New York's 'Irish Alps' Await You This St. Paddy's Day

Over the many generations of the late 1800s and early 1900s, a large number of Irish-Americans have made the Northern Catskill Mountains their second home here in Upstate New York. And for good reason!

Like the Jewish families before them (who created the famed and now mostly defunct "Borscht Belt" here), the Irish came for comraderies and fun, sharing cultural ties through music and food, and, like others before them, to escape the mug and heat of a brutal New York City summer. The beautiful scenery and activity of the Catskills became a preferred escape.

What Are New York State's Irish Alps?

Here is a list for you to visit if you choose to come to the Irish Alps this St. Patrick's Day weekend. The Irish Alps of New York are centered around Greene County and there is plenty of festive activity to take part in in the area this St. Patrick's Day weekend. So, grab a friend or pack up the family and road trip on over to the Irish Alps for a weekend you'll remember. On this list, you will find an incredible variety of restaurants, bars, live entertainment venues, and even an oddity known as "The World's Largest Map of Ireland."

Each entry in this gallery is linked directly to the location. Be sure and check all websites for times, locations, event schedules, and menus before "heading up to the Alps"...the Irish Alps that is!

This St. Paddy's Day Visit "The Old Country" in the Catskill's Irish Alps!

The Catskill Mountain region of Upstate New York has been home to different groups from all walks of life over the years. While it was well known that many Jewish families made this their second home over a century ago with cottage communities and glamourous hotels (the famed "Borscht Belt"), it has also been a sort of a homeland for many Irish families from metropolitan New York. Both these groups (and others) chose the Catskills to escape the heat and crowded confines of New York City for a vacation land and place for fun and enjoyment. The Irish Alps are settled around Greene County and the heart of this area is East Durham, New York. This is a gallery of places to check out of you choose to visit the Irish Alps this St. Patrick's Day weekend!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

The Ultimate Guide to 32 Of the Best Upstate New York Irish Pubs

There is nothing quite like a visit to an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day. Here are 32 of Upstate's "greenest" pubs!

There are all kinds of bars. Lounges, sports bars, dance club bars, etc. But there is something so warm and friendly, so old-timey, so "Cheers-like" about an Irish pub. Back in the day the denizens of these friendly places were usually blue collar working men and women who stopped at their neighborhood Irish bar to chat and visit after getting out of the local factory. On weekends the pub was crowded with happy people, our parents and grandparents, enjoying a sip, Bing Crosby on the jukebox, and a bowl of Irish stew.

Today, you are more than likely to find the demographics of an Irish pub a whole lot younger. And that is a good thing.

This gallery looks at 32 of the best Irish pubs in Upstate New York.

See you at one of them for St. Paddy's Day!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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