A recent article in the Wall St. Journal by Anne Marie Chaker reported an uptick in an unexpected area of real estate; cemetary plots! As if the recession hasn’t ruined enough people’s plans in this life, it now seems to be disrupting the hereafter as well. Cemeteries and funeral-property Web sites report a burgeoning marketplace for the sale of burial plots by individuals, many of which have been in families for years. As times get tough, they are now being liquidated to make ends meet. The apparent increase in sellers of cemetery plots has to do with more than just economic necessity. Changes in how people live and wish to be buried also play a role. Increased mobility means individuals may no longer live near a family plot and would rather sell off unused spaces. And growing acceptance of cremation as an alternative to burial means people realize they may have no need for previously purchased in-ground plots. Plots sell quickest and cost the most in places where people tend to retire—such as Florida, Arizona, Texas and Southern California.

Move over Bloomberg, there’s a new billionaire in town, and he’s just as old, white and male. His big plans include bringing subway fares down to a nickel by including cattle and bulk freight transportation through our underground system. Don’t ask questions, it just makes sense! And who can naysay his plan to sell Staten Island to New Jersey?
from the gothamist.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdgjy123eJM

The New York City Landmarks Preservation today voted unanimously to approve the designations of Horton’s Row on Staten Island, a group of four, rare single-family rowhouses on Staten Island, citing their distinctive architecture and important roles in the history of housing in New York City. Horton’s Row is comprised of four rarowhouses at 411, 413, 415 and 417 Westervelt avenues between Scribner and Corson avenues in Tompkinsville, located in northeastern Staten Island. They were constructed between 1880 & 1882, and were originally part of 12 identical attached masonry rowhouses that were built as affordable rental housing for middle-class families, but were converted to multi-family flats around 1901. The rowhouses were developed by Harry L. Horton, a successful banker and broker who also constructed and operated water plants on Staten Island, and was the president of the village of New Brighton.
The row was considered an anomaly, not only because most dwellings constructed in the 19th century on Staten Island were single-family frame houses, but also because it’s built on a slope with each building rising higher than the other, creating a stepped pattern.