Bayside Cemetery

Established in the mid-19th century in Ozone Park, Bayside Cemetery was once a stately burial ground for New York’s Jewish community before it fell into disrepair.

Now an urban forest encloses one section of the cemetery and other parts are neglected, with vandalism having been a serious problem in recent decades, including the desecration of remains and destruction of mausoleums. However, volunteers are working to preserve and restore the historic cemetery, which has a quiet, rural beauty in the shadow of the rumbling A train tracks, where foliage flourishes and lizards crawl over the solemn tombstones.