Built in the late 1880s, the Dakota was one of the first luxury apartment buildings in New York, and it remains among the city’s most desirable—and iconic—addresses. In the new book The Dakota: A History of the World’s Best-Known Apartment Building (Princeton Architectural Press, $55), architectural historian Andrew Alpern explores the past of the grand structure, offering rare photographs, close-ups of its intricate ornamentation, and even composite floor plans for all ten stories. The book also gives a peek into the apartments of some of its most famous residents over the years—though it skips “the juicy tales and tabloid gossip,” keeping the focus on the Dakota’s influence on the housing culture and landscape of New York City.
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Built in the late 1880s, the Dakota was one of the first luxury apartment buildings in New York, and it remains among the city’s most desirable addresses. In The Dakota: A History of the World’s Best-Known Apartment Building (Princeton Architectural Press, $55), architectural historian Andrew Alpern explores the grand structure. Pictured is an early image from Central Park of the Dakota rising on the then-sparse Upper West Side. Today Manhattan is an island teeming with luxury condos, but back in the late 19th century, the idea of living under a shared roof was still novel for the city’s elite. The Dakota lured them with 14-foot ceilings, state-of-the-art kitchens, elevators, private courtyards, and servants’ quarters to boot.
