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I've been casually researching condominiums, and I found that some of them are very close to cemeteries, like on the same block or within 1/4 of a mile. Maybe that's not true for most people, but I'm just not comfortable with that. It's, well... kind of depressing. I realize that no one lives forever, I just prefer not to be reminded about it whenever I leave home and again when I return. Or even worse, having it right in front of my eyes outside my window.
I suppose it's kind of different with historic cemeteries or inactive military cemeteries, where no new deceased are being buried. Which likens them to very serious museums, rather than burial sites. But functioning modern cemeteries don't always have the graceful aesthetics of historic ones, which dampens the depressing part. Or the stone walls, which mask the cemetery altogether, and give it sense of mystery without taking things into the paranormal territory.
I suppose the same can be said about venues like memorials for the Holocaust or POW MIA's. There's a Holocaust museum in Skokie, IL, and a high-rise glass-and-steel condominium went up nearby not too long ago. I may be Jewish, but I wouldn't feel comfortable living there, either, for obvious reasons. In fact, when I was in Yad VaShem Museum (a Holocaust memorial) in Jerusalem, the tour guide said to the group: "If this museum feels sad to you, it should. It's as close to a cemetery as these people will ever have." (Jewish religion places very high importance on having proper resting places for the deceased.)
How do others on City-Data feel? OK, depressing, or something else?
I chose the something else. The something else is to consider if it appears to be a hangout for kids or others. Other than that, I don't consider it to be depressing, we all die sometime. I enjoy cemeteries, especially some of the really old ones. There was a really old cemetery behind a restaurant we used to go to that had some interesting markers from the Civil War and even earlier.
The only other thing that might concern you is how frequently burials are and do they impact your getting out. This not only applies to cemeteries but parks as well. There is a park in South Carolina called James Island Park that every Christmas has the festival of lights. Unfortunately for residents in the immediate area that means they can't access their house between 4:30 and whatever time they close and everyone leaves.
Yes - this, too. I used to babysit for a funeral director, so their home was attached to the funeral parlor. Didn't bother me at all, and their kids would chase each other around between the display caskets.
In small towns, the funeral home is usually the nicest house in town. Some friends and I were talking recently about whether we'd consider buying a house that used to be a funeral home, and I said I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm a sucker for older houses, and if I get a deal because everyone else is squicked out - even better!
And it probably has a few awesome refrigerators, just in case you need an extra....
My parents moved to Las Vegas when my Dad retired. They lived not too far from the airport. At the end of the runway, there was a street. On the other side of the street was a cemetery. We would see planes take off flying right over the cemetery and I once commented to my husband, "Well, at least the residents (of the cemetery) won't complain about all the airport noise". In other words, the perfect place for a cemetery!
I've been casually researching condominiums, and I found that some of them are very close to cemeteries, like on the same block or within 1/4 of a mile. Maybe that's not true for most people, but I'm just not comfortable with that. It's, well... kind of depressing. I realize that no one lives forever, I just prefer not to be reminded about it whenever I leave home and again when I return. Or even worse, having it right in front of my eyes outside my window.
I suppose it's kind of different with historic cemeteries or inactive military cemeteries, where no new deceased are being buried. Which likens them to very serious museums, rather than burial sites. But functioning modern cemeteries don't always have the graceful aesthetics of historic ones, which dampens the depressing part. Or the stone walls, which mask the cemetery altogether, and give it sense of mystery without taking things into the paranormal territory.
I suppose the same can be said about venues like memorials for the Holocaust or POW MIA's. There's a Holocaust museum in Skokie, IL, and a high-rise glass-and-steel condominium went up nearby not too long ago. I may be Jewish, but I wouldn't feel comfortable living there, either, for obvious reasons. In fact, when I was in Yad VaShem Museum (a Holocaust memorial) in Jerusalem, the tour guide said to the group: "If this museum feels sad to you, it should. It's as close to a cemetery as these people will ever have." (Jewish religion places very high importance on having proper resting places for the deceased.)
How do others on City-Data feel? OK, depressing, or something else?
My mother would have loved to live next to a cemetery. That's where her and friends would all hang out in their free time. LOL!
Me, personally, I'd be concerned it would have an effect on property value, for those who are a little more superstitious than me. My actual thought "well that means I can only have one loud neighbor..."
There was an enormous cemetery where we used to live. A friend visited us from a distance a couple of times a year and stayed with us. We always went with her to visit her mom's grave site. Somehow it always worked out that we wound up going in the dark. Didn't give it a thought except it was a little harder to find the site. At that time there was not a fence all the way around the cemetery and we knew just where to park and walk on in there. The site was actually very near the entry point. We all said a few words, shared a couple of memories, left the visitor alone a bit and then were on our way.
Another time, we lived in an area that at one time was settled by people who came over from England. The lots at that time were required to be no less than 15 acres. Loved that. So we got curious about the history and met an older lady who loved to research local history. She did a great job. We shared the info with neighbors. We were surprised to see on the lady's map, a cemetery. We explored and found it. As we stood by it, another neighbor pulled up on the road and asked what we were doing. We hadn't met him before. We told him we were looking at the cemetery. He shouted that there was no cemetery. We said yes, we had research done and , hey, what about these tombstones and fence around it all. I don't know if he was more shocked or angry. We invited him to join us and he just shook his head fast and sped off.
Then we moved to the 5 acres or more area. At the end of a road was a new neighbor, a woman who had once indicated she would love the history of the area. Nice woman, grand home, she was thinking of bringing it up at a party she was planning. She was all excited about it until falling leaves behind her home revealed her very own cemetery. And then we showed up with the paperwork on the history. She was furious at the developer and builder for not telling residents about cemeteries in the nearby area and she planned to move.
"How do others on City-Data feel? OK, depressing, or something else?"
we live between TWO cemeteries. both of them Baptist Churches. one member got mad at the other and they split.
well, except for the High School kids on Halloween....it is REAL quiet around here. like....nobody.
so: how do we feel?
1. rested. cemeteries do not disturb our sleep.
2. safe. it appears that thieves avoid cemetery approximates.
3. proud. lots of veterans lie there, including the Civil War.
My aunt lived across from a cemetery when I was a kid and my siblings and I thought it was cool. Today, I think it would be ok, because you wouldn't have any annoying, loud or nosy neighbors that way.
Would a guy want to live near the cemetery that his nagging mom-in-law is buried at? Doubtful.
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