun and there were people of all ages there. The food was good, activities fun, good comedians and the rooms had a charm to them. The rooms are kept up well and were very clean. I'll be back there again in a few years.

    • @jungleno.
      @jungleno. Год назад

      Spent part of my honeymoon there in 1978.

  • @BillRich1277
    @BillRich1277 2 года назад +2

    I drive past this place every once and a while and it's weird knowing that this place opened only a few years ago and now it's in such a state of decay or simply gone. Great video Jake!!! I have been hoping you would do a video about this place.

  • @Uprightfossil
    @Uprightfossil Год назад +1

    I was born in the Poconos and spent many happy hours at Penn Hills. I loved the ice skating rink. It’s so sad .

  • @fidoroscalercio7237
    @fidoroscalercio7237 2 года назад +3

    Right in my backyard, I remeber as a kid it was always packed, saidnto see it torn down.
    Cove Haven was a one of the Caesars Resorts. There were 4 resorts, Paradise Stream, Pocono Palace, Brookdale and Cove Haven.

  • @skimanfree1073
    @skimanfree1073 2 года назад +6

    Well done. Sad to see what has happened in the Poconos and Catskills. Same story for hundreds of other nearby resorts. We see this over and over with Casinos, and now waterparks. Everybody wants in on the action and then over-saturation in the market.

    • @cumulus1234
      @cumulus1234 Год назад

      Wonder if this will happen to the Smoky Mountain areas in Tennessee and North Carolina?

  • @f.michaelbremer-cruz2708
    @f.michaelbremer-cruz2708 2 года назад +1

    Thanks for this video. I recall commercials for Penn Hills Resort on TV in my youth and the one thought that came to mind was how impractical a heart-shaped hot tub was in reality. It looked so lavish and lush in those ads. Seeing it now is another visceral reminder that nothing lasts forever.
    Even the most lavish, luxurious and amazing places cannot last if people stop investing their time and resources into keeping them alive. That resort went from idea; to reality; to failure and decay in the blink of an eye historically. You manage to bring the story of this place to life very well, IMHO.

  • @cre8tivity87
    @cre8tivity87 Год назад +1

    I still love going to the Poconos. It’s a quick all season weekend getaway for me and my friends.

  • @TarikJaawani
    @TarikJaawani 2 года назад +7

    Fantastic locale. Love the upper dining area. So sad it's been vandalized so frequently. Love it up there.

  • @oscarchacon2878
    @oscarchacon2878 2 года назад +5

    Appreciate it Jake. Abandoned is such a interesting series. Love seeing things that are no longer here.

  • @savannahpowell2995
    @savannahpowell2995 2 года назад +2

    I live in the Poconos and ironically the Poconos are booming after corona virus. Tons for people from New York and New Jersey are coming. There are also still a few very successful resorts here. Woodloch, Skytop lodge, cove haven, camelback, Shawnee. And they too have been around a very long time. Although it’s not what it once was it’s still chugging along pretty steadily.

  • @meaghantaylor528
    @meaghantaylor528 2 года назад +1

    Great job on closed for storm!!! ❤️😩 please don’t stop making documentaries you’re great at documenting and commentary!

  • @paisan8766
    @paisan8766 2 года назад +3

    Camelback resort in the Poconos is great! We live an hour south and meet our NYC relatives there yearly for the last few years (less, the lockdown year)

  • @kurtb3606
    @kurtb3606 2 года назад +3

    I always remember commercials for the "Pocono's" as a kid growing up. Mount Airy was one that was heavily advertised. As young as I was didn't quite know the meaning, but remember it was a "jinglish" commercial. (Thinking while watching "Get Smart" on Saturday mornings) gosh I am feeling old. :(

  • @badzombie0135
    @badzombie0135 Год назад +2

    I was born in 2003, and live mere minutes from Penn Hills. I drive on 191, passing the old resort a few times a week. Seeing this video on my page was definitely a shock. It’s so interesting to see something you know personally in your own lives, explored and shown to a wider audience on RUclips.

