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    Daks not my name
    Fox E.

    Not to be confused with The Decoder, which is something the KGB and CIA probably fought over for years. The spectacular old Upper West Side apartment building where a lot of famous people live or lived, including John Lennon - and this is where he got shot. Yoko Ono still lives here as far as I know. It's a beautiful building and reminds me of a time when New York was a different place. A better place. Less affected by generic commercialism.

    Outside
    Steve A.

    A very impressive looking building. It's best known for being John Lennon's home. Right across from Strawberry Fields in Central Park. It was the site of his death and the tribute was made afterwards. There's no possibility of getting inside if you are just a normal person. If you aren't going inside, which you probably won't, your experience will be limited to snapping some pictures of the exterior. It's a grand looking building, with lots of gothic influence. The building takes up the whole block at 72nd Street. It's hard to miss. This would be of interest even if not for the tragic events that made it an attraction for fans and tourists. If you don't know already, the main entranceway was the site of Lennon's murder. This area is heavily guarded so you aren't getting in unless you're extremely lucky enough to get an invitation from someone. It's a quick walk from from Strawberry Fields. If you're visiting that you should just stop by here. There's a Dakota bar around the corner if you really want to say you were inside the Dakota, so you do have that.

    Nadav M.

    This is a really beautiful building by central park. Our tour actually started here when I took a tour of Central Park. Yoko does still reside here and I learnt that as a fact from our tour guide. Some celebrities actually live here too and it's a pretty interesting sight especially if one is around Central Park. I remember my tour guide telling us if we wait long enough at the entrance we have a chance of seeing a celebrity. The torches were really cool by where the securities are at the entrance. Also when I heard this place is bad expensive I don't believe it. I still believe that Beverly Hills is the place, if I'm in that argument.

    Yoko still lives here
    Joyce L.

    This is where John Lennon used to live but Yoko Ono still lives here. It's right across from the Strawberry Fields in Central Park to honor his song. The Strawberry Fields is made out of rocks and flat on the ground. Anyhow, Yoko takes two top floors of the building. There were rumors about her wanting to split her estate but lots of complications etc. There are guards around the buildings so you can't stand in front of the building. Dakota building is very different and unique.

    Lisa A.

    It looks a little like a big ole' haunted gothic co-op (if such a thing exists). And given its history (it was used as the apartment in Rosemary's Baby, and John Lennon was killed here) it does seem appropriate. I only took pictures from a hill across the street in central park, partially because 1.) It seemed wildly disrespectful on a number of levels to go poking about the entrance way taking pictures and 2.) The entrance and the whole lower part of the building seemed to be under some sort of renovation project. For some reason from pictures, I imagined it faced the opposite direction? Around the block was a place called the Dakota bar. Haunted looking or not, it is sort of beautiful, especially with the backdrop of central park and when you look at more modern sort of buildings. Not a lot to see here, but it is a gorgeous building to see, especially from central park.

    the Dakota (as seen from the corner of 72nd St & Central Park West)
    Ba Chong F.

    It's hard to walk by The Dakota and not look at it. Its exterior ornamentation, stonework, gables, and arches evoke something grand and noble and are quite distinct from the comparatively sterile façades of the typical Manhattan skyscraper. Therefore, almost without fail, passersby will take a glance or even stare at the building with some intent. Those with knowledge of The Dakota's historical significance might linger just a bit longer and, even, somewhat morbidly, snap souvenir photos of themselves while standing at the main gate (as if it were the north lawn of the White House or the famous zebra crossing outside the Abbey Road studios in London). The Dakota's main gate, of course (leading into the building's covered entranceway) is where John Lennon, the legendary founder and de facto leader of the Beatles, was so tragically killed on the night of December 8, 1980 (as he arrived home, disembarked from his limousine, and attempted to walk upstairs to his apartment). From my perspective, visiting The Dakota because of its connection to Lennon's murder, even as a subdued and respectful fan, is a rightly unfulfilling venture. The apartment itself (as it has always been) is still very much an active and private residential property with hundreds of current tenants (including Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow). It's not like Graceland, Elvis's mansion, which is no longer an actual residence and which has been transformed into a shrine and museum where the adoring public can go, pay admission, and tour to their heart's content. Because of this, The Dakota is really a mere curiosity and, invariably, just a convenient piggyback excursion for fans who may have also visited the nearby Strawberry Fields Memorial, which is right across the street (a block away in Central Park). In the end, the building's place in history, like the Grassy Knoll in Dallas, is set (and is stamped more by infamy than by admiration). As such, fans (myself included) should just let the site be and know that it's a great place to come home to (for the rich and famous who desire the privacy and who can afford it); but, to visit The Dakota otherwise is to court an empty promise and leave with a bad taste in one's mouth.

