Dakota Apartments, Central Park West

The Dakota Apartments at 1 West 72nd Street, seen from Central Park in the early 20th century. The car models seen near the main entrance were built around 1920 (enlargement on the right).

Central Park West is in the foreground, heading north to the right. This avenue is a continuation of the Eighth Avenue, north of Columbus Circle.

The building has a large inner courtyard that gives every room in the house light, sunlight and ventilation. The main entrance, on W 72nd Street, consists of a large stone archway with an iron gate and with three windows above. A second iron gate opens into the courtyard. A glass-enclosed passageway runs along the west side of the courtyard. On the seventh floor level a stone balcony with an iron railing runs along the West 72nd Street and Central Park West facades and partially along the West 73rd Street façade. At each corner of the central courtyard is a passenger elevator and stairway. On floors two through seven; only two or three apartments are served by each elevator and stairway, as there is no corridor linking other apartments. The corner stairways have iron balusters with wooden railings; from the first to second floors there is marble wainscoting, and above the second floor there is wooden wainscoting.

Photograph by Wurts Brothers. Source: The New York Public Library.