Exploring The Dakota, NYC's Most Famous Apartment Building

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Interested in books about the architecture and history of the Dakota, Friar Park, and Tittenhurst Park? I've written a bunch about them. You can find all of them on Amazon and elsewhere. Buying my books helps support my research and productions. Thank you! tinyurl.com/DakotaHistoryCardinal

[@marlenaforbes-reidy9876]

I bet the walls could tell a great story

[@CatskillsGrrl]

I have lived around the corner from the Dakota for 32 years - and visited a few times in one apartment - and I still learned stuff!

[@CatskillsGrrl]

I can’t tell you that when you arrive and present yourself to go to visit one of the residents, there are security guards who expect to see you at different points in the courtyard or the elevator banks on the cameras, and if you’re not there within a certain amount of seconds or minutes they will go looking for you.

[@lilsheba1]

This apartment building was the perfect setting for Rosemary's Baby.

[@debbie9929]

One of the scariest movie and book.

[@CelestialGatez]

Yes. Someone told me that the building had some strange activity inside.

[@fd9987]

Actually it wasn’t. The hallways were studio creations as the Dakota didn’t have the dark eerie mood they wanted.

[@californiadreaming567]

Loving watching this history

[@flashflame4952]

Once they finally cleaned the building, you were able to really appreciate the color of the stone plus all the amazing details. I have been inside the Dakota a number of times and the size of the rooms and all the craftsmanship were definitely noticed and admired by me.

[@beachrose88]

Dakota. Building is Soo beautiful

[@BretHazlett]

Stood in silence in Central Park ,straw berry fields paying tribute to Lennon’s. Never forget that day.😢

[@johnangela1933]

I live on 71 st, between cpw and Columbus ave,i walk by the Dakota everyday,its a great looking building

[@joetanaka6446]

Nice video. I checked The Dakota out in November 2019 when walking around Central Park. Mostly because it was a kmown landmark building across from the park, and also because I knew that Lennon lived there. The exterior was impressive with wonderful gargoyle accents. The gas lit lamps at the entrance to the courtyard were particularly memorable. I bumped into a driver, a local New Yorker, across the street afterwards. He was so kind, open and proud in explaining the history of the area.

[@arte2arquiteto]

The architectural firm I worked for in the mid-1990s restored the Dakotas under the guidelines of The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) of New York City.

[@jamesbyrne9312]

I am visiting new York this year. Maybe you could tell me three or four open houses worth visiting? So much to choose from!

[@jackedkerouac4414]

As someone with a home recording studio with outside noise being a constant nuisance 20 inch thick walls sounds like a dream come true.

[@chemokiki]

There has long been a story about Yoko buying any apt that was adjacent and on the market. If true, one wonders just how big hers is. Also an intriguing bit about her interest in Egyptology, supposedly having sarcophagi from different periods that the Met would love to have. I like that the building holds it's mysteries close...although from a decorative point of view some simple photos of interior grandeur would be great! Thanks for re-piquing my interest!

[@mares9393]

I don’t know how many she owned. But they would never let you do that kind of a remodel. They are very strict about what you do structurally. You can not change the footprint.

[@kristineanderson4983]

@@mares9393 I don't see where he said anything about remodeling - only that she may have bought adjacent apartments.

[@kimberlyn.2096]

My favorite building ever❤️

[@SandraAnnEvans]

GREAT VIDEO . . . THANK YOU!

[@kikovazquez7277]

I moved back to my hometown of NYC after finishing my education in 1980. Landed a decent job and lived in a very nice building on E. 72nd on the upper east side, just across Central Park from the Dakota. I was still moving in to a still unfurnished apartment on the 20 something floor. Lennon was murdered just a few days after I moved in and I remember sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag with a clock radio on the floor reporting the news that put the whole world in shock and I think Manhattanites in particular. I took many long walks in the evenings after work and often walked across the park to gaze at The Dakota along with many other gazers, and had such a hunger to explore that place. the building definitely evoked "haunted palace" mood to many, especially considering the prominent shots of the exterior also being the setting for the film of "Rosemary's Baby". I was fascinated with The Dakota and had a strong hope that you would be able to record a guided tour of the interior. Alas no, but it was still a very enjoyable and informative study of the building's history and layout. Sadly, it did relieve me from my delusion of completely believing the "mythical" story of how the building was named. I'm disappointed that it's a myth.😔😏.

[@gaileagan5364]

I always love seeing and hearing about the beautiful Dakota , it is really a beautiful building. I learn so much from your books Scott and now the micro lessons make it easier for someone who wants to get a quick going over of the building, I like both reading your book and the micro lessons . I can look at the Dakota lessons very often, I really enjoyed the video !!!

