Located at the opulent community of Upper West Side Manhattan, The Dakota is a stunning co-op apartment reminiscent of North German Renaissance architecture although its layout and floor plant is very much inspired by French design that proliferated in New York City in the 1870?s. The Dakota has easily become a status symbol with a number of Manhattan?s elite living in the building or renting a unit as a secondary abode. From the Central Park, one can see its steep gables and cavernous roofs coupled with a mix of dormers, terracotta elements, ornate balconies and elaborate balustrades. A sculpture of a Dakota Indian towers at the apartment?s 72nd Street entrance, as if keeping vigil.

In its original form, The Dakota had sixty-five apartments ranging from the more modest four-bedroom to the grand twenty-bedroom units. No two rooms are alike. Several notable personalities lived in The Dakota from sportsmen to actors. The Dakota is also infamous as the place where musician John Lennon was killed. The legendary musician owned five units in The Dakota

The Dakota got its name because of Edward Clark?s (owner of the apartment) fondness of new western states such as Dakota. In 1976, The Dakota was recognized as a National Historic Landmark.