You’re reading Summer in the City, our limited-edition newsletter that rounds up the best things to do in New York City during the hottest season of the year. Sign up here to get future editions delivered to your inbox.

The Game Plan

What to do

Picture this: On nearly 500 acres of rolling green, footpaths meander around glacial ponds. Tree boughs relax into the yawning landscape, shading a collection of curious marble sculptures. And what’s that you hear? Silence.

This is the magical slice of scenery you’ll find at Green-Wood Cemetery (yes, cemetery) in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

While touring a burial ground might be a new activity for you, this place has been a destination for visitors since its founding in 1838. At that time, graveyards were typically cramped spaces attached to churches; Green-Wood, by contrast, was designed to be a peaceful retreat. It succeeded so marvelously that the cemetery inspired Central Park, Prospect Park and even Llewellyn Park in New Jersey, the country’s first planned suburb.