[@KhalidMahmood-wm1qz]

Awesome building

[@LJB103]

Back in the late 70's I spent a week here at a friend's small apartment while he was on a business trip. God, were the elevators slow! Excellent video

[@StrangeHistoryX]

I am not sure if they were still hydraulic back then. I'll check my notes. I used to work in the Flatiron and those elevators were dreadfully slow because they were hydraulic.

[@NutDogs]

You were there when John Lennon lived there. Did u see him?

[@NoTraYse]

Yes!!! The elevators were so slow that there were little love seats to sit on covered in red brocade upholstery. I've been looking for photos of them forever.

[@elizabethbower2168]

Thanks for explaining the architectural details about this beautiful building… I read a novel set in the Dakota building in the 1970s and it has intrigued me ever since… Many thanks for sharing

[@FreshLounger]

Do you remember the name of the novel?

[@sandy-quimsrus]

Was it Rosemary's Baby? It was a book before a movie.

[@djstarr2753]

Time and Again by Jack Finney. The fellow time travels through a portal in the Dakota.

[@chesterthawkins7510]

so beautiful!

[@evamatej694]

The Dakota is my magnificent obsession❤❤❤

[@swilkobarfingtoniii1642]

Karloff's history in the building is interesting. He actually used it as a 'pied d'terre' while he was in New York, but he was very much based in his Beverly Hills home where he was an avid and somewhat famous gardener on his large property. His apartment at the Dakota was often rented out for long term tenancy by his friends who would be doing Broadway productions, often for months at a time. Of course the place was of rather grand proportions so no one was tripping over each other when the landlord might drop into town for a few days.

[@LannieLord]

Wish there were photos ...........

[@swilkobarfingtoniii1642]

@@LannieLord -I've seen a couple of pictures of Karloff at The Dakota. There's lots of pictures of him in his garden in California though.

[@gigiatlas2364]

Pied-à-terre

[@Siblysm]

@@gigiatlas2364 effectivement !

[@mariarohmer2374]

Oh my gosh I have always wanted to know more about The Dakota. John Lennon had a lot to do with that because I adored him. But also the architecture is just extraordinary and so unique. How cool to actually live there. Thanks so much.

[@Sandy-no3lh]

I was at the Dakota in 1985 . And Central Park to. Strawberry fields. It was lovely.eI with a British gentleman that I was dating at the time.

[@sirreal725]

Rip,Albert maysles,I was there for his last Xmas party,and I spent the night showing him how to use a cell phone,he was a sweet man,the family relocated to Harlem,amazing how Gilliam his wife designed their new brownstone in Harlem,she made it look just the Dakota home,plus a swimming pool in her bedroom, I was their hairstylist for years and made many house call to the Dakota,great building great family,bonus I would run into yoko onto often,she invited me in once!!!!

[@markplank5929]

Fantastic, brief to the point history.

[@juliemartin6280]

Very interesting I like that Robin Gibb’s family still lives in the home that meant so much to him.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Thank you! I've never been there but am a big fan of the Dakota. Though it never existed I'd like to have Rosemay and Guy Woodhouse's apartment from "Rosemary's Baby". At another video I read that the production people for the movie weren't allowed into the building, but resident Lauren Bacall knew one of them and and let them in to study the interior. Turns out the apartment in the movie is based on Ms. Bacall's apartment. I'm not sure if that means just Rosemary and Guy's apartment or the Castavets apartment too since the two fictional residences had started out as just one. It would be fun to know. I've read Stephen Birmingham's book about the Dakota and highly recommend it.

[@merrywalsh2809]

German Renaissance. Learned something new. Thank you for this. I have always been curious about the building. A tie-in to Singer Sewing machines. Who knew!

[@shaniquawhitfield94]

This was so great, thank you. I passed by there earlier today, and after this video i'm officially obsessed!

[@StrangeHistoryX]

So cool! You are in good company. All sorts of great people are obsessed with the Dakota. Myself included! :)

[@amarijayamari]

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

[@Larkinchance]

A very good piece. Thank you.

[@Vivalala]

Magnificent! Thank you for this information about an amazing piece of history. It would be dream to own & live in the Dakota

[@davidpeters6536]

My parents lived in a similarly designed building built as an hotel at the end of a 4 story terrace in 1867 with coastal views of NE England. It was designed by John Ross who was a railway engineer and architect. I stood outside The Dakota back in the mid 1980s and it looks out of era compared to its neighboring buildings, but that's part of its charm.

[@RyanCarter-MA-XXX]

The Dakota is probably the most beautiful apartment building in the world.

