The Dakota: Extraordinary Views, Architectural Grandeur…and Yoko Ono

Maybe money can’t buy you love but it can buy you this beautifully renovated and carefully restored apartment at 1 West 72^nd Street in the legendary Dakota listed at $14.5 million.

Designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and completed in 1884, the Dakota is one of the world’s most renowned residential buildings. Designated as both a New York City Landmark and a National Historic Landmark, its residences boast many of the building’s original 19th-century details including 13-foot ceilings, soaring doorways, plaster moldings, exquisite hand-carved woodwork, hardwood flooring, pocket doors, shutters framing the windows, and wood-burning fireplaces – and at least one interesting 21^st century detail: Yoko Ono calls it home.

Perhaps best known for its association with John Lennon, a long list of notables has lived within the gabled and turreted exterior over its 150 year history, many as legendary as the building itself: Lauren Bacall, Lillian Gish, Gilda Radner, Boris Karloff, Judy Garland, Leonard Bernstein, to name a few. And the building has figured prominently in countless TV series, movies, and novels.

But even without its illustrious history this stunning 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment stands out all on its own. Imagine…..

A private mahogany-paneled vestibule opens onto a gracious foyer and its oversized corner living room offers majestic views of Central Park. An adjacent library has exquisite woodworking, a woodburning fireplace and a wet bar.

The formal dining room with a china closet and a wood-burning fireplace overlooks the building’s enchanting central courtyard, and the Chef’’s eat-in-kitchen features custom-cabinetry, marble countertops and appliances from Sub-Zero, Viking, Miele, and Bosch.

Located along the northern wing, the private chambers of the home include a sumptuous master suite with a planting terrace and ample closets.

Long considered to be one of Manhattan’s most prestigious and exclusive cooperative residential buildings, the minute you walk into this remarkable home in the Dakota, you are certain to get through even the hardest day’s night.

[Listing: 1 West 72^nd Street, via Brown Harris Stevens]