John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first New York home is available to buy
A slice of musical history has just gone up for sale in New York. For fans of John Lennon or Yoko Ono who happen to have more than $5million in their pocket, the couple’s first NYC apartment has gone on the market.
Landing on the market with an opening price of $5.5million, the apartment is a two-story loft-style building at 496 Broome Street in SoHo. During the 1970s, the SoHo area was a thriving place for the city’s artists as the various old warehouse buildings, with their exposed brick and industrial details, were repurposed as apartments or studios. Lennon and Yoko were among the crowd that flocked to the now gentrified and sought-after location.
The couple moved to New York in 1971, leaving the UK after The Beatles split. At first, they stayed at the St. Regis Hotel or a rental apartment at 105 Bank Street in the West Village. When Lennon released his second solo album, Imagine, they decided to put down roots in the city.
It’s unknown how much the couple paid for the apartment when they purchased it, but it’s unlikely to be the eye-watering multi-million price it’s listed for in 2024. However, in the years that Lennon and Yoko owned the property, they made it historic with a bustling cast of visitors. Their home became a meeting spot for the artists, musicians and poets in their circle, likely including some huge names and potentially other members of The Beatles.
The pair quickly outgrew the property and moved uptown to their more well-known address at the Dakota, on Central Park West and 72nd Street. That complex was known for housing many celebrities. At one point or another, Judy Garland, Paul Simon and Leonard Bernstein all lived there. Lennon and Yoko owned five units in the luxurious building as they raised their son, Sean Yoko Lennon, there. It was outside this building that Lennon was tragically shot dead in 1980.
Even after the couple moved, they still kept hold of their place on Broome Street. They added to the value even more by using the apartment as a recording studio or a base for other creative endeavours.
Ono now lives on a farm in the Catskills but still owns their apartment at the Dakota. After 53 years, she’s finally letting go of their earliest NYC apartment as it goes up for sale on behalf of herself and her son.
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