[@maikolmaikol64]

I remember visiting n.y dacota apts and looked up top right apt and saw leonard bernstien i waved and he waves that was cool lots of people lennon shelly winters lots of folks

[@joseyeastwood]

I used to pass past there a few times pretty creepy building.

[@Porsche996driver]

German Renaissance that checks out. I was stationed in Mannheim, (West Germany) in the late ‘80s, yes same style of “die Quadrat Stadt” (square city), this was the predominant style. 🏤✨ Great building, I only knew the Gate from the tragic pictures. The courtyard in German is called Hof of course. Thanks for the history - hope you get an invite.

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Yep, that is the style. Too many people think "gothic" means dark and scary and they think the Dakota is graphic. It's exhausting trying to tell people the actual architectural style.

[@tomcarl8021]

Fun fact: One of America's very first automobile fatalities occurred at 73rd Street and Central Park West, one block north of the Dakota. A pedestrian was struck and killed. It made national headlines about the need for stricter driving laws. No real laws like stop signs, or even drivers licenses were in place yet. Amazing.

[@jayblair4344]

well done

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Thank you.

[@wendyhubbard3109]

This beautiful building is a featured home of the eccentric and fictional Special Agent AXL Pendergast in Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston’s Pendergast novels.

[@MrFroglips69]

Groovy...

[@reddishtykes]

Glad this popped up because today would have been John Lennon's 83rd birthday (Oct 9th)

[@dissidentfairy4264]

A guy who knows what a "finial" is is impressive. lol I really enjoyed this!🧚‍♀

[@maryannschwittek4984]

I would love to get a tour of the building

[@beachrose88]

Great channel !! Keep up great work

[@rickschiaffo618]

I remember one early morning coming to work on Good Morning America, I had to come across 72st to cpw. It was 4:45am. As I come to the corner of cpw, I look to my left at the Dakota and I see one person standing at the entrance holdng a lit candle. When I got to work 10 min later, I found out that Lennon had been shot earlier that night. Very sad. Lot of history in that building.

[@judykreuter7149]

Great on the Dakota! Thanks. Can you do the same for the Apthorp? There are some darn good stories there....

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Sure thing! I'll try to get to that this year, if possible.

[@judykreuter7149]

I still have the hardcover book on the Dakota. But I don’t think it included Singer’s 24 children! That will be tomorrows research project. 😏

[@kerrinchurchill2945]

Thank you for this informative and interesting piece. I was doing research on the family that created and owned the Arbuckle Coffee Company and learned that one of the members lived at 1, W 72 St. which sent me searching. Fascinating stuff!

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Interesting! Why were you doing research on that? That's really cool!

[@stevevrismo9842]

I imagine that some folks refer to The Dakota as Gothic as "Rosemary's Baby" was filmed there. If there was ever an effing, scary, Gothic movie, it's that one! Having said that, I hope to hell I can get to sleep tonight with the nightmares I experienced after seeing that film...

[@sallydorsey1851]

Thanxs

[@carlweston4808]

As a bike messenger in the mid 80's/90's I did a lot of deliveries at the Dakota, but alway via the service entrance.🤣

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Really? That's cool. So the basement entry. Did you get much further than the guard on the left side? Or did you get to go up the service stairs, etc?

[@carlweston4808]

@@StrangeHistoryX I think most of the time I was allowed to go upstairs via the Service entrance… I think the thing that I remember most about it was how vast the whole Service entrance area is in the building you really can get lost…

[@FiveLiver]

The Hollywood actor Robert Ryan lived in John and Yoko's apartment before them.

[@saltyroe3179]

My aunt lived next door at the Mayflower.

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Cool! With a view of the Dakota? Or W 72? or W 73?

[@NoTraYse]

@saltyroe3179. You must mean the Mayfair. That's where Shelley Winters lived. How cool!

[@nicholasdileo2011]

you forgot Leonard and Elmer Bernstein. (I did a set for the Met, and had to go over drawings, and Alexander Bernstein invited to there apartment at the Dakota. )Though I lived in NYC,I had no idea that the Dakota was ,... well the Dakota. At first when I entered I thought it was a museum that had a conference room we were using. When I walked down the hallway to apartment, I was shocked to see that the hallways were lined with windows, and had to be at least 14 feet wide. When I approached the door, I thought I was entering astage set, as the door was 4 feet wide and 10 feet tall. The gigantic scale just goes on from there. After ten minutes in the Aparrtment, I expected a butler, and orchestra to somehow magically appear, It was a just tranformingly majestic piece of architecture.

[@RedRonFJB]

The Dakota and Lakota indian tribes were something I studied in school.

