My uncle was sent off very respectfully. Rabbi was amazing. This place is extremely nice and worth it. Has everything. I highly recommend this spot. Everything went smoothly. read more

Riverside Memorial Chapel - Funeral Services & Cemeteries Near Me - New York, New York

From when I prepaid for the funeral for my uncle years ago to the funeral arrangements this place was perfection in my book. Every person I dealt with was incredibly compassionate and did their job effectively. I had a lot of questions in my distress and they helped me through it beautifully. They also handled my mom's funeral and that was wonderful as well. read more

Beautiful chapel. The staff and procedures are extremely organized, which is so important when families and friends need to be able to focus on the loved one. Very comforting experience. read more

My father died in Oct. 2021, It is now Nov. 2022 and his Memorial Bronze still has not gone into production. The communication about this bronze has been extremely poor. If I do not followup about progress, no progress is made and nobody contacts me. I sent a corrected sketch back in July and heard nothing for over 2 months until I contacted them in September asking for an update. 2 days later, I was told "I will reach out to the bronze manufacturer and see what's taking the revision so long, usually it only takes a couple of days." 6 days passed and again, nobody contacted me until I contacted them to find out what is going on. This was in September. The estimated production time on this Bronze has also changed from 10-12 weeks, to a latest of 6 months. It is now November and nothing has gone any further. It still is not in production and we still have no update about approval from the cemetery. We also continue to have to repeatedly contact Riverside to get a response. And, to this date, I still have not received one apology. read more

From the first time I spoke with Angela (who opened a file for my dad "just in case") to the very next morning when my dad passed and AnnMarie took the reins, my experience with the Dignity Memorial family couldn't have been better or more comforting. AnnMarie is such a pro in every way -- she was able to expertly field the crazy curve balls that kept getting thrown at us and expertly navigated me through a convoluted, potentially terrible situation with our family burial plot. Having her by my (virtual) side from the moment I learned my dad had passed at 6:00 in the morning to the burial the next day was an enormous help and that kept me confident in the knowledge that things were being handled and I could focus on other pressing matters. I could not recommend Dignity Memorial/Riverside Memorial Chapel more strongly -- they are sincerely kind, caring, compassionate professionals whose , knowledge, dedication and expertise, significantly lighten the very real burden of trying to plan a funeral/burial when you're overcome with sadness and emotions. I will be forever grateful for the assistance and kind care. read more

Caring and comprehensive, with great attention to honoring the deceased. Expensive, but worth every bit of it. Professional staff

In early August 2023, we called Dignity Memorial, Riverside's affiliated monument company, about creating a headstone; spoke to Crystal. She said I needed to speak to Robert. Also, they have to contact cemetery to get info on cemetery's standards & procedures. They took our info over the phone & said they'd call back about next steps. No call for a month. In early September, called again to ask status. Robert answered, said I should speak to Crystal, she's out today, call back in a couple of days to see if maybe she's received the info. 2 days later, Crystal says it often takes cemeteries a long time to get back to them (??! Isn't this standard info that can be dropped into an email or envelope in 30 seconds? But I don't know the cemetery business, so OK.) End of September, call again. Spoke to another person, same story about cemeteries/long time. I understand cemetery has no motivation (other than common human decency) to act immediately -- I mean, what are we going to do, take our business elsewhere? But nearly 2 months is enough. (Are there unknown politics in the cemetery monument industry? OK, but it's Dignity's job to deal w/cemeteries effectively.) She said Robert needs to send us paperwork. So why didn't he send it when I spoke with him 2 months ago? Nobody knows. Crystal's not available, she'll call me back (she didn't). I then called the cemetery (Woodlawn) to see what the problem was. Person on phone was very informative & helpful; she said cemetery does have a procedure for new installation by monument companies, but 2 months does seem excessive. She offered to send me a list of companies they've dealt with in the past, but didn't say they won't work w/others. I don't know what Dignity's problem is: Are there no centralized records, do staff not talk to each other, are they just incompetent, are they so busy they don't have time to take on new customers (but then they should just tell me, not string me along for 2 months)? I'm now going through that list, but I'll remember the indignity Dignity Memorial put me through. read more

My dad died last week and we held his service on Sunday afternoon at Riverside Memorial. A testament to how lovely and wonderful they are is that I am taking the time to write this review. They took beautiful care of us, dad's big crazy family, and I am so thankful. Thank you Riverside Memorial for making something so heartbreaking as easy and peaceful as possible read more

I'm not familiar with funeral homes (other than Forrest lawn where I've been to many funerals, alas)but the arrangements for my family member seemed to go on schedule and with a minimum of problems (I think). The driver of the limo which took me and some of the "A list (close family)mourners was not only friendly, he flirted with me, but actually that relieved some of the tension, if not the sadness. It's a business and I think they are as good as any. read more

