A Bronx trifecta

There are bunnies at Woodlawn Cemetery. One ran to the left of me from one patch of shade to another while I walked the grounds. It paused in the shadow of a small bush to look at me before turning to hop away.

It was my third weekend touring the Bronx. The past two weekends I had spent at the New York Botanical Gardens and at the Bronx zoo, respectively. I had originally gone to the Bronx for the orchid show. Thinking the show was at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, I had made plans to meet a friend there until she asked me if I was sure of the show's location. I checked BBG's website; there was no mention of the orchid show. I did a search and found another, lush site for it. I was confused until I checked the address.

I went to the zoo on a whim. A friend had mentioned wanting to go, and I was looking to get out of Manhattan. Our desires convered and we were soon waiting in line, surrounded by children.

The zoo seems to keep getting better. Soon after we entered we were walking the African plains. Peacocks dotted the grounds and we could hear their cries echoed by those of children. We waited for them to fan out their feathers and watched as collective "ooohs" rose from the crowds.

The gorilla forest remains a highlight. We took our time winding our way to the center and waited patiently for the fim. Afterwards, the reveal was as magical as I had remembered and we spent another hour watching the baby gorillas play while the adults watched. They wrestled with each other and beat their chests. One would occasionally come to the window and beat against the glass, thrilling the children who would beat back on the glass. It was almost as if they were giving high-fives to one another.

Saturday was comparably peaceful. I entered the cemetery from the Jerome Avenue entrance. A security guard asked me if I wanted a map. I said yes and he asked if I wanted the free one or the five dollar one. I chose the free one; he laughed and said they were all free, but for some it was ten dollars.

He gave me a map and a brochure and then drove me to the main office to obtain a photography permit. He told me he had been working there for two years. He was a retired cop, as most of the guards were. He told me a lot of them had worked various details together in the past. I told him the cemetery was beautiful.

There were few tourists on the grounds; occasionally I would see a small family tending a site. Near Miles Davis and Duke Ellington, fresh earth had been removed and a few new sites were being prepared. Trees were in bloom; around some stones lay carpets of fallen petals. As I made my way back to the entrance, I passed a small area reserved for children; toys were arranged on the headstones. Faded stuffed animals crouched here and there. A helium balloon hovered close to the ground, watchfully.
Posted by eku at April 27, 2009 8:22 AM