    Kara B.

    IF you are NOT the Son or Daughter of God... you ain't getting in, so don't even try. This building is alluring, beautiful and totally creepy. Its rich history of famous tenants, along with one of the most tragic events hitting the music industry, gives me goosebumps. The architecture alone seems a little out of place in this big city. Seems more appropriate for an Alpine resort. Yet, here it still stands... being renovated now. This place is so guarded, that the man we met in Central Park (across the street) said that even though he works there, he can NOT allow his own family in to visit. So, he sits at a park bench with his wife and kid to eat lunch. The one thing I found amusing was the cluster of used prophylactics tossed down into one of the basement level areas. Hmm? Not sure if these are from a fancy schmancy tenant or some new ghostbusters' tactic of collecting ectoplasm. I'm going with ectoplasm, as I'm sure this place is totally haunted. So, unless you personally have a ref. from God, or you yourself are a ghost... you are NOT getting past the guards here. And, even then I don't think one of the undead or relation to any deity would dare tread. Even if Yoko Ono herself invited me in for a jam session, I would still run to the nearest ghostbuster and drag her with me so I wouldn't miss out on some cool infrared pics.

    Joe M.

    I've been here numerous times . First being 3 days after that tragic night John was killed . It's a beautiful building , even down to the ornate metal rail which encircles the 72nd St. / 8th Ave portion . The combination of building styles all together really makes it stand alone . I use the term Gothic to describe it best . Again , a NYC landmark , but when you're . standing in front of that archway , you get a surreal feeling . A sadness . This is where it happened , one says to oneself .... RIP John . Don't forget to cross 8th Ave & visit Strawberry Fields in Central Park . Beautiful , place . One cannot help but to feel the peace there .

    Gourmet G.

    Designated a national landmark, this Nineteeth Century neo-Gothic building was one of Manhattan's first luxury high-rise apartment buildings. Widely recognized by filmgoers as the place where Rosemary gave birth to her devilish baby, its place in pop-culture history was established when John Lennon was murdered on its doorstep by deranged fan Mark David Chapman. Leonard Bernstein once lived here, and among the current residents in its dozens of balconied apartments, built around a central courtyard and with spectacular views of Central Park, are Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, actress Lauren Bacall, singer Roberta Flack, and critic Rex Reed.

    This is where John Lennon was killed. The view is from our room

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    A very beautiful building. Worth a quick stop if your in the area and visiting Strawberry Field across the street in Central Park.

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    It is cool sculptures .It has all the green rooftops on the top.But sad that John Lennon got shot here.

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    And yes it was in the back service entrance in 1980 that John Lennon was murdered.

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    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

    (1 review)

    Midtown East

    "Don't know much about history Don't know much biology…read moreDon't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took" (Sam Cooke) I guess you can call me a history nerd. After all, I did major in history and rarely walk past a plaque or memorial or marker that I don't stop to read and more than likely Yelp. So when we were walking out to the street from Grand Central Station's Park Avenue/East 42nd Street entry and saw a wall plaque with the portrait of a familiar woman, I just had to stop and check it out. The portrait was of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Those of my generation will always remember the traumatic and terribly sad photographs of her from Dallas on November 22, 1963 with her pink pill box hat and her blood splattered pink dress. Twelve years after JFK's assassination the former First lady was engaged in a high stakes 1975 battle to save one of her hometown's iconic landmarks. At issue was a plan to take the wrecking ball to New York City's Grand Station Terminal and demolish it, just as Penn Station has been demolished and rebuilt in 1964. She became outraged when she learned of the plan and led a coalition of New Yorkers and the the Municipal Art Society to stop it. She was the star of a famous press conference from Grand Central and declared "If we don't care about our past we can't have very much hope for our future, we've all heard that it's too late, or that it has to happen, that it's inevitable. But I don't think that's true. Because I think if there is a great effort, even if it's the eleventh hour, then you can succeed and I know that's what we'll do." She also wrote an eloquent letter to NYC 's Mayor Beame and asked him "...is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud moments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters..." The plaque was dedicated on June 24, 2014 to mark renovations to the station's main entrance. The renovations honor her legacy with photographs, a video display, and the plaque. The entry itself was renamed "The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer".

