Monuments at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York
By the way, what strikes you is the rather modest tombstones on the graves of the great Duke Ellington and one of the mayors of New York. In contrast, there are lots of unfamiliar names on the porticos of pompous, ornate buildings designed by famous architects. That's how fate sometimes dispenses fame.
Also astonishing is the well-kept condition of the graves regardless of the burial date, and the neat, trimmed lawns and green meadows. By the way, many of the graves at Woodlawn Cemetery are reburials of remains from old cemeteries that were wiped off the face of New York due to its rapid growth and constant new construction. Here they were able to find long-awaited peace.
You can wander along the paths of Woodlawn for a long time, finding both new and long-familiar names. Ella Fitzgerald, Joseph Pulitzer, and many, many others… All were significant and great in their lifetime. And all turned to dust, like thousands of other strangers who did not achieve such success and fame in life.
And why do such places make you feel so philosophical? Probably it's time to get out of these soothing places and look for more 'optimistic' attractions…
By the way, in cemeteries like Woodlawn, many people look for examples of monuments. All of us, alas, are not eternal, and many over time have to order a monument for a wife, husband, or another loved one. An artistic monument made of granite or marble will become a beautiful token of the memory we hold for a dear person.