If you have the chance, I HIGHLY recommend the moonlight tour. It was an amazing experience, complete with walking musicians and candle lit access to many of the tombs and mausoleums. Jeff is a wealth of knowledge. The architecture is beyond anything you'll see anywhere else.
I grew up a few blocks from the cemetery, on 41st between 9th-10th ave. 2 blocks shy from the 9th ave. Train station. I loved passing by greenwood stopping and reading the tombs close to the edge of the fence.
I grew up down the street from Greenwood in the 1950's/60's between 4th and 5th avenues. That neighborhood had few playgrounds and no parks. Closest park was Sunset more than a half mile away. In those days there were no graves between the gatehouse and entrance on 5th avenue. We played tackle football on the grass till the gatehouse guy would walk down that loooong driveway to chase us out. We kept coming back and they usually let us be. Late 60's we spent summer days smoking weed in Greenwood, so nice and cool there on a hot summer day. It is a freakin' big, beautiful place. My dad took us for Sunday walks entering at 25th street and walking round to exit at 34th street where went stopped at Mario's Pizzeria. If you ever visit Brooklyn, you gotta check out this place.
Visited Greenwood last week whilst on holiday in NYC. Forget trashy Times Square, head to the beautiful and interesting Greenwood, a fantastic place full of the most interesting history e.g. Did you know the statue of liberty was designed to face the cemetery? You must visit.
Visited NYC and stayed in Brooklyn beginning of the year and visited the cemetery. It was so beautiful and vast. You get a very good city view from the cemetery as well. Initially going to it I thought it was private but we just walked in and no one said anything
I learned how to drive in Greenwood cemetery! Grew up 3 blocks away from the cemetery, My parents and 3 of my siblings, we would go to Mcdonalds on 4th ave, take it to the cemetery, and eat by the pond. I was around 12 years old, and my dad let me get behind the wheel and drive around in the cemetery!
Funny to hear Mr Richman say people would not go to the cemetery (before 2009).... fast forward to April 2020 (in the time of Covid) - suddenly it was extremely popular to visit the cemetery!
We called it Bush Terminal. Run down, working class, mostly Catholic's of Polish and Italian decent and a shit load of PR's. A few Russian and Greeks too. I survived.
My grandfather is interred at this cemetery and I’m kind of freaked out and insulted at the fact that somebody can possibly just be walking around my grandfathers grave or sitting on top of it his grave.
I can dig what you're saying. Having spent many hours tooling round Greenwood from 1950's to 1970's I assure you most folks do not disrespect interred residents. Never seen anybody walk on graves except maybe small children. You do have to pass through the gatehouse to enter and they try to keep the riffraff out. But that fence has got a lotta holes.
