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Real Estate Hard To Come By When You're Dead
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Aug 15, 2010
Modified Aug 15, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Aug 15, 2010
Modified Aug 15, 2010
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Some prime real estate in New York is becoming more and more scarce. But instead of on 5th Avenue, all these plots are six feet underground. No matter how big the check is, New Yorkers are finding they can't secure grave plots within city limits, and may be forced to spend the rest of eternity in New Jersey. Say it ain't so!
Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn ran out of space last winter, Calvary cemetery in Queens is almost full, and Green-Wood Cemetery says it will run out of plots in about five years. But New Yorkers are still dying at a rate of about 60,000 a year. Richard Fishman, the director of the New York State Division of Cemeteries, said, “There is a serious shrinkage in the available grave space. How many years out for each individual cemetery depends on a number of factors, but space is definitely tight."
For those willing to pony up the cash for everlasting peace in the five boroughs, private mausoleums at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx can cost up to $1,000 per square foot. And though the state passed a law a few years back allowing cemeteries to take over empty plots purchased over 75 years ago, the city is not considering evicting current "tenants" for the sake of new ones. Dominick Tarantino of Washington Cemetery said, "We have had bribes offered, sure. But we have nothing to be bribed for. We have no room."
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Jaya Saxena
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