In 1971, John Lennon moved to New York to escape life in the limelight and the constant watchful eye of the press. He first retreated with Yoko Ono to St. Regis Hotel before they transitioned to Greenwich Village and eventually, the Dakota, where he was murdered. The last 10 years of the former Beatle’s life saw a surge in his solo work, which included collaborations with Elton John, as well as his family centered lifestyle. Below are some of the spots Lennon frequented while he lived in New York.
The Dakota
John Lennon’s final residence, it was here, in his seventh floor apartment, that Annie Leibovitz shot her iconic 1981 Rolling Stone cover photo (see above). “I promised John that this would be the cover. It was taken a few hours before he died,” Leibovitz wrote in Rolling Stone. “I shot some test Polaroids first, and when I showed them to John and Yoko, John said, ‘You’ve captured our relationship exactly.'”
One of the few times they allowed a photographer into their home; it would be the last as Lennon was shot later that night, December 8, 1980, in front of the Dakota.
For my complete write-up, visit CBS.