[55] A cast-iron fence separates the areaway from the sidewalk. The writing is evocative, historically rich, and mysterious.Beginning in London, we meet Sara Smythe, a housekeeper at the Langham and follow her on a journey across the Atlantic where she lands in the outskirts of a developing NYC. [150] By the mid-1960s, members of the co-op had to pay carrying charges of up to $14,400 a year, in addition to a maximum down payment of $60,000 on their apartments. The Dakota apartment building is one of the most architecturally significant places in New York City. [50] Images show that the garden was surrounded by a fence, and the area above the mechanical plant was further enclosed by a hedge. The board of directors decided to instead conduct a smaller-scale renovation. Canadian-born, New York City-based novelist Fiona Davis has discovered a winning formula for her fiction: pair the history of a real-life landmark building with the imagined lives of those who might have lived or worked there, and structure the story as a dual narrative with alternating time periods. [107][108] The building initially did not have a name, even after the foundations were completed in early 1881. ], Author| Interviewer |Book Reviewer| Photographer. Two generations ago, Baileys grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. [17][43][26] This driveway was used to deliver goods and "commodities of housekeeping", as well as remove garbage and ashes. [86] Artist Giora Novak occupied a minimalist space within the building's former dining room, which he decorated with his own artwork,[86][87] while interior designer Ward Bennett repurposed a servant's living area under the roof as a studio. - An architect, died in New York City, March 1, 1924. [124] All of the Dakota's residents were wealthy, although not particularly famous. Before Lennon was shot to death outside of the Dakota, hereported seeing a ghost in the halls. [129] Even in 1890, the row houses on the same block were bringing more income than was the Dakota. [162] At the time, the courtyard was leaking badly, and the breezeway on the western side of the courtyard was "practically held up by paint". : What do you find most rewarding about writing historical fiction? Rehab has brought her back but now she must rely on others to help her through. On one side of the basement were heated and illuminated storerooms in which tenants could store items for free. Ono even claims to have heard Lennon's ghost speak. Martha Verda Camden. However, what makes the Dakota building history more fascinating than most is the close ties that it has to many notable people. It was my favorite book I was horse crazy but deeply moved by the characters insights and transformation and I mustve checked out the book dozens of times to re-read. In 1886, house numbers on the Upper West Side were renumbered based on distance from Central Park West (Eighth Avenue), so the Dakota became 1 West 72nd Street. : So I have to know: which characters were real and which were from your imagination? When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibility - no mean feat for a servant "[117][213] Two years later, H. W. Fabian referred to the Dakota as the "most excellent of any of the kind in New York",[53][214] and M. G. Van Renneslaer said the Dakota was the only apartment building she had ever seen that "merits praise". [173], The Dakota's board maintains a set of house rules for residents and their guests; in 2011, The New York Times characterized several of the rules as appearing "like they could have been drafted when the building opened". Shes a graduate of the College of William & Mary and the Columbia UniversityGraduate School of Journalism and is based in New York City. In 1921 he was made a member of the American Institute of Architects. Clark announced plans for an apartment complex at the site in 1879 and work began in late October 1880. [29][30] It measures 16ft (4.9m) wide and 20ft (6.1m) tall. [30][64] The floor surfaces consist of 9in-thick (23cm) earthen subfloors above 9-inch-thick slabs of concrete. In fact, Ive been searching for Nellie Blys TEN DAYS IN A MADHOUSE for years! [26][67] The main section of the basement is directly under the courtyard and has an asphaltum floor. [23][143] Since the building had been designated a New York City landmark five years prior,[152] the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had to review every proposed modification to the exterior. The Dakota has historically been home to many artists, actors, and musicians, including John Lennon, who was murdered outside the building in 1980. [80] The building's facade was again renovated starting in 2015. [138] Whereas the Dakota underwent few alterations in its first fifty years, the neighborhood changed dramatically during that period. [137] The New York Times wrote in the 1920s that the Dakota "has always maintained its old-time popularity". Strawberry Fields, just across the street from the Dakota, is an important location in the book as well. [73] This gave residents a feeling of privacy, since tenants were largely separated both from each other and from servants. [143], By the 1950s, the servants' quarters on the upper stories had been converted to apartments. It's possible that the ghost John Lennon talked about seeing made appearances in front of several other people. The pumps could draw up to 210^6U.S.gal (7,600,000L) of water per day, and over 200mi (320km) of pipes delivered water to each apartment. [16][17] Additionally, 72nd Street is 100ft (30m) wide, making it one of several major crosstown streets in the Manhattan street grid. Ive lived on the Upper West Side for twenty-five years, and had walked by the Dakota hundreds of times, staring up at those enormous windows, wondering what it was like to live there. Glickman planned to build New York City's largest apartment building on the site. [159] The Dakota's board decided to repair the most deteriorated bricks rather than replace the whole facade. WebBut when a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house The Dakota, leads to a job offer, her world is suddenly awash in possibility--no mean feat for a servant in 1884. [50][52][61] Portraits of a man and woman (probably Edward C. Clark's partner Isaac Merritt Singer and Isaac's wife Isabella Boyer Singer) are placed above the doorway. Oh but theres moreand to say too much would be giving it all awaylets just saytheres love and loss, success and ruin, mystery, poor decisions, passion and madness that drive the plot. L.L. [155] The building was also depicted in Jack Finney's 1970 novel Time and Again. The building was not given its name until mid-1882, and Clark died before the Dakota was completed in October 1884. As I dug deeper into its history, I knew it was the perfect choice for a dual-narrative historical fiction novel. The building is a National Historic Landmark and has been designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. WebView Theodore Camden (1918)'s memorial on Fold3. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. [4][5][6] The building occupies the western sidewalk of Central Park West (formerly Eighth Avenue[6][7]) between 72nd Street to the south and 73rd Street to the north. [102][103] Between 1880 and 1885, more than ninety apartment buildings were developed in the city. [20] The row houses were in the middle of the block, where land values were lower, whereas the Dakota was built on the more valuable site next to Central Park. [167] Notable residents of the Dakota have included:.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}, As at other luxury apartment buildings in New York City, some of the Dakota's residents use their units as pieds-a-terre rather than as their primary residences. [101] During the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class, but by the late 19th century, apartments were also becoming desirable among the middle and upper classes. [30][67][71] Between the first and second stories, the walls of the staircases are wainscoted with marble. [106][110] Work was slightly delayed by a labor strike in March 1882. Additionally, Lennonstated that he saw a UFO from one of his apartment windows. [17][43] There was also a wine cellar, which was empty by the 1960s. [45] The facade also contains Nova Scotia sandstone trim and terracotta detailing. [217], Praise for the building continued in later years. [158] By the late 1980s, people in the financial industry comprised an increasing proportion of the Dakota's residents; previously, many residents had worked in the arts. The opportunity to move to America, where a person can rise aboveone'sstation. People still flock to the outside of the Dakota decades after John Lennon's death. [17][30], The building's main entrance is a double-height archway on 72nd Street to the south. Writers Sarah Bradford Landau and Carl W. Condit described the building as being built in a German Renaissance Revival style,[25] but a contemporary source described the building's design as being patterned after "the period of Francis I". What research did you do? [76] Beside servants' quarters, there was a playroom and a gymnasium on the roof, which was labeled as the "tenth story". [4][9][10] Nearby locations include the Majestic apartment building immediately to the south, the Olcott Hotel to the west, the Langham apartment building to the north, and Central Park (including the Strawberry Fields memorial) to the east. The row houses and the large apartment building were part of a larger plan that Clark had for the Upper West Side. In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. 1875 - 1943. [156][157] The Dakota's board had rejected numerous high-profile personalities who had wanted to move into the building. Fresh out of rehab, the former party girl and interior designer is homeless, jobless and penniless. [164][165] The Dakota had 85 co-op units by the 2010s. In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. It's impossible to verify what Lennon said he saw, but if the building holds a curse, there could be a connection. [65][69] After Edward C. Clark's death, Hardenbergh never designed another building for the Clark family;[63][117] their final collaboration, the Ontiora at Seventh Avenue and 55th Street, was similar in design to the Dakota. [35], The construction of Central Park in the 1860s spurred construction in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but similar development in the Upper West Side was slower to come. He described her as the "crying ladyghost." [60] The archway is flanked by pedestals with metal urns, and there are three windows in the upper portion of the archway. "[128][216] Architectural Record even spoke critically of the building's high quality, saying in 1902 that the fact that the Dakota was the best-designed apartment house along Central Park West "is not especially