“We want it to be a respectful place that’s peaceful for families to come and visit … we don’t view it as a public park in the sense that you’re not going to come here for a picnic or to throw a football around,” said urban park ranger Michael Whitten, who provides public tours on the island. A “remembrance” walk at the site is also in the works, alongside the preservation of the island’s 90-year-old chapel as a “ruin” and a permanent home for a touchstone monument honoring victims of “global pandemics” – which is temporarily placed at a gazebo area near the island entrance. “The future of Hart Island reflects the future of our city,” said urban park ranger Fi Whalen, “how we take care of the people that are buried here going forward, and how we take care of all the loved ones that are coming to visit them here should be a priority, because it’s New Yorkers.”
Author: Nicole Rosenthal
Published at: 2025-05-18 21:47:48
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