A couple of eras coming to their ends

What used to be defining aspects of New York regional culture.

The borscht belt of Catskills resorts

The hotel tummler (pronounced TOOM-ler, with the oo as in look) was often a steppingstone to bigger careers in comedy. Alan King, Danny Kaye, Billy Crystal, Jerry Lewis and Jackie Mason all got their start as tummlers. Others, like Mr. Krohn, 49, never left the mountains, although he makes frequent freelance appearances at nearby Hasidic bungalow colonies or at lavish bar mitzvahs in New Jersey, where his Simon Sez challenge is a big draw. "I like to frustrate spoiled Jewish kids," he said grinning. "They all think they're so smart but no one ever lasts a minute."

Before he was hired at Kutsher's in 1986, he worked at Grossinger's, until that hotel went the way of countless other borscht belt landmarks. Although a handful of big hotels survive, none of the others have a full-time entertainer. "I'm the last of the great tummlers," Mr. Krohn said as he slipped a whoopee cushion beneath the bottom of an unsuspecting guest. "After I go, that's it."

During the apex of Catskill culture in the 1940's, 50's and 60's, as many as 100 hotels employed tummlers, who would work in exchange for room and board and a modest salary. Part resident comic, part activities director, part hotel cheerleader, the tummler - derived from the Yiddish word for noisemaker - was expected to field guest complaints, organize talent shows, jump into the pool fully clothed or dash screaming through the lobby pursued by a knife-wielding chef.

CBGBs

The Landmarks Preservation Committee is considering granting landmark status to the CBGB building or parts of it, which would require the owner of the building to seek the committee's permission before making alterations. But this would have no effect on the eviction.

Landmark Preservation. That would be the saddest end of all for the club.