encouraging as an architectural sign of the times". [25][30][64][b] The superstructure includes rolled steel beams on each floor, spaced every 3 to 4ft (0.91 to 1.22m) and measuring 6 to 12in (150 to 300mm) deep. If anyone has read that book and remembers the title, please reach out to me! [81] The Dakota's construction drawings are no longer extant, so the original arrangement of the apartments is known only from written descriptions. [48] The steam plant in the basement, as well as the building's eight hydraulic elevators, were powered by water that was collected from the roof and from underneath each apartment's radiators. [26][30][64] The perimeter walls tapered in thickness from 28in (710mm) at the first story to 16in (410mm) above the sixth story. [131] The Dakota's completion spurred the construction of other large apartment buildings in the area,[129][131] several of which were named after regions in the western United States. The next book will be set at Grand Central Terminal one of New York Citys most famous iconic buildings and Im having a blast working on it. "[9][10] In September 1884, the Real Estate Record reported that the Dakota "will be ready for occupancy October 1" at a yearly rent of $1,500 to $5,000 and that one-quarter of the units had already been rented. [53] An entrance to the New York City Subway's 72nd Street station, served by the B and C trains,[54] is built within this areaway. [76] The building particularly appealed to theatrical figures because of its proximity to the Broadway Theater District, which was also on the West Side. The challenge comes when you have to narrow down the plot and characters and come up with a story that accurately represents the time periods but also keeps the reader guessing. Another reward is hearing from readers. [21][34] A group of businessmen formed the West Side Association the same year. WebThe Amphitheatre and Harbor Park were a gift by Mary Louise Curtis Bok in 1931. [17][43] The original plans had called for the dining area to be accessible to the general public,[34][82] but the plans were modified before the building opened, and the dining room only served residents. The Clarks were unable to sell the plot with that restriction, and the Langham apartment building was erected on the site. [149] The Mayfair was completed on the adjacent site in 1964; according to The New York Times, no plans were ever filed for a larger building on the Dakota's site. Fresh out of rehab, the former party girl and interior designer is homeless, jobless, and penniless. : In my former career, I was a child/adolescent psych R.N. ; a Description of One of the Most Perfect Apartment Houses in the World", "The Dakota Finds Repairs To a Landmark Are Costly", "New Buildings of Prominence New York City", "Bus Seekers Talk of Horse-car Days; Meet in Oldest Central Park West Apartments to Fight 'Old-Fashioned Trolley. Originally, arched balconies connected the gables. [50] The quarters of the house staff were in the basement and included bedrooms; bathrooms and dining rooms for men and women; and a smoking room and reading room for men. [153], The Dakota gained attention when one of its residents, musician John Lennon, was shot dead outside the building on December 8, 1980. Fresh out of rehab, the former party girl and interior designer is homeless, jobless and penniless. [139] On the Dakota's 50th anniversary, the New York Herald Tribune described the building as standing "firmly on its unimpeachable foundations; somewhat shorter than its neighbors but immeasurably more impressive". [17][43] There were 300 electric bells and 4,000 electric lights, all powered by the mechanical plant to the west of the building. Fresh out of rehab and struggling with staying sober, she gets offered a job by her cousin, Melinda, to oversee the Renovation of The Dakota. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. [15][113] Though the Clark family never denied this story,[65] its veracity is disputed, as contemporary publications did not discuss the building's remoteness. William Craig Camden. [23] Hardenbergh filed plans for an eight-story "Family Hotel" at the site in September 1880, at which point it was planned to cost one million dollars. [18][47][48] The decision to place the mechanical plant under a garden, rather than directly under the building, was a deliberate measure to reassure residents in case the machinery exploded. [44][45], To the west of the Dakota was another garden, below which was the building's mechanical plant. Fall book wreath from L. Lindsays archives. 1875 - 1942. [9][10] The design has been characterized as being in various architectural styles. [35], The 72nd Street elevation contain projecting turrets, which rise the entire height of the facade. [167] The others were 88 Central Park West, 101 Central Park West, the San Remo, and the Beresford. There is also a security guard's booth to the west of the main entrance. [118] Work on the Dakota was delayed in August 1883 when the plasterers went on strike to protest the employment of non-union laborers at the site. The building was one of the first large developments on the Upper West Side and is the oldest remaining luxury apartment building in New York City. Some of the smaller apartments had been combined over the years, and several units were restored to their original layouts. A New York Herald Tribune article in 1929 noted that the Clarks have "for years resisted