I just got the new issue of The Arch (are you surprised I’m on the mailing list for a cemetery?), and it lists John Cashman’s walking tours of Brooklyn’s lovely Green-Wood Cemetery for this spring and summer. I want to go on the tour that includes the grave of Florence LaBadie, so I e’d them to find out what day that will be.
Anyone interested? Tours are on Sundays at 1:00. They last about two hours and involve some sprightly hiking.
that does sound interesting. i find the walking tours of laurel hill here in philly rather interesting.
depends on which sunday…
Eve if I were near I would so be there. I love walking around old cemeteries. All that history. All that local lore and legend. All those used condoms to avoid walking on! 
Seriously, this would be a cool err…jake (Rue is teaching me to talk) dope thing to do.
Once I tell TruePisces she will be so there!
And this is why you check after your fiancee uses your side of the computer. We are definitely for it.
Oh and rc could you send us the info on the Philly Laurel Hill walks?
I think it would be very nice, especially with the weather, but there is no way in Hell I’m walking for two hours straight.
Have fun. Mayhaps I’ll meet you some other time, Eve.
Eve, provided it’s not this weekend or next, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I’ve always wanted to go to Green-Wood and never made it - despite living in Park Slope for three years. So this is a must.
Gorgon, I rather doubt “sprightly walking” means two hours without rest - I mean, if that were the case we’d wind up in Nassau County. (Or we would if I were leading it. A friend of mine once said to me, “You don’t go on walks - you go on forced marches.”) So, Eve, how much really is involved?
This weekend, she ees no good for me. My seester, she ees haveeng bebee showair. I am being UncleTrout now too, yes?
But beyond that: sounds like fun! Yes!
Well there is that, Oxy. Depending on when this happens and assuming it isn’t a “forced march” we might make a family outing.
I ain’t promisin’ nothin’ yet, though.
No, no, we’re talking sometime in April, May or June. Specifically: April 13 or 27; May 4, 11, 18 or 25; and June 1, 8, 15 or 22. I still haven’t heard back from them, so I may just call the tour guide and ask which day takes in the LaBadie grave.
Gorgon, it’s about two hours of strolling up and down (gentle) hills. You stop every few minutes to “ooh-ah” over some sculptural gravesite.
Ooo! I’m so there! And the Sprout can ride in his backpack!
May 11 is bad for me. It’s also mothers day, so it may be a bad day for a lot of folks.
Congrats on your impending niece or nephew, GrandfatherTrout.
So far this has indeed been Dopefest Thread of the Damned, at least, for me. Every time I’ve tried to post, the server, or my computer, or something has hiccuped or crashed or something. If this goes through, I fear what else will happen out there in the non-virtual world.
Anyway, chasing around dead folks with Eve – I’m there in a heartbeat.
(Oh, and congrats, GranduncleTrout. Unclehood is fun.)
Mom: “You’re driving me to an early grave!”
You: “Funny you should say that . . .”
And then when we’re done, we could all go take a dip at the Sunset Park public pool a few short blocks away. Especially if we’d like to make a contribution to the Green-Wood Cemetery. Not me, I’d make sure to wear my bulletproof bikini.
This sounds pretty cool. Lets do it befor it becomes too hot though or in other words befor late June.
Hey, I live right down the street from Greenwood. Lemme know if you’re gonna do it. Perhaps drinks @ Graceland are called for after…
I understand Bill the Butcher is buried in there.
I’ve done several of Cashman’s G-WC tours. There are about 4 or 5 different ones; each covers a different section. If you can only do just one, I suggest tour #1.
As for the walking, it is absolutely no strain for any reasonably mobile adult. It’s more like 15 minutes of walking and 1hr and 45mins of listening to the retired Irish cop tell the history of all the dead guys. Cashman is a classic, old school NYC character. He fills out the tales with photos and engravings and a many (sometimes dubious) facts and statistics.
All in all, a BOFFO way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Let me know the go-date, and I’ll try to make it.
The booklet doesn’t number them, so I don’t know which “number one” is . . . I’ve also been on one–my luck, I’ll go in the same one again.
april 27th might be a bit tough, although walking through a graveyard on pascha does have quite the irony.
verrain, laurel hill is the graveyard you see on the river drives. some of the monuments are amazing, and some of the “dead people appartments” (a name my wee cousin came up with) have tiffany stain glass.
info on the way.
I live 10 blocks from Green-Wood and I’ve never been there either. If I’m in town, I’ll be there.