OK so let me first start off by saying that my stepmother who we loved and cherished passed away…read morethe evening before so I called East End funeral home at 5:48p in the evening to find out what time they close because we are interested in coming down to find out about their services. The gentleman that answered the phone asked me what did I want then cleaned it up and said what do you need and kept cutting me off when I proceeded to ask him a question or two and basically seemed like he had no time - just very rude and at that point I said you know what never mind and hung the phone up it's just like customer service so important and in that business it's even more so and he, representing the business, proved to be unprofessional at the initial stage - a phone call - did I really want to put my loved one in the hands of people that can't show some compassion with even the phone call? Very disappointing during a very sad time for my family -

They are so kind and compassionate during the time of a families grief and loss…read more 5 stars because of their professionalism and respect

In a very trying and painful time for our family, our experience with Farenga Brothers was a…read morecomforting one. I was not able to personally manage any of the details of our son's funeral. My family worked with them to make sure that we were able to honor our child the way we wanted. The staff at Farenga was very helpful and above all, understanding and kind. These qualities were so important in this difficult time, where all we could do was grieve. We were so distraught and in a lot of pain that I was dreading our baby's funeral. It was something I never imagined I would have to do. However, the funeral service was a beautiful moment of peace. I didn't expect to feel this way yet it was the perfect way to pay respect and honor our baby's physical body and the amount of love he brought to all of our lives. I truly wouldn't have been able to experience this without my family and Farenga. I am extremely grateful for their genuine care and understanding, in particular Sal and Lisa, who I had the pleasure of interacting with directly. Whilst I wish we could all avoid going through the loss of a loved one, if you ever find yourself in this darkness, I highly recommend reaching out to Farenga Brothers. Their service has the human element which can be hard to find nowadays. And this is what makes all the difference. It did for us and I pray it does for you as well.

It is no wonder that this establishment has been serving us for so many years. My mom's final wish…read more40 years ago was that I not allow anyone other than Farenga Bros. to take care of her remains. Respect, compassion, dignity and empathy is given to families by the entire staff. Thank you for being there for so many members of my family. Professionalism and comfort at its best is what Farenga Bros. Is all about.

Now known as the Hodder Farenga Funeral Home, we recently had a very good experience with Nick…read moreFarenga and team. Hodder Farenga came recommended from a local community group. We met with Nick, discussed what was desired in our family member's funeral, and he guided us to explore the different options. While difficult, Nick made it as easy as anyone could possibly make it, and did not attempt to influence our decisions one way or another. He simply presented the options and allowed us to decide. Once done, he prepared a detailed quote. While their full service funeral service is not inexpensive and there may be less expensive options, we found that Nick and team managed every element of the process and ceremonies very well and were professional from start to finish. We have no regrets and recommend Nick and team at Hodder Farenga Funeral Home.

This place is run by a crook. Nick Farenga should be ashamed of himself. He comes off so nice but…read moreis a vulture. We were mourning the death of my mother in law, it's stressful and who has the mind to think? Everything here is over priced. And things on the bill are repeated just worded differently, so ur basically paying for the same services a few times. But not only that, you pay over $3k for things such as supervision and for someone to direct the guests, that wasn't done, everyone was walking in the wrong direction causing traffic in the room. They also asked us which flower arrangements we wanted to keep after all is said and done, we told them which arrangements and we put it on a side table and they promised to set it aside to pick up after the funeral. Well that wasn't the case, the next day when we called to let them know we were picking them up, we learned that they sold our flower arrangements back to the other florists they work with. He then told us he would replace them but he never did. They return your phone calls before they get your money, but once you pay, your on your own. There was only one person that was a good guy and that was Carl. Everyone else there is disgusting. They are patronizing and condescending and don't give a crap about people that are mourning Bc it's something they do everyday, they are like robots. Oh and on top of it he said he would take off $200 off the bill, because the hair and makeup charges were over $500 which is ridiculous... when it was time to pay he didn't take it off the bill, instead Nick played stupid as if he was going to do it at the end...we had him recalculate everything Bc the total was way above what we agreed on. We made him break it all down. then he adjusted to the correct number. Then he just took $125 off the over calculated bill. We were so tired and stressed that it wasn't even worth arguing at that point. Beware of this place. Make sure you do your research on prices before you shop around. We chose that place Bc of the location, wasn't even worth it. Nick Farenga your a disgusting pig.