all attempts at purchase". [26][67][c] The initial plans had called for six[77][78] or eight apartments of about equal size on each of the seven lowest floors. [156] The Dakota has also appeared in several popular media works, including Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. [17][43] Residents could also order food from the basement kitchen to be delivered to their rooms. [6] In its first two years, the Dakota was not profitable. I know THE ADDRESS was inspired, in part by your work on THE DOLLHOUSE, but what more can you tell us about the origins of this tale? L.L. The main entrance is a double-height archway on 72nd Street, which leads to the courtyard. What might have I forgotten to ask about? THE ADDRESS is constructed in dual-time periods, 1884 and 1985 respectively, which draws a natural suspense. [28] Because the Dakota was one of the city's earliest luxury apartment buildings, the floor plans resembled those of traditional row houses. [74], At each corner of the courtyard, four wrought-bronze staircases and four residents' elevators lead from the entrances to the upper stories. The Amphitheatre, designed by Fletcher Steele and considered the first public Modernist landscape, and the adjacent Harbor Park, designed by the Olmsted firm under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., represent a rare interface between the two designers. The Dakota occupies the western side of Central Park West between 72nd and 73rd Streets. I absolutely loved the clear sense of place in THE ADDRESS, the vivid details and found it to be a very engaging piece of historical fiction. You can find her atwww.FionaDavis.net. [145] The residents announced plans to buy the building from the Glickman Corporation in April 1961 for $4.8 million. Her historical fiction debut, The Dollhouse, was published in 2016. One hundred years later, in 1985 NYC, Bailey Camden is an interior designer charged with renovating The Dakota. [1] The building is topped by gables at each of its corners. [18] Above the sixth story is a stone cornice, which separates the seventh story and the roof from the rest of the facade. WebThe year is 1885 and brilliant architect Theodore Camden offers London hotel housekeeper Sara Smythe a once-in-a-lifetime chance to accompany Camden to New York to manage the Dakota, an apartment building on Manhattans Upper West Side, which he helped to build. [29] The roof is covered with slate tiles, and dormer windows and corbeled brick chimneys protrude from the roof at multiple locations. The Dakota was constructed between 1880 and 1884 in the Renaissance Revival style and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh for businessman Edward Cabot Clark. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [69] Parlors were generally 25 by 40ft (7.6 by 12.2m). [136] Images show that, in the first decades of the 20th century, some dormer windows were added on the roof of the building. After reading TEN DAYS IN A MADHOUSE, I took the tram over to whats now called Roosevelt Island to visit the remaining structure, the Octagon, which today serves as the lobby to a condo. In a 1932 New Yorker article, the Dakota was described as being "as close to organic architecture as its most up-to-date neighbor: that is, they are both about fifty years away from the real thing". Nellie Bly, a journalist for the New York World during the 1880s, actually went by the name Nellie Brown when she went undercover to expose the injustices at Blackwells Island Asylum. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. [27] The west elevation, facing the former yard, was sparsely ornamented. I was so taken with THE ADDRESS mainly because it combines several of my passions: architecture, interior design, and madness. According to witnesses, the paranormal figure wore outdated clothing. There aren't many Hollywood stories more tragic than Marilyn Monroe's. Leslie Lindsay: Fiona, its a pleasure to welcome you back to the blog couch. 2: Life with the Lions, Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon, Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon, The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute: Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC, Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon, Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon, Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits, Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dakota&oldid=1133964428, Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register, Condominiums and housing cooperatives in Manhattan, New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan, Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan, Historic district contributing properties in Manhattan, Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in New York (state), Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using New York City Subway service templates, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles with MusicBrainz place identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Second to fourth stories: 20 to 24in (510 to 610mm), Fifth and sixth stories: 16 to 20in (410 to 510mm), Seventh to ninth stories: 12 to 16in (300 to 410mm), This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 09:50. WebThe Dakota in New York is Americas first luxury apartment building, designed by the architect Theodore Camden.
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