    Empire State Building - Photo opportunity with King Kong himself

    Empire State Building

    (2.4k reviews)

    Koreatown, Midtown West

    Folks, the Empire State Building built in 1931 in just over a year during the Depression, when…read moreAmerica built fast and huge. Iconic, baby. I went up recently, and let me tell you, it's no One World Trade Center. One World? Smooth, modern, straight to the top no nonsense. Empire State? Lines, more lines, security gauntlet, then they dump you halfway into a gift shop full of overpriced junk. Total tourist trap gimmick! They're making a fortune, but come on let me see the view already! But then you hit the 86th floor deck, wind smacks you in the face, city noise roars up from a thousand feet below horns, life, energy. Tremendous! 360-degree views that make you feel like King Kong himself. Nostalgic as hell Art Deco soul, real history you can touch. Not some sterile glass tower; this is old-school New York grit. Sure, if you want quick and slick, skip to One World. But the Empire State? Pure character. Worth every hassle. Go early, grab the express pass if you're smart, soak it in. It's legendary, folks. Huge! Make New York great again one windy deck at a time.

    I hadn't visited the Empire State Building in probably 20 years, but I decided to visit with my…read morehusband last weekend. It's such a different experience now. 20 years ago, I remember just walking into the lobby, buying a ticket, and heading up to the observation deck. But today? You enter in a different spot, and it's a whole experience. There's a "museum" now and you can spend more time here than just taking in the views from the 86th floor. So why go? It was the world's tallest building when it was completed in 1931 and until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed in 1970. (Sad aside: It became NYC's tallest building again after 9/11 until was surpassed by One World Trade Center in 2012.) It features gorgeous art deco architecture and design. It's a cultural icon (one of my favorite parts of the museum experience was a room where you can see dozens of film clips which feature the Empire State Building). The new experience includes exhibits that explain the history, design, and construction of the building. What I learned about its construction was particularly interesting! The construction of the building involved more than 3,500 workers, many of who were Irish and Italian immigrants, and led to an unknown number of deaths of workers (official reports say 5, newspapers at the time reported higher numbers). While I felt this museum addition really added to the experience of visiting the Empire State Building, it has also certainly made visiting the building more expensive. So let's get down to the brass tacks. The base ticket (which gets you entry into everything up to the 86th floor) is $44 for adults, $42 for seniors, and $38 for children (plus a $5 booking charge for each transaction). If you want to visit the 102nd floor for that additional observation deck, it's $79 for adults, $77 for seniors, and $73 for children (plus the booking charge). Then there are ways to spend even more money: a Starbucks Reserve Sunrise ticket ($135 per person); an Express Pass (starting at $85/120 per person); a Premium Experience ($175 per person); and All-Access Tour ($500 per person)... I'm generally not into these expensive view experiences that have popped up all over NYC. But the Empire State Building is special. It's an icon and a view. But I still wasn't willing to pay $80 to visit, so we stuck with the base ticket that gets you access only to the 86th floor observatory. The 86th Floor Observatory contains an enclosed viewing gallery and open-air outdoor viewing area. It's the classic observatory you've seen in movies. And it was certainly enough for me - the museum and the 86th floor observatory! Don't miss/rush through the original main lobby as you leave the experience. Or - if you're not willing to pay for the experience to see the view - stop in at the lobby on its own - it's open to the public (follow the signs for the Starbucks Reserve which is entered through this lobby). The lobby is gorgeous - marble, terrazzo, a scale model of the building... But the highlight is that aluminum relief of the skyscraper as it was originally built (without the antenna). It's incredible. It's an icon for a reason, and it was fun to visit and to see it again after so many years. They've certainly made it more of an experience than it used to be (although now, you can't just pop by for the view on a pretty day, since it's prohibitively expensive for a quick visit), but I had a really good time.

    The Dakota - apartments - Updated May 2026

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