The ferry to Hart Island, visible in background across from City Island in the Bronx
In a city where everything seems to be just at one’s fingertips – from a taxi ride to the hope of a better future – there remain a few mythical places that are just out of grasp. The history of New York City is at the root of this, with centuries of policy that pushed undesirable activities and populations to seemingly distant islands. But as development continued, these islands inched closer and closer to desirable waterfront real estate – both industrial and residential. From Rikers Island, where New York City’s largest jail is, to the numerous abandoned islands, the city is simultaneously feeling the impact of this long, isolationist history and actively continuing to practice some of the same ideas to this day.
Hart Island, New York City’s current potter’s field, or mass burial ground, is one of these places – missing off mass transit maps and rarely thought about. Yet, it contains about a million souls, those who died without known family, means, or burial plans. Under New York State law, next of kin may only have 48 hours to claim their relatives, leading to inadvertent burials on Hart Island.
Like Rikers Island, access can be difficult and cumbersome. That being said, we recently visited the island through a coordinated visit via the New York Adventure Club.
The post Photos: Stepping onto Hart Island, NYC’s Mass Burial Ground first appeared on Untapped Cities.