Used this funeral home in 2013 when my mom passed as it was affordable and received excellent…read moreservice. Then in 2019 when my uncle passed we went back thinking we'd get the same quality service we received before, boy was I wrong. The moment we walked in we were met by pure ratchetness. Dudes that looked like they belong elsewhere eating wings and a so called funeral director (not the same one I dealt with in 2013) just as ghetto. No tact no empathy. I requested a change of casket since the one my cousin chose wasn't up to par and I was told it couldn't be done bc allegedly the body was already in the casket which I suspect wasn't true. Finally the morning of the burial they were over an hour late to pick him up and go to the cemetery. No reason given just kept telling us they were on the way. Unless this place has changed management and staff in the last 7yrs I would not use this place. I'd rate them no stars but that's not possible.

I was pretty much in shock when I contacted First Avenue Funeral Service in October from another…read morestate to make arrangements for a funeral. From the start they were compassionate, gentle and kind. There was no attempt made to upsell their services. They quickly took possession of my brother before I arrived in New York and it was a comfort to my family that he was no longer in the city morgue while I flew out to NY. They made the entire process of his wake and cremation as simple and gentle as possible. Mr. Lee was the one who prepared my brother for viewing. Mr. Lee is an artistic genius, due to throat cancer my brother did not look as he once did but Mr. Lee worked a miracle and despite the circumstances of his death my brother looked as if he had just settled down for a nap on my sofa. I half expected his ankles to be crossed as was his habit in life. While searching for a funeral home I found out that the one my family traditionally used was having legal issues over quality and was forced to look elsewhere to arrange funeral services. I'd contacted several funeral homes before deciding to go with FAS due to their location and was surprised to find that they were the least expensive out of all the funeral homes I'd contacted. They were budget friendly without being skimpy. Located in an area with several funeral homes, they are small, not so flashy and easily overlooked but they provide wonderful service and are kind and compassionate. I highly recommend them and will use them again should the need arise.

Very disappointed over my experience with the Staff at Granby. Everytime I met with staff it…read moreseamed we always seemed to be starting over even when a detailed plan was created. Service was non supported amd rushed, Hearst driver was in a speed race to the cemetery and leaving messages to speak with someome seemed futile was business concluded. I hoped and prayed for better from Black Owned business but was left disappointed. We can do better!

My experience with Granby's funeral home was nothing short of amazing on the day of my father's…read morefuneral. Ms. Augusto was so compassionate, proactive and welcoming to all of our guests. Vivian, Mrs. Granby, Rev. Granby all help to ensure that this sad hearted occasion turned out lovely. I really appreciate the team and wanted to take time out to say this place was lovely, the services provided was quality and an A+. Thank you so much for making last Saturday a memorable homegoing for my dad. I certainly recommend this funeral home. the affordability, the team, the venue, the services rendered- of great value. Thank you. Latoya N,

This is a classy, professional and family run business. I went here for a family member's funeral…read more(and cremation) in 2025; we also hosted the repast here. The young man from the funeral home who directed our loved one's service played the piano and sang like a pro--he was gracious, empathetic, and quietly dignified. They took extra care to find a preacher from my relative's country to lead the services--that was such a thoughtful touch. Please move away from money grubbing funeral homes like the one in Canarsie that everyone goes to -- they don't care about you nor your family member. Harmony proves that you can provide an important service to your community without emotionally nor financially blackmailing families to pay for unnecessary costs. Their prices are extremely fair and their service and attention to detail is top-notch.

Went for my friend's mother's funeral. They did a lovely job from start to finish. They do offer…read morevalet and they also have an area for the repass. They took care of everything for my friend and her family with care and ease.

Sadly I was here for my cousin's funeral services. Staff was…read morevery was friendly. The rooms have alot of seating, roomy, comfortable and clean. Bathrooms was also clean. Represented my cousin well.

I wouldn't say Amaing but going to a Funeral Home is never good. The service the gave my old…read morecoworker was very nice. She looked very good it was as if she was sleeping. It was sad to see her go. I didn't want to take pictures because the place was full and I considered it tasteless. I don't know the value because it wasn't a personal family member. The service was very good but had to leave when the crying started during the speeches.

From beginning to end the process was seamless and we are very grateful for that. We also loved how…read morethe person helping us had a great attitude answered all our questions and made us feel comfortable during our difficult time! Thank you so much!