[@joanp6872]

Thanks for this video! I wonder what (if any) fire-escape features were originally part of the Dakota, or currently exist.

[@StrangeHistoryX]

The Dakota was built to e fireproof with 3 ft thick walls and flooring. No fire escapes were ever needed.

[@wurly164]

It will go up in value once yoko moves out.

[@tingdzinkochu]

Funny coincidence about Mr. Singer, since the final image in the film, "Help," is a Singer sewng machine

[@williamsilva5701]

It was very dark before being washed down!!

[@Picasso_Picante92]

My experience at the Dakota was not too happy. Back in the mid 1980s, I had a job that required me to visit some of the apartments in the Dakota for insurance related inspection. This was a few years after the murder of John Lennon. While there I had to deal with the building manager, a cocky and paranoid Dominican who kept a few henchmen around me while I was there. Eventually I said something to piss off the manager and they took me in to a small dark room in the basement and threaten to beat the shit out of me. I eventually diffused the situation and got the hell out of there. Beautiful building, asshole manager.

[@motox2416]

Just new yorkers new yorking

[@Kexgoija]

Was the manager a Castevet?😊

[@merrywalsh2809]

Sounds like a scene from a Quinton Tarantino X Woody Allen collab

[@Crystalblue58]

He had many high profile tenants to protect if you think about it.

[@kristineanderson4983]

Wow

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Thank you all for watching the videos and a HUGE THANK YOU for those who support the channel as a KZbin Members and especially on Patreon. Just as little as $5 a month helps the channel tremendously!!! Please click here: www.patreon.com/StrangeHistory Thank you! 🙂

[@coreywiley3981]

Leonard Bernstein lived there too!

[@bunnyfoofoo9695]

I searched for pictures of the build and there were none to be had.

[@loug8186]

The one photo shown here looks like a building already standing, with heaps of rubble beside it…🥳

[@kevinjoseph517]

no fire escapes.

[@ChristopherBix2]

Actor Robert Ryan and his family lived there also. They ended up subletting their apartment to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Am friends with his daughter.

[@mrtunapie6653]

Is this where Roman Polanski filmed Rosemary's Baby?

[@alicetelford9027]

Yes! Absolutely.

[@markb20]

Excellent brief history of such a beautiful and historical landmark; I'd forgotten how many famous people lived there over the years. I've always been drawn to 19th century architecture and workmanship (I recently purchased a wonderful 19th century ornate Tiffany clock specifically made for the Paris Exposition of 1889). Thank you for sharing this; I always enjoy your fascinating videos.

[@StrangeHistoryX]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. I appreciate it.

[@johnmcgrath6192]

Lol, I met a descendant of Thomas More (the saint) when visiting a friend's family there.

[@kennixox262]

Apparently Yoko Ono recently sold her apartment to take up residence in her country home. In 2023.

[@cactaceous]

She did go upstate but she didn’t sell her apartment. Actually she was an incredibly savvy real estate purchaser all over the world and she and John bought several apartments in the Dakota.

[@barbarafaulder9087]

Good for her. It’s no place for the family now. Maybe.never was. I think Paul had the right idea. He took his family away to the country and bought sheep.

[@betweenprojects]

London contenders for most famous... Albany, Dolphin Square, the Barbican...

[@elizabethlane880]

Exteriors of The Dakota feature in the film Rosemary's Baby

[@SamMcKinley]

Graham Court in Harlem is like this. Not this large but similar buildings in The Bronx but they haven’t been kept up

[@pyeblackbox1]

Robert Ryan lived there too

[@Mrgop]

Now I know why Niles Crane on Frasier wanted to live in the building named The Montana.

[@sevenoeightful]

Leonard Bernstein and spouse Felicia Montealegre were residents for many years.

[@patricklee6066]

😅has anyone noticed the breif glimpse of the dakota just towards the ending of the movie Q the winged serpent? Its just in the last few seconds before the end credits.

[@lilythecat2268]

i heard rosemarys baby ...the location was there. I didn't know the singer family made it, it is interesting. I'm interested in stories about rooms which is around bryant park but very high buildings. somehow upper rooftop floors still have rooms. are people living there? I read about cryslers loof top stories and it was interesting.

[@nicolagianaroli2024]

The movie Help by the Beatles is dedicated to Singer

[@jdm1505]

The Dakota is certainly a very interesting and historic building, but most architectural historians would not call it beautiful. I remember reading one description of the style as "middle-European post office". There are many far more beautiful apartment buildings in New York and other cities around the world.

[@StrangeHistoryX]

I have always thought it was beautiful. :)

[@lessismore6062]

How soundproof are the apartments? Can you hear the neighbors through the walls or hear them walking in the apartment above?

