Urban Cemetery Space Running Out

In crowded New York City, finding a final resting place in one of the city's cemeteries is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. Other major cities are facing the same crunch.

1 minute read

August 16, 2010, 8:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"[I]n the parts of town where a burial plot is still available, the cost has in some cases more than tripled in less than a decade; aboveground mausoleums can fetch upward of $3 million. Cemeteries are scrambling to create more space, and as plot prices have soared, the number of cremations has also risen, with a quarter of New Yorkers choosing the less expensive alternative.

Trinity Church Cemetery in Washington Heights, the last operating graveyard in Manhattan, has stopped selling plots, offering burial only in the most "extraordinary circumstances," or to people with long-held reservations."

Demand for burials plots remains high despite a growing number of people opting for cremation. Cemeteries in New York and other cities are looking at new ways to offer space up to those who still want their bodies six feet under.

FULL STORY: City Cemeteries Face Gridlock

Friday, August 13, 2010 in The New York Times

Land Use Landscape Architecture Social / Demographics World New York New York City Cemeteries Urban Areas Burials View More

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