  • @sophiaoc5
    @sophiaoc5 2 года назад +2

    This is super cool to hear about because I live 10 minutes down the road from here and have passed the abandoned resort hundreds of times.

  • @vcast5019
    @vcast5019 2 года назад +4

    Hey there! I just wanted to give you an update about Hard Rock Park. Yesterday as I was driving past, I saw them knocking down the entrance gate to the park. It seems like they will soon be getting rid of it! Thank you so much for recording in there before it’s gone!

  • @NGMonocrom
    @NGMonocrom 2 года назад +42

    I love your videos, Jake. But feel horribly depressed when watching them.
    Give me a time machine and I'd happily travel to the 1970s, and stay at that resort.

    • @StephenHogan
      @StephenHogan 2 года назад +3

      Mmmmm indoor smoking, the gut-wrenching stench of stale tobacco in every carpet and mattress

    • @kenetickups6146
      @kenetickups6146 2 года назад +1

      @@StephenHogan *vomits*

    • @skepticalbadger
      @skepticalbadger 2 года назад +1

      @@StephenHogan Not to mention the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation, lower life-expectancy, worse treatment for all minorities etc etc. There's a reason 'nostalgia' originated as an ailment, not a positive thing.

    • @davewilson7255
      @davewilson7255 2 года назад +1

      You still can. Look up Cove Haven Resorts.

    • @K1ddkanuck
      @K1ddkanuck 2 года назад +2

      @@skepticalbadger I dunno if it's necessarily nostalgia for the era on my end, I wasn't even born in the 70s. But I get the feeling of sadness for something long past though. There was life in this place once, happy people, dreams for what tomorrow would bring, all that kind of cheesiness. Looking at it decayed and falling apart does make me sad... for dreams lost, a future never to be, and something that made people happy turning to dust.

  • @Sandi-ke9mi
    @Sandi-ke9mi 2 года назад +1

    I grew up in western PA, in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s and every bride’s magazine had pictures of the Pocanos resorts with a couple in a heart spaced bathtub. I thought it was hysterical. I was so happy to see you do a film on this. I moved long ago but it’s my home state. I really enjoyed your Hello Fresh commercial, lol, and I usually hate commercials. Watching you guys make it gave me a better idea of the product❣️🙏🏻💞

  • @AngelAckerman
    @AngelAckerman Год назад +1

    I live relatively nearby and went to Girl Scout camp and vacations in the Poconos and my dad lived in the Poconos for the last 20 years of his life, so I am very aware of Penn Hills. I love all your videos. Thank you for this!

  • @busterbros
    @busterbros 2 года назад +3

    Oh my god finally an episode of Abandoned for a place that I used to live near and have been to! My life is complete!

  • @nmbproductions2841
    @nmbproductions2841 2 года назад +3

    I live in East Stroudsburg not very far from here I love that you made this video so I can learn the abandoned history of this area

  • @the_roseus_system237
    @the_roseus_system237 2 года назад +1

    I used to pass this place all the time when I went camping. I loved looking at it and wondered what happened to it and I've been researching it for years

  • @JonTolstrup
    @JonTolstrup 2 года назад +22

    I absolutely adore this content. The entire series is just so watchworthy and genuinely interesting on so many levels. Job well done! And please don't ever stop!

  • @leslieholmes5018
    @leslieholmes5018 2 года назад +15

    I totally would watch a cooking show hosted by Jake and Brennan. 🤣😆

    • @eily_b
      @eily_b 2 года назад

      But Brennen has to wash his hair first...

    • @DaughterOfZi0n
      @DaughterOfZi0n 2 года назад

      Who is Brennan?

  • @SMtWalkerS
    @SMtWalkerS 7 месяцев назад +1

    I like that you give us well-researched background and explanations about why it became abandoned. The old photos and video make the ramshackle abandoned state more poignant.

