The Dakota
1 W. 72nd St. · New York, NY
Built in 1884, this apartment house on Central Park West was so named because of its distance from the rest of the city. At the time, it was so far removed from New York's major architecture that someone commented it may as well be in the Dakota territories. Since then, it's been known as the Dakota.
The building may not be tall in comparison to the surrounding architecture today, but it's unmistakably large. Built like a fortress, the structure's lower walls are 28 inches thick and the building encompasses a center courtyard.
It's been the home of quite a few notable people over the years, including Beatles artist John Lennon. Unfortunately, it's his 1980 murder outside the Dakota for which the building is most remembered.
Consequently, here is where one finds the Imagine Memorial, just across the street in a little section of Central Park known as Strawberry Fields. There's always someone present, and a day never goes by when there aren't any flowers.
On the day I visited, someone had left an orange. Still can't explain that one.
