Named for its centralized location along the turnpike between Jamaica and Williamsburg, Middle Village is another area where several large cemeteries were placed after they were banned from Manhattan in 1851. Many of the early businesses sprang up to serve cemetery businesses and their visitors. The sweeping oasis of Juniper Park creates a centerpiece for the neighborhood, built on former swampland. Very few apartment buildings are available in Middle Village, and the commercial corridors are Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan Avenue. St. John's Cemetery is especially notable for preserving the graves of a number of famous people, from mobsters to fitness guru Charles Atlas and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.