The Dakota (Photo: © Greg Brodsky)
The New York City neighborhood in which John Lennon called home for years has many iconic locations that serve to remind us of his legacy there. His wife, Yoko Ono, continues to live at The Dakota apartment building at the corner of Central Park West and W. 72 St. that the couple shared for years.
Directly across the street in Central Park are both Strawberry Fields and the lovely Imagine mosaic.
The John Lennon Tree (Photo: © Greg Brodsky)
Add another to the list, albeit temporarily. Carmen Paulino, who calls herself a community artist, has wrapped a tree on 79th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave., with a crocheted artwork she calls the John Lennon Tree. The elaborate installation went up in June and is the handiwork of Paulino, herself a local from Spanish Harlem, with the assistance of several others. It’s conveniently located in front of a yarn store named Knitty City, which provided Paulino with the materials.
“I’ve always volunteered and been involved in the community,” Paulino told the blog West Side Rag. “When the pandemic came, I thought the Lennon Tree Project would be good for people who were stuck at home and wanted to do something, people who were lonely and had lost their jobs.”
It’s not known how long it will last, given its exposure to the elements.
For those interested in visiting some of the area’s other Lennon landmarks, Strawberry Fields is directly across from The Dakota. Its official page on the Central Park website notes that “Ono worked with landscape architect and the Central Park Conservancy to create a memorial that would preserve Lennon’s legacy as a visionary of world peace.” The Imagine mosaic is within the landscaped area’s 2.5 acres.
Related: Lennon was commemorated with a “Forever” stamp by the U.S.P.S. in 2018
In 2020, many books are being published to commemorate Lennon’s 80th birthday (and the 40th anniversary of his death). One such titled is John Lennon 1980; we interviewed its author, the noted Beatles historian Kenneth Womack.
In addition, the 50th anniversary of the album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, will be commemorated this fall with the release of a book, John & Yoko Plastic Ono Band. The book is available for pre-order in the U.S. here and the U.K. here. [An expanded edition of the recording is also anticipated.]
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationJohn Lennon God rest his soul what a Beatle he helped change the world it’s a shame people still exist at least he’s locked up I would Luv to visit many places in New York I can just imagine what his close friends the Beatles went threw and Ono I had a chance to meet Sean when he was at Woolys in DSM IA Tracy Welch