  • @jaypat5571
    @jaypat5571 Год назад +1

    I was four years old in 1979 but my parents used to go there every summer and have pictures from that place.
    I was only there one once but this brought back memories from those years. Limited but good ones!!! ❤❤❤

  • @AndrewGreenaway
    @AndrewGreenaway 2 года назад +3

    I lived here between 2006-2008 traveling 191 on the daily. This is some what depressing as those years were a new chapter in my life but I knew that Penn Hills was a cheesy place and well out dated.
    This is one of your videos that hits somewhat home to me and I just wanted to thank you,

  • @fawh7
    @fawh7 2 года назад +40

    In my community of NNJ, the Poconos are much less for honeymooning and more for child entertainment.

    • @JeffreyPiatt
      @JeffreyPiatt 2 года назад

      Considering the difference in amusement enforcement between the two states pass Department of Agriculture is much stricter.

    • @JimmySand9
      @JimmySand9 2 года назад +1

      Between Great Wolf Lodge, Camelbeach, and of course Kalahari; yeah, that's accurate.

    • @busterdagger4797
      @busterdagger4797 2 года назад

      Always wanted to go there as a kid when I lived in PA

  • @deborahwagner8496
    @deborahwagner8496 2 года назад +1

    As a family we frequently traveled by Penn Hills on drives to the Poconos. Thanks for the update. We don’t live in Pennsylvania now and this was a surprise.

  • @williamthethespian
    @williamthethespian Год назад

    Very nicely done. Thorough and filled with the story of it's rise and fall. The current and long-ago pictures adds truth and sadness.

  • @tomkruze2749
    @tomkruze2749 2 года назад +3

    I’ve stayed there along with many other back in the 80-90s. My favorite were Caesars resorts
    Cove Heaven Brookdale etc..
    From 1997-2008 we owned a home in Split Rock. The Poconos are DEAD! It’s such a Shame. Use to be so beautiful

  • @TheMsjenna
    @TheMsjenna 2 года назад +24

    This looks like where Christopher Reeves Superman was filmed.

  • @wb3161
    @wb3161 3 месяца назад +1

    My wife and I stayed on our honeymoon in August 91. Stayed in a villa and it was pretty cool at the time. We have a few pictures from there. Thanks for the video. We live in Maryland about 4 hours away

  • @ameliaantique5345
    @ameliaantique5345 2 года назад

    Thank you so much for making this content, I love watching these and learning something

  • @nyanbinary1717
    @nyanbinary1717 2 года назад +3

    "Nor do I even think the Poconos is the best place to get that setting." *conspicuous Lake Louise shot* If you needed any proof that Jake is Canadian.

    • @claudialevesque6993
      @claudialevesque6993 2 года назад

      That shot really jumped out at me. Never stayed in the Poconos, but have stayed at the gorgeous Chateau Lake Louise. 🇨🇦

  • @joeljunior925
    @joeljunior925 2 года назад +4

    nowadays this would be a huge hit since people interest in retro things are growing rapidly, it could've had been turned in a fully 70s themed place. i think that's the charm of those outdated places, they are trapped on those decades with all those fascinating aesthetic that belong to 80s/70s/90s, we need new themed hotels with this kind of aesthetic.

  • @kellymarie2034
    @kellymarie2034 Год назад +2

    Thank you for visiting PA and one of my favorite areas- The Poconos 😌 There is many more abandoned destinations in PA! Come back soon! This video is amazing !

  • @marysusa6985
    @marysusa6985 Год назад +1

    I remember the constant commercials for Penn Hills for many years when I was a teen in CT. It still gives mee the feels when I hear the old commercials on RUclips videos. So sad how it wall went downhill. One thing we can always count on is change.

  • @MiniBrad
    @MiniBrad 2 года назад +18

    Hey I was just down at Disney and was thinking the history of the Treetop Villias as Saratoga springs would be great for you to cover, the have a history that would fit in well with this Chanel