Calvary Cemetery

I finally got a real deal camera (aka not a point-and-shoot and not my iPhone) last week, and I couldn't think of a better place to break it in than a cemetery. I adore cemeteries (the older the better), and I've already been to Woodlawn and Greenwood, in the Bronx and Brooklyn, respectively.

I recently found out about Calvary Cemetery in Queens, and it seemed like the perfect place for a Sunday stroll. The weather was absolutely beautiful this weekend, so Sunday I headed out to Queens via the 7 train. It was a bit of a hike to Calvary, but I definitely didn't mind the sunshine.

Calvary was the first major cemetery to be established outside of Manhattan, and dates back to 1848. It's an enormous spread, especially by New York standards, and I spent a few hours just wandering around, taking it all in. It's definitely the "tallest" cemetery I've ever been to, meaning that most of the headstones are very vertical in nature and a majority have some sort of figure or cross on top.

The hilly landscape makes for sweeping views, and the Manhattan skyline peeking out over the headstones is pretty perfect. I hardly saw anyone on my visit and I love when I feel as if I have a place all to myself. Cemeteries are such beautiful and peaceful places and I find them infinitely fascinating. The designer in me loves the variety in lettering and decoration, and I love the huge expanse of history covered in such a small area.

Calvary has a few mausoleums, but it's definitely the tall headstones that make the most impact. The more vine-covered and crumbling a cemetery is, the more I love it, and although Calvary has its share of decay it's still a very well-kept place. There was also something about the partially snow-covered ground that made the landscape even more striking and I bet it is unbelievably amazing after or during a big snowstorm.

Calvary is definitely my favorite of the New York cemeteries I've been to thus far and I can't think of a better way to spend all of eternity (or at least a sunny Sunday) than in such a peaceful place, with a view that's hard to beat.