The Dakota
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What is the Dakota building?
The Dakota is a historic apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side, across from Central Park. Completed in 1884, it was one of the first apartment buildings in the area.
Edward Clark, a lawyer and real estate developer, commissioned the Dakota in 1880. He hired architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who later designed the Plaza Hotel. Hardenbergh aimed to replicate the privacy of single-family homes, which were then the norm for New York's upper class, by designing 65 unique apartments. The building has a central courtyard and a subterranean level for servants.
The Dakota gained cultural significance in the 1960s as a residence for artists and celebrities. Famous residents have included John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Judy Garland, and Leonard Bernstein. The building's exterior was featured in the film Rosemary's Baby.
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Where is the Dakota located in New York City?
The Dakota, a historic apartment building, is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, across from Central Park at 1 West 72nd Street. Completed in 1884, it was one of the first apartment buildings in that area. The Dakota played a significant role in shifting the city’s elite from single-family homes to luxury apartments. Architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh designed the 65 unique apartments to recreate the privacy of single-family residences, overcoming the stigma of multiunit residences. Edward Clark, who cofounded I. M. Singer & Co., commissioned the building in 1880.
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How old is the Dakota building and when was it built?
The Dakota building, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was completed in 1884, making it approximately 141 years old. Edward Clark, who commissioned its construction in 1880, chose Henry Janeway Hardenbergh as the architect, who designed a mix of historical styles for the building's exterior. The Dakota was among the first apartment buildings in the area and played a significant role in shifting the city's elite from single-family homes to luxury apartments. All of the Dakota’s units were rented prior to completion in 1894. In 1961, the residents bought the building and converted it into a housing cooperative. It has been home to many famous residents, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
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Why is the Dakota considered a historic or famous building?
The Dakota is considered a historic and famous building for several reasons: it was one of the first apartment buildings in an area that was once sparsely populated. Its construction marked a shift from single-family homes to luxury apartments for the city’s elite. Architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh sought to recreate the privacy of single-family homes, which helped to overcome the stigma of multiunit residences. The Dakota has been home to many famous residents, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Judy Garland, and Leonard Bernstein. Its exterior was also featured in the film Rosemary's Baby.
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What are some unique features of the Dakota's architecture?
The Dakota building's architecture includes unique features that distinguish it from other buildings. Completed in 1884, it was one of the first apartment buildings in an area that was sparsely populated at the time.
Architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh sought to replicate the privacy of single-family homes, which were the norm for New York's upper class at the time, and to eliminate the stigma of multiunit residences, which were generally associated with working-class tenement houses. Each of the 65 apartments was designed to be unique. The building has a central courtyard that is accessible through gates, providing each unit with natural light and outdoor space. The Dakota also has a subterranean level that is accessible via a driveway that was originally intended for the building's servants.
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Which well-known people have lived in the Dakota building?
The Dakota, completed in 1884, is a historical apartment building located across from Central Park in Manhattan. The Dakota's cultural status grew in the 1960s, when it became a popular residence for artists and celebrities.
Well-known people who have lived in the Dakota building include:
* John Lennon and Yoko Ono
* Judy Garland
* Lauren Bacall
* Rosemary Clooney
* Leonard Bernstein
* Roberta FlackThe Dakota's exterior was used in the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. After John Lennon was murdered outside the building in 1980, Yoko Ono lived in their apartment there until 2023.
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The Dakota, historical apartment building located across from Central Park at 1 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York. The Dakota was one of the first apartment buildings in the sparsely populated area when it was completed in 1884. According to New York lore, the building’s name comes from the fact that the building was so far west that it might as well have been in the Dakotas. The Dakota played a notable role in the transition of the city’s elites from living in single-family homes to luxury apartment buildings, the type of residence that continues to define the city’s real estate market. The building, noted for its syncretic architectural style and sprawling units, has provided an enduring symbol of New York City’s history and visage and has been home to a number of celebrity residents, perhaps most famously John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
History
The Dakota’s construction was commissioned in 1880 by Edward Clark, a lawyer who cofounded I. M. Singer & Co., which manufactured Singer sewing machines. He was also a real estate developer who purchased large plots of land in the 1870s and ’80s in the area west of Central Park that he planned to build up. For his architect, Clark selected Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who went on to design the Plaza Hotel (1907) at Fifth Avenue. Hardenbergh designed a number of buildings for Clark in addition to the Dakota, which was completed two years after Clark’s death in 1882.
Design
Hardenbergh’s design sought to recreate the amenities and privacy of the single-family residences that were then the norm among New York’s upper class and to overcome the stigma of multiunit residences, which were generally associated with working-class tenement houses. He designed 65 apartments, each one unique. The building’s gates lead to a central courtyard from which all apartments are accessible, providing each unit with natural light and a large outdoor space secluded from the street. The Dakota also has a subterranean level accessible via a driveway originally intended for the building’s servants. At the Dakota’s opening, servants numbered about 150, and the underground passageway allowed them to come and go without being seen by the residents. It also provided workspaces and break rooms. The building’s exterior design is idiosyncratic, Hardenbergh having used a mix of historical styles.
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Famous Residents
All of the Dakota’s units were rented prior to completion in 1894. Following Clark’s death the building remained in possession of his descendants until 1961, when it was bought by the residents and converted into a housing cooperative. The building’s iconic cultural status crystallized in the 1960s, when it became well known as a desirable building for artists and celebrities. In addition to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, residents have included Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall, Rosemary Clooney, Leonard Bernstein, and Roberta Flack. Its exterior was also used as a stand-in for the fictional Bramford building in Roman Polanski’s 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby. After Lennon was shot and killed outside the building’s entrance in 1980, Ono remained in their apartments until 2023.
The Dakota today
The Dakota was designated as a New York City landmark by the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission in 1969 and in 1976 was registered with the National Register of Historic Places as a national historical landmark. It has undergone consistent renovation to maintain its infrastructure and amenities and maintains its status as a symbol of New York’s architectural and cultural history. Apartments have remained in high demand and the building’s co-op board, known for its selectivity, has rejected many prominent applicants, reportedly including Madonna, Cher, Billy Joel, and Alex Rodriguez. As of 2023 units listed for sale in the building have ranged from $4.5 million to $20 million.