On May 1 we attended a funeral at Riverside Memorial Chapel. It was the kind of funeral one hopes never to have to attend. It was for a child in his early twenties. Not surprisingly the main room was full. A few hung out near the doors. There were several people in the hallway. There were many people in the chapel and a small number near the chapel doors. Unfortunately, Riverside failed. The problem was that the sound system in the main room did not function properly. The first two at the podium were heard and understood. The third speaker was heard, but was not completely understood. I know he has a powerful voice. I assume he did not use his full power because he was relying on the sound system. For all the other speakers very few people in the back 1/2 or 2/3 of the main room could hear and understand what was being said. We know this was true because time after time there was laughter from the front and dead silence in the back. We caught less than 1/3 of what was said. Sometimes not a single word was intelligible in a whole passage. Toward the end I went out and spoke to two Riverside staff. One, an older man, repeated how sorry he was. He said there was nothing they could do. They would not adjust the mic. The second man smiled and said the he could hear quite well in the hallway which was true but irrelevant. They asked a younger staff member for help. He was concerned if he turned up the back speakers there would be feedback. The second man's smile and reaction rejected the reports of several people given directly to him including by me and at least four others. The Riverside staff person was blaming us for not hearing. Riverside did not fulfill its commitment to the family, the young man's classmates and all of the friends, coworkers and many supporters in the main room. read more

When my father died we paid for a Shomer and he was only there for a short time instead of the entire time until burial....Also, the young staff was in the room next door when my brother and I were sitting over our father and you could here the loud laughter from the nearby room. You do not want your loved one under their care!!!! read more

My mother's funeral was last Tuesday March 9th. We road to the gravesite in the 2nd limousine and the driver was beyond terrible. On the way to the gravesite he drove recklessly and refused to turn off the heat. On the way from the gravesite to my brothers house he drove beyond reckless. He was in a hurry and how no regard for our safety. read more

Riverside took magnificent care of my family when our mother suddenly passed away in Madrid 9 years ago. The Chapel was wonderful in every way and sensitive towards our needs as a Catholic family. Everything was beautifully addressed and taken care of. You are in better than good hands. read more

My father-in-law passed away in California, and has a burial plot in New York. Based on past good experiences from other family members, we tried to coordinate using Riverside. But we found the people who we dealt with their were rude and brusque, and according to our local funeral home, unwilling to work with them in the customary way of doing these things. We ultimately went elsewhere. Part of our difficulty might have been the fact that it was 1pm on Friday, just before they close for Shabbat, but I think in any business, and especially funeral homes, a little kindness goes a long way. All of this is just my opinion, of course. read more

I think the reputation of this place must be a holdover from many years ago. A friend from out of town recommended this play and I found that our family was treated like a nuisance. never saw the same person twice and when I asked for the manager to reigster a complaint with the attitude of the staff, was told he was "too busy" to see us. We went ahead with the funeral because my aunt was already there in the building and we didn't want to move her again. But NEVER again. read more

Over the years I have attended many services here. The chapel and building are certainly impressive,however, I wouldn't go as far as to call it the most prestigious firm ever to serve the Jewish community in the city. The Berliners,Rothschilds, and Meyers families , just to mention a few, did not exactly operate dumps. True, the Riverside was the first specifically designed to accommodate a crowd as a Memorial Chapel. As for the Chevra Kadisha---- there is no way to measure the kindness provided by those who attend to the dead, so, to our people there is no such thing as "prestigious". We are honored to serve. There are those who disparage Riverside because of its affiliation with a large funeral service corporation, however, in all fairness, Riverside was a part of a large corporation (Kinney) years before the current corporation bought them. And, as such, are geared to handle some extremes in volume. So, sure, there are going to be some glitches and inconsistencies, just like any other business. Nobody wants that to happen especially at such a sensitive time. A special thank you to people such as Charles Salomon and Marty Kasdan. They have given much great service to many. read more

It's been almost 20 years since my mother died. I found the woman who handled the arrangements for her funeral at Riverside - I think her name was Alma? - rude and hostile. When I was trying to give her information for talking to the cemetery in the town where my mother was to be buried while she was on the phone with them (she was being imperious with them) she put her hand over the mouthpiece and said something about did I want to have someone else handle matters. I would have said yes but my brother liked her because she deferred only to him. The big room is beautiful but I don't know why someone would want to upset another person who just lost a loved one. I hope it is under new management by now. read more

OK, I saw terrible reviews so felt I needed to give a decent one. I went here for a funeral of a close relative. I was not involved in the arrangements but got there a few minutes early. They were super courteous. They were caring. When the family arrived they were very attentive to all of us. The service was very nice and so was the facilities. I know that a funeral is not a great occasion and feel maybe some of the reviews given were tough because of a loss in the family that causes stress. I just think that the place was very nice and professional. read more