[@jdm1505]

Whether or not something is beautiful is always subjective. I enjoyed your post and I have since looked at some of your other videos.

[@Crystalblue58]

In the eye of the beholder as always has been.

[@DanalovesJohnLennon73]

I saw and walked though the Dakota to pay respect to John Lennon December 2014 I think yoko was still living there

[@edcomedian357]

U forgot Judy Holiday lived there

[@keter1234]

Nice job on this.

[@cliftonbowers6376]

Love this place I wanted Lauren BeCalls place I hope to get I want it furnished as well..think has sold😮 hope to be there in twenty years or so..

[@bettyreynolds204]

Keep dreaming

[@dojocho1894]

Madonna at one time wanted to move in but the tenets/board declined her they wanted their privacy

[@LannieLord]

OH DEAR LORD! will someone PLEASE: go INTO the Dakota with a good camera and FILM EVERYWHERE !!!!!!!!!! Ask residents "Hey, can we come in an and film ?" . "PLEASE" !!!!! I'm so tired of Dakota stories without ever going INSIDE . I need to thread together Rosemary's Baby (NOT really filmed INSIDE there ) and quickie John Lennon clips to IMAGINE what it's like inside. I like to think there is ONE eccentric RICH person in there that's like "YES!!!!! Come on in to my apartment" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@StrangeHistoryX]

I filmed in there, but I can't show any of it.

[@MissionHomeowner]

@@StrangeHistoryX You may get permission in the future to show the video? Tell me yes.

[@janetmckenzie146]

The apartment of Tom Cruise’s character in the movie Vanilla Sky was, I believe, filmed in a 1-bedroom apartment in the Dakota.

[@MultiPetercool]

“John and Yoko farming beef, raising protein quota. Sometimes they make love and art, inside the Dakota” -Tim Curry “I Do The Rock”😂

[@MegaTriumph1]

Its so Gothic it drips Gothic Dakota means fire in a hole a reference to hell. What did they build the Dakota with cranes and semitrucks since the first car rolled off the assembly line in 1904. No construction photos?. Who really built the Dakota is a mystery. Its older then 1884.

[@bertroost1675]

Monthly maintenance fee is $10,000. Yikes!

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Those are for the cheap ones! Others are even more.

[@bertroost1675]

@@StrangeHistoryX lovely

[@brendadrew834]

Another musician just as famous as john Lennon who lived in the Dakota was American conductor and composer of 'West Side Story' was the late great Leonard Bernstein with his wife and kids! You show a picture of him here sitting at a piano!!!

[@spottss]

I don’t think Paul McCartney ever visited John in there.

[@kevinr.3542]

There was a VH1 movie about it. Apparently he visited sometime in the early 70s. They went out in disguises. Paul talked about it in an Interview.

[@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520]

I wonder if Shrek would like this building if he ever came to NYc

[@simonjarratt]

I thought Sting/Trudy Styler were/are residents? I’m sure they certainly used to be.

[@chrisbuckley1785]

Yoko actually moved out of the Dakota to upstate New York in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. I believe it's recently been announced she's now sold the unit she lived in. Either way though she hasn't lived there in about 3 years ofe typing this comment. She'll always be the face of the Dakota though.

[@Kell4088]

@@pandaman1968 YES. A guy named Chris Buckley told me all about it…

[@satinwhip]

@@pandaman1968 it took less than 30 seconds on Google.

[@svenp6626]

...and evidence of 'mudflood' with the tops of basement windows peering just above ground level.... By the way, bricks weren't factory produced until 1885! One more interesting side note; the building features prominently in Roman Polanski's film 'Rosemary's Baby'...

[@loug8186]

Thanks for noticing this…so much hidden history right in front of your eyes!

[@subcool7683]

How do I find your app?

[@StrangeHistoryX]

Which app?

[@subcool7683]

@@StrangeHistoryX audible adventures app

[@Za7a7aZ]

Any movies in or related to this building? Was this building not used for rosemary's baby..?

[@8535eddie]

John Lennon sang about “imagine” but had no problem living like a rich man himself.

[@dragonmartijn]

Wasn’t John’s appartement two appartements joined together? At which floor ?

[@StrangeHistoryX]

7th floor. Not really connected together. They were both accessed from the landing outside their apartment(s) door.

[@peggyannemcleese8214]

John Lennon bought his apartment from a dying Robert Ryan, one of my all-time favorite actors.

[@betsyduane3461]

No mention of Rosemary's Baby?

[@StrangeHistoryX]

I've mentioned it in about 80 other videos. :)