Just a step away from Central Park stands one of the most highly-coveted addresses in Manhattan – the Dakota Apartments. With four-bedroom units selling for around $25 million, this National Historic Landmark was once home to the likes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall and Boris Karloff.
Constructed in 1884 by the same architectural firm commissioned to build the Plaza Hotel, the nine-story Dakota was originally designed for Edward Clark, head of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Several stories exist regarding the origination of the apartment's distinct name. Many suggest that at the time the building went up, the desolate and undesirable Upper West Side was quickly seen by social elite to be as "remote as the Dakota Territory". Visitors can check out the figure of the Dakota Indian at the top of the entrance, as well as the French architectural style in the terracotta paneling, stonework and detailed balconies.
The Dakota is known as the setting of Roman Polanski's 1968 thriller, Rosemary's Baby, which featured a devil-worshiping cult inhabiting the building. Since the tragic shooting of John Lennon outside the apartments in 1980, fans line up every December to commemorate his life and legacy across the street at Strawberry Fields in Central Park.
Attraction Information
- Location:
- 1 West 72nd Street at Central Park West
- Subway Stop:
- B, C trains to the 72nd Street Station