When my aunt died suddenly last month, my mom and I came to New York to manage funeral logistics so that we could take that unpleasant task off my cousins' plates. We only had two parameters going into this: we knew we needed to move quickly, and that the funeral home needed to be on the Upper West Side. We walked into Riverside in a bit of a rush, and I have to admit that we didn't have high expectations given the mixed bag of Yelp reviews. In short: insofar as planning a funeral can be a positive experience, this definitely was. (And that's *really* saying something.) We worked with a handful of different staff members, and every single one was compassionate, respectful, attentive, and skilled. They were able to work with our short timeline for a viewing, service, and cremation, and every step of the process went smoothly. They took excellent care of my late aunt, and were so very kind to my cousins in their time of grief. My mom, in particular, was impressed: she worked for many years as an Episcopal minister, so she (unfortunately) has a lot of experience with funeral homes. In her experience, there's almost always a major problem with either the staff or the logistics. This is the one place she's dealt with that not only lacked problems, but was staffed by highly competent, caring people who got the job done well. We feel grateful to have found them. read more

My mother recently passed away and her body body was under the care of Riverside Memorial. I wanted my my mother's funeral to take place on a Saturday, but Riverside could not provide services on a Saturday due to sabbath. They were nice enough to coordinate with the Walter B. Cooke Funeral Home who were able to provide services on a weekend. Sherry (Riverside) and Mary (Walter B. Cooke) were bother very compassionate and kind during my loss and I owe them a great deal of thanks. They both helped me arrange a nice and affordable graveside service. Mary made sure to follow up with me a week after the burial to make sure I was okay. I highly recommend both of their services. read more

Our family experienced an unspeakably horrible tragedy: the death of my 9 year-old nephew, who was killed by a reckless cab driver. Riverside handled the services with great tact and organizational skills. There were no awkward moments or accidentally tasteless comments, as we experienced at the cemetery. Because of the nature of the tragedy, we even received a discount, which we did not ask for. We worked with Caroline. Recommend highly as a way to get through something terrible. read more

I cannot believe how gracious and competent the staff were to my wife and I in planning a funeral service for my wife's father. They assisted us in selecting an appropriate venue for the viewing and ceremony and were totally professional. There were no hidden costs or fees . Everything was up front for us to decide what we wanted . The ceremonies went off from beginning to end without a hitch. Everyone was kind and courteous . I would recommend Riverside without hesitation. read more

my sister recommended this place because of it's reputation, but we were completely disappointed by the service we got for my family member's service. you never deal with the same person. The person we talked to first was not Jewish (which was OK..but we never saw another Jewish employee.) but she was faking her sincerity and that was obvious. Someone who they said was the manager was never there. My family spoke on the telephone to a gentleman named Walter who seemed like he was laughing with other people in the background. If it wasn't for my sister, we would of gone someplace else. Don't make the mistake of thinking that Riversiides Memorial Chapels will be kind when your family is grieving. shame. read more

This is the best venue in NYC for a funeral/memorial service. We reserved the gothic chapel for my mother's service, and Ann the funeral director couldn't have been nicer or more helpful (the whole staff for that matter). The space is GORGEOUS and they will guide you through this very difficult time with ease. read more

They did an awesome job! So easy and nice. They made sure everything moved smoothly day of and recommended amazing vendors to help with the service. High recommended! read more

Dreadful, rude "funeral director." they did not give any indication of prices upfront. They did not do the services for which I was billed: eg, they told me to call the cemetery for directions, to call the cemetery myself to find out details, to correctly spell my mother's name on the death certificate. The name on the death certificate was improperly spelled and they told me to "do them a favor and correct it myself." they charged a fortune for no services except snide, disrespectful attitude. read more

Whatever you do, try not to die near the Riverside Memorial Chapel. We attended a friend's funeral there and were appalled by the treatment we got as guests. The personnel at the door were rude and the whole service was perfunctory and over in under a half hour. After the service, we were rushed out the door as we were trying to say goodbye to relatives. read more

Riverside Memorial Chapel promptly and responsibly handled the early morning retrieval of my friend's body and quickly prepared for and sensitively attended the identification of the body. Mr. Klier, the funeral director, was professional in all respects. He could not have made it easier to get through this sad task. Additionally, I note that the prices were better than the other Major Manhattan funeral services we consulted. read more

I was at a funeral at Riverside yesterday, and the whole thing was rush, rush, rush. The family was even told to limit their eulogies in order to save time. I thought a funeral service is supposed to be all about the deceased and about comforting the mourners! When my aunt passed away, Plaza Jewish Community Chapel was recommended to me. The people there were kind and patient. They took care of everything. Her funeral was not one of an "assembly-line" that I saw at Riverside. Our family and guests were not rushed out. Also, Plaza is a community service and not profit-driven. There is the difference. read more

My grandfather passed away just a year after his wife, and my family used Riverside again just so that we knew what to expect and how they work. I didn't deal with the directors and planners in terms of finances or arrangements, but I did want to update to say (Although this update does come a year and a half late) that the funeral director we had for his funeral was much kinder than the previous one. Felt much more at ease with his direction, and he was much more courteous and sympathetic than the one we had for my grandmother's funeral. It no longer felt like an assembly line. It felt like he wanted to help us hold an appropriate service and mourn without feeling rushed out. Very much appreciated. read more