Running head: JOHN LENNONS MARK ON NEW YORK

Stephanie Annunziata John Lennons Mark on New York Molloy College

JOHN LENNONS MARK ON NEW YORK

John Lennon was born and raised in Liverpool, England, where his professional career as a musician began. It wasnt until the mid 1960s that John and The Beatles first performed in the United States. That performance took place at Shea Stadium in 1964. From then on John Lennon knew that he was in love with New York. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married in 1969, and with a common love for the city they moved into an apartment on Bank Street in Greenwich Village. Before that, they hopped from hotel to hotel with no sense of permanence. Yoko encouraged John to learn all about the city and examine all aspects of the streets of New York. John loved the fast paced, non-stop nature of New York City, he appreciated that the people living there had no time for nonsense. For Lennon, this city provided a sense of privacy. Although it was a crowded metropolis, while walking down the heavily populated streets John knew that he could live a peaceful life without the bombardment of paparazzi or fans. The beauty of the hustle and bustle of New York City is that people are just as busy as you are, and even though they may enjoy seeing celebrities, they will not alter their day for them. As the song goes live and let live and that was the mindset of the New Yorkers that surrounded Johns life at that time (Kane, 2007). With the intentions of having a family, John and Yoko were in desperate need of a bigger living space. So in April of 1973 the two bought a home in the Dakota Apartments located at Central Park West on Seventy Second Street. John loved this part of the city for its vicinity to Central Park. He and Yoko enjoyed strolling through the wooded area and gardens that the park provided. Close to him were also restaurants, coffee shops and theaters, which gave him many ways to enjoy his free time. The Dakota Apartments were bought by Edward C. Clarke in 1884. At first, the location of the building was not practical. It was so far north on the island and surrounded by vacant land and shanties, people joked that it may as well be located in the bland

JOHN LENNONS MARK ON NEW YORK Dakota territory. The name was given more direct physical representation when, during construction, high above the Seventy-second Street entrance, a statue of a Dakota Indian was erected (Kane, 2007 Pg. 19). The building is beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. It was known for housing many famous people such as Boris Karloff, Lauren Bacall, Jose Ferrer,

Judy Garland and composer Leonard Bernstein. John Lennon enjoyed being a citizen of the city, he loved the neighborhoods of New York very much. In a video found on American Masters, John and Yoko are seen walking through Central Park, and he discusses the personal freedom that he has found living in New York City. He says that he loves going out to eat or going to the movies, and the things that he could not do while he was in the Beatles are now more realistic for him. He is okay with someone occasionally walking up to him for an autograph or a handshake, but it is nothing like the swarm of crowds that would bombard him in England in the early years of his career (John and Yoko, 2010). At approximately 10:52 on the evening of December 8, 1980 John Lennon was shot in the back outside the Dakota Apartments. John was coming back from a recording session at the Hit Factory in Midtown Manhattan with his wife Yoko. Earlier that day, John Lennon signed an autograph for an eerie looking man named Mark David Chapman. Little did he know, this would be the man that would shoot six bullets at him only a few hours later. Chapman awaited Lennon outside the Dakota until he arrived home with Yoko. After he shot Lennon, and completely avoided Yoko, who was standing right beside him, he began to pace back and forth waving his revolver in an agitated way. Then he shouted threats and warnings at the witnesses and doormen, while John was helped up the stairway to the security office. Chapman sat down on the curb and began reading J.D Salingers the Catcher in the Rye. John was put in a police car and raced to the hospital and Chapman was arrested on the spot and led away from the scene with a demonic

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smirk on his face. The next day, the killer was arraigned and charged with murder. At the time of the arrest he only had on him the book, a .38 caliber snub-nosed revolver and $2,201.76 in cash. It was apparent to the police that this man had every intention to kill John Lennon that night. Within an hour of the announcement of Lennons death, more than 750 people had gathered outside the Dakota with candles and flowers. Everyone mourned and cried, and some people sang the songs of the Beatles and John. All across the world the news spread and people paid respects by conducting vigils in honor of John. A Lennon Wall was painted in Prague in honor of John with anti-war slogans despite the political turmoil of the time. People all over the globe commiserated together and paid homage to the dream maker that was John Lennon. On October 9 1985, Lennons 45th Birthday, Strawberry Fields opened in Central Park. With the help if the widowed Yoko Ono, architect Bruce Kelly and the Central Park Conservancy created this peaceful place where people could come from all over the world to remember the late John Lennon. The iconic black-and-white mosaic was created by Italian craftsmen and given as a gift by the city of Naples. Based on a Greco-Roman design, it bears the word of another of Lennon's songs: Imagine (Strawberry Fields, 2010). Yoko placed an ad in the New York Times for plants and rocks from countries around the world for Strawberry Fields. The Peace Garden was created with plants that are suitable for all climates, as well as a bench and a totem pole, all donated from 150 nations across the globe. The 2.5 acre area near Central Park West and 72nd street is visible from the seventh floor of the Dakota Apartments, where Yoko Ono still lives. It is a beautiful and peaceful space where people can come and remember the impact that John Lennon had on New York as well as the rest of the world (Wright, 2008). John Lennon shared a love for New York with many people. It is remarkable that so much of the history of New York is dedicated to this musical and political icon. Even though

JOHN LENNONS MARK ON NEW YORK much of his later years were dedicated to activism and political issues, people maintained their love and respect for him. It is a shame that he could not live a longer life, but according to him

Were either going to live or were going to die. If were dead, were going to have to deal with that; if were alive, were going to have to deal with being alive. So worrying about whether Wall Street, or the Apocalypse is going to come in the form of the great beast, is not going to do us any good day-to-day (Kane, 2001, pg.22). I am sure that he fulfilled many of his dreams during his time on earth and he would have considered his life to have been lived to its fullest. John Lennon left a mark on the hearts of many and especially on the heart of New York.

JOHN LENNONS MARK ON NEW YORK References John and yoko walk in central park. (2010, October 15). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/lennonyc/john-and-yoko-walk-incentral-park/1673/ Kane, L. (2007). Lennon revealed. Philadelphia Pennsylvannia: Running Press. Strawberry Fields. (2010) Retrieved from http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-tosee/south-end/strawberry-fields.html Wright, C. (2008). Blue guide new york. (4 ed.). Somerset: Somerset Books.