Entertainment at the Raleigh

Courtesy of Long Island and New York Places That Are No More, here is an old ad from The Raleigh hotel. Jackie Kannon passed away in 1974, so my guess is that this ad is from the late 1960s, early 1970s. London Lee is a stand-up comedian known as "The Rich Kid." I had the pleasure of seeing Lionel Hampton and Wynton Marsalis at The Blue Note with my husband-to-be in the early 1990s. That was a treat! In 1997, he lost all his belongings in a fire. He passed away from heart failure in 2002. Emmett Kelly was one of the most well-known clowns and was also famous for his commitment to charitable causes.


The Raleigh had a hangout for teens called the Nuru Guru Club (which sounds like a room for meditation), and a band called The Forest was playing that August. Never heard of them.

In the early 80s, I worked at as a counselor for JAPpy rich girls at Camp Olympus in Parksville, which closed its doors in 1988. I hated the job, but I loved the area and its surroundings, along with its rich history. One day, a few of us decided to crash the Raleigh and attempt to use the pool. We were chased off the grounds and almost arrested!


Originally called the Ratner Hotel, The Raleigh is still in business but in an entirely different incarnation.The Raleigh was sold to Hasidic group in 2006 and hosts many school Shabatons, reunions, and Passover Seders. There are even rooms named for Sammy Davis, Jr.! The Nuru Guru club no longer exists, but there is still a childrens' camp on the premises.


I went to a meeting of the Metropolitan Postcard Club on Sunday and became a member in good standing. I was trying to find some vintage Judaica postcards, but they were out of my budget for that day. Maybe next month.