Dakota Building

Upper West Side & Central Park


A turreted, gabled building described in 1884 as so far uptown it was in 'the Dakotas,' this sand-colored gem quickly became the epitome of cool, housing Boris Karloff, Rudolph Nureyev, Lauren Bacall and, most famously, John Lennon, who was fatally shot at its gated entrance.

The Dakota also served as the creepy setting (at least the exterior) for the 1968 psychological horror film Rosemary's Baby.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Upper West Side & Central Park attractions

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Standing inside the park across from the famous Dakota Building, where John Lennon was fatally shot in 1980, is this poignant, tear-shaped garden – a…

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