In the past 10 years John J Fox and Sons have provided funerals for several of our family members…read moreand we could not be happier with the level of service and professionalism they provided. I see a couple of negative reviews on here saying that the staff wasn't professional or no one picked up the phone, other nonsense and I have to say this was NOT my experience at all and we've been going to the funeral home for years with the same funeral director (Tom Roemmelt). The staff is extremely accommodating. For our most recent funeral, our beloved Auntie Ro loved playing the lottery. And we mentioned we wanted to have some sort of floral arrangement that would somehow honor that. Tom says "let me see what I can do." He calls up the florist, explains to them the situation, and a few seconds later he hangs up and looks at me and my wife and says "It's done." And sure enough, the arrangement came out BEAUTIFULLY, and everyone who came to the service loved it. And it provided quite a few smiles on such a dark and sad day. Also our beloved Auntie Ro was 95, and Janitza Soto made her look absolutely wonderful. They dyed her hair *exactly* the way she liked it and did her makeup flawlessly. Rose would have loved it. They took every single instruction and request we gave them and executed it perfectly right down to the pink rosary we gave them to have Auntie Ro was holding in her hands. They never once rushed us. Or pressured us. And they were always at all times professional, courteous and respectful. Tom even gave me his personal cell number to contact him directly no matter what time of day or night. To which, last minute things came up and I had to text him at midnight at he responded IMMEDIATELY. Cannot say enough nice things about this funeral home and staff. Highly recommend working with them. AAAAAAAA+++++++

If 1 were to ask me the 2 most beautiful, historic, aesthetically pleasing, and artistically…read moreenriching cemeteries in the northern U.S. (maybe the entire U.S.), I'd have to say it's a toss-up between Greenwood in Brooklyn, and Woodlawn in the Bronx. My personal favorite? Impossible to say; I love them both, even though I haven't been to either 1 in several years. Maybe Greenwood, because it's easier to get to. I first came to Woodlawn in the late 80s with my father, who wanted to look up the grave of his maternal grandfather. We stopped at the main office, which looked as if it hadn't been updated or refurbished since the time "Cemetery John engaged "Jafsie" Condon through the cemetery fence during futile negotiations for the return of the Lindbergh baby. However, cemetery staff were very helpful and we found the gravesite easily thanks to the map they provided. The cemetery itself is enormous, and enormously impressive. Its 1st burial occurring in 1865, Woodlawn is a 400-acre oasis of architectural splendor, pastoral loveliness, and restorative tranquility in the center of the Bronx. It's the last resting place for robber barons from the "Gilded Age" like Jay Gould and John "Bet A Million" Gates to humble artists like Herman Melville (his modest tombstone has the engraving of a blank sheet of paper on it) to statesmen like Fiorello LaGuardia (a friend said, "The Christian concept of Heaven was very real to him, except he believed it was achievable on earth, and, if he only hurried, possible in his lifetime.") and Ralph Bunche, to criminals like Ruth Snyder (her murder of her husband, accomplished with the aid of her lover, served as the basic plot for the classic film "Double Indemnity") and Charles Becker (a crooked cop executed in 1915 for the murder of gambler Herman Rosenthal, although he may have actually been innocent of that particular crime) to mobster Frank Scalise (his fatal shooting while buying fruit from a Bronx fruit stand was re-created in "The Godfather") to those you least expect, like Western lawman Bat Masterson. The more ornate, elaborate mausoleums resemble hilltop castles, a stark contrast to the tombs of the more humble "permanent residents" (like my great grandfather). Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and George M. Cohan are buried here. So is poor, luckless actress Diane Barrymore, daughter of John Barrymore and author of the book "Too Much, Too Soon." She died too young as a suicide and is buried in the plot of her mother's family. A multitude of family names are on the stone, with the exception of hers. I've always been haunted by some of the highly realistic and sometimes disturbingly lifelike statuary populating the cemetery. One in particular is of a lifesized nude woman (tastefully rendered) sitting alongside a grave in eternal mourning, or until she ultimately crumbles into dust. In turns mournful, sad, historic, lovely (in spite of the sometimes grim reality of the Bronx surrounding it), Woodlawn is a must visit cemetery on your list, if you visit any cemetery at all (although Greenwood in Brooklyn is in the running, as I've mentioned). If you're interested in the history of cemeteries, or of NYC, or just in history itself, Woodlawn is a repository of it all.

Small chapel and lovely service for a dearly departed friend. Several prayers, singing and eulogy…read moredone. The funeral service to the crypt was by car to a very large plot area. The service was short due to the cold but a great memory to our friend. Rest In Peace. Lot parking.