That does sound creepy! When I visited North Brother Island it felt a lot like that. I think the Farm Colony side of the whole compound has been pretty picked over, but I imagine the Sea View side, where I didn't venture, probably has at least some of those stopped in time tableaus left.
The thing that struck me about Seabrook and the NY Farm Colony when I snuck in and poked around was how so many things were left intact at the hospital. Glasses and tableware left out, an open book of piano music still on the piano. That was the creepiest part. Granted, that was 20ish years ago and I wonder if it's still like that.
Thanks Eddie! The cemetery is Woodland Cemetery which is just northeast of Highland Avenue. Arguably part of Silver Lake, but since John King Vanderbilt deeded the land for the cemetery, I included as part of the neighborhood. woodlandcemeterysi.com/…
After reading Dorothy Smiths' great article in the SI Historian, I had to order the book. Glad to know it has a positive review!