Life at the Dakota: New York's Most Unusual Address

When my husband asked me what I was reading and I told him, "It's the story of an apartment building in New York," he laughed. "What can be interesting about an apartment building in New York??" he asked. I had to admit it sounded bizarre to me as well but the book was unbelievably interesting. I looked forward every day to the few minutes I could spend reading it and I highlighted it like crazy, hoping to read excerpts to him to prove my point.I'm not really one to follow the rich and famous, or celebrities for that matter, but I really did enjoy the stories of all the different tenants in the building, the poor and middle class ones as well as the wealthy. Loved all the little details that made them seem so real and believable. Loved all the history about New York society.I like that he just told the story and I could not tell "which side he was on" in any major issue. The book was for sure a study in human nature - the good, the bad, the downright ugly right next to the kind, unpretentious and helpful. The difference did not lie in how much money the person had but in the mindset they chose to cultivate. It was hard to see the book end and I immediately started reading "Our Crowd" by the same author.

This book was interesting and entertaining. I really enjoyed learning the fascinating history of the Dakota and how it has been run and has functioned throughout the decades. Unfortunately, being written in the 70's we need to look elsewhere for any knowledge pertaining to the Dakota's recent history.

The Dakota Apartment in New York City has always fascinated me, so I selected Life at the Dakota: New York’s Most Unusual Address by Stephen Birmingham on Kindle to learn more about this iconic building. While there is a lot of very interesting history and information about the Dakota, this book is approximately 40 years old. I ended the book with many more questions than were answered.The Dakota Apartments were built by Edward Clark in 1884, a lawyer who made his millions in the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Clark decided that he wanted to build a luxury apartment building across from Central Park in an area that was mostly unpopulated. At this time, Central Park was populated mostly by grazing livestock and squatters living in shacks. But despite many skeptics, the apartments in the Dakota quickly filled when it opened. “The Dakota was designed to convey the impression that, though one might be living in an apartment house, one was really living in a mansion. The Dakota would be an imitation of the rich-rich New York life—not the real thing, but a mirror image, an illusion.” Originally, there were 65 apartments of up to 20 rooms, which no two being alike. The apartment also had stables, a garden, tennis courts, a croquet court, a playroom, a gymnasium, and a private dining room. The apartments were appointed with beautiful woodwork, mantles and floors.Life in the Dakota provides lots of history about the Dakota, the evolution of New York City, and New York society. As for the Dakota, Birmingham tells us about the building of the Dakota, the tenants over the years, the changing building, and the financial challenges with running the Dakota. He also recounts how the building was almost sold to be razed for newer construction, the conversion of the Dakota to a co-operative apartment in 1961, and its naming to the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark. Birmingham also fills this book with anecdotes and stories about the people who live(d) in the building—everything from Christmas parties to ghost sitings to tenant feuds. But what was so disappointing is that I didn’t realize when I purchased this book that it was 40 years old. John Lennon was still alive in Life in the Dakota, and he was murdered outside the building in December 1980. Also, there is a very small selection of photographs and the pictures of the Dakota are all from the late 1800s. They certainly do not do the building justice and don’t help the reader at all in being able to visualize the uniqueness of the building. There are no interior photographs, at all. At least I purchased this Kindle version on sale. But I am tempted to buy another Dakota book that was published in 2015. There is still so much I’d like to learn about the Dakota.

Very informative, fascinating book

Life at the Dakota is a strange, unconventional and often times wonderful place. It's exclusivity doesn't allow many people to see these sides of it, but in Life at the Dakota: New York's Most Unusual Address, Stephen Birmingham gives everyone a glimpse at the luxury life that was originally referred to as Clark's Folly.This book does a good job at covering the history of Edward Clark, the building's founder, as well as the building itself. And along with that, you can't forget to include some history of New York itself and New York high society, including both inherited wealth as well as the nouveau riche. You get the inside scoop about the good and the bad side of tenants, from in-fighting, bigotry and wild parties to completely renovating the history out of certain apartments. The place also has plenty of ghosts to keep residents and readers busy.What you won't discover in this book is anything to do with modern-day living in the Dakota. I didn't realize that this was not a comprehensive history of the building until about halfway through the book, when you realize some of the living tenants the author interviewed are long gone. The book was actually published in 1979, so more modern events (including John Lennon's death) are not addressed in the book. Some versions apparently have an additional afterward, but my copy did not. If you want to know what's going on there these days, the one-bedroom #97 is available for a cool $1.69 million (not that I've been looking or anything...).

bella lettura, con notizie storiche e curiosità , con personaggi realmente esistiti

I have always enjoyed books by this author. "Life at the Dakota" is no exception. The historical background of the building is very thoroughly presented, the authors interviews with various residents ( past and present) are extremely enlightening. My only "complaint" is that the book is old...the contents are only valid thru 1978 or so. I would love to see a book with the author picking up where Birmingham left off. Plus, I would very much like to see pictures of some of the apartments themselves, and/or diagrams of the apts interiors. I'm sure there is a lot more information left to be written about the grand Dakota and her residents!

en perfecto estado y me encanta el libro

Stephen Birmingham’s account of the history of the Dakota is a compelling read. It’s well researched and brings the whole development and merry go round story of occupancy to life.It’s a thrilling slice of social history; in the mid to late 1800s New York was a thriving bustling city, looking for identity and direction. I had no idea that the Singer of sewing machine fame was involved in the initial development of the building. It’s quirky and iconic, much like many of the residents. This is also their tale of life almost beyond imagination. Some eccentrics, film stars, latterly the Lennon’s and a host of support staff to ensure the smooth day to day running if these apartments.There were wrangles over ownership and development proposals over the years and this account brings everything to vivid life. Really enjoyed the story.

So very very boring. The worse kind of money is the best.