The Dakota
The building that invented Upper West Side luxury, and one of the most storied addresses in the world.
The Dakota is a landmark cooperative at 1 West 72nd Street, on the corner of Central Park West. Designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and completed in 1884 for Singer Sewing Machine heir Edward Clark, it was one of the first luxury apartment houses in New York and remains among the most famous residential buildings in the world.
The building
Hardenbergh designed the Dakota in a Northern European Renaissance style, with deep gables, dormers, finials, and a central courtyard carriage entrance that recalls a European apartment palace. Apartments are enormous by any era's standard, with high ceilings, thick walls, and grand proportions, and no two are exactly alike. A National Historic Landmark and a New York City designated landmark, the building has changed remarkably little since the nineteenth century.The story of the Dakota
Edward Clark built the Dakota so far north and west of the city's center that, as the story goes, friends joked it might as well be in the Dakota Territory, and the name stuck. When it opened in 1884 it was effectively alone on the Upper West Side, yet it filled immediately and helped prove that wealthy New Yorkers would trade townhouses for apartment living. In 1961 the residents bought the building from the Clark family and converted it into one of the city's earliest and most exclusive cooperatives.Notable residents and film history
The Dakota has been home to an extraordinary list of artists and performers, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, Roberta Flack, and Rosemary Clooney, with the Steinway family and composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky among its early guests and residents. John Lennon was murdered at the building's 72nd Street entrance in December 1980, and Yoko Ono has remained an owner for decades. The Dakota's brooding exterior also stood in for the fictional Bramford in Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. Its co-op board is famously private and selective.The neighborhood
The Dakota anchors the corner of Central Park West and 72nd Street, across from Strawberry Fields in Central Park. The Upper West Side is a prewar, co-op-heavy market where the building and the address drive value. Read the full picture in our Upper West Side real estate guide.Why buyers choose the Dakota
History and scale. It offers some of the largest and most distinctive prewar apartments in the city inside a true world landmark, for buyers who value provenance, craftsmanship, and a Central Park address over new construction and amenities.Transaction history at The Dakota
The Dakota has produced some of the Upper West Side's most notable sales. The figures below reflect public records. In a building this tightly held, the advantage comes down to access and relationships, exactly what does not show up in a public listing.
Notable sales at The Dakota
Among the building's highest recorded sales. Each links to its Compass listing. Figures reflect public records.
Sale figures via public records. For off-market activity and current availability, contact our team.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dakota a condo or a co-op?
The Dakota is a cooperative, converted from rental ownership in 1961, with a famously selective board, so the right approach and preparation matter.
Who designed and built the Dakota?
It was designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and built for Edward Clark, an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, and completed in 1884.
Who has lived at the Dakota?
Residents have included John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, and Roberta Flack, among many other artists and performers. The building also appeared as the Bramford in the film Rosemary's Baby.
What have residences at the Dakota sold for?
Sales vary widely by apartment, given how different the layouts are, ranging from the high seven figures to the mid twenties of millions for the largest homes. For off-market activity and current pricing, get in touch.
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