Interested in books about the architecture and history of the Dakota, Friar Park, and Tittenhurst Park? I've written a bunch about them. You can find all of them on Amazon and elsewhere. Buying my books helps support my research and productions. Thank you! tinyurl.com/DakotaHistoryCardinal
In my business / professional career I worked somewhat closely with a man who lived, together with his wife, in the Dakota. On afternoon, in the nineties, while sitting in a hotel bar in Los Angeles waiting for a car to take us to the airport, I asked him if he knew Lauren Bacall. He said that he didn’t really know her, but, given they lived in the same building, was a acquainted with her. The he said, “You know John, when I see her in the hallway and she says (mimicking a throaty voice”) Hello Barrie, even though she’s 20 years older than I am, my knees just buckle”.
Amongst the Billionaire’s stark, somewhat cold, high rises of today, it’s a pleasure to step back to where simple elegance, beautiful architecture and lifelong memories create a space for such an endearing Hollywood legend we can remember fondly for the rest of our days.
I think her home is charming, To all those who dont like knick knacks and objets d'art try to remember that her own first priority was that she was a wife, mother and stepmother and being a "style icon" came way down the list, It looks like a comfortable home with lots of interesting things to look at to me. My dear friend Alan Merrill had this memory of her "I had a few good friends at McBurney School. One kid who lived on my block, and was in my class was Jason Robards Jr., a nice kid. He lived on the corner next to Central Park in the Dakota on West 72nd Street with his dad and stepmother, actors Jason Robards, and Lauren Bacall. Lauren almost ran me over once as I walked up 72nd Street toward Central Park. She was driving Jason Jr. somewhere, and after she nearly hit me, Jason waved hello. Bacall was both livid and puzzled. How did Jason know this bizarre looking kid with the long hair and the cape? I could see him explain, and her face relaxed. She had a very expressive face. Years later, when I was in London with the group Meat Loaf, I went to lunch with my friend, the model Marie Helvin at San Lorenzo in Beauchamp Place. Marie and I were talking, and out of the blue, Lauren Bacall leaned over our table and started talking to the designer Valentino at the next table. "Hi Mrs. Robards" I said, wondering if she would remember. "Do I know you?" she said in a friendly way. "I'm the guy you almost ran over! You know, the hippie kid from McBurney? Jason and I were in the same class at school". Her face lit up, and she happily filled me in on Jason's adult adventures. It was nice seeing her again." ~AlanMerrill~
That apartment building is from an era of unchecked opulence that is no more. Now, apartment buildings go up and come down in the blink of an eye and they're not made to last. Thanks for an inside view.
It’s so refreshing to see a “home” not just an apartment or house. Her home reflects her personality, all the things she loved and collected throughout her life. It’s comfortable, comforting, warm, inviting. Too many celebrity residences are carbon copies of each other, monotone, monochromatic, cold, lifeless, cold marble, chrome like a medical facility.
I was in her apartment a few times many years ago because she was a friend of my (former) boss. That building is just wow - in every way. I love looking in people’s houses.
@@artby1285 She was Betty from the Bronx. She did not put on airs and graces nor "interior designed" her home to impress others. She lived the way she wanted to live, a very comfortable and cozy place.
@@artby1285but that's what makes it her home, she was surrounded by things that she admired and probably, many of those things would hold personal memories, so it doesn't matter if anyone else liked it and that's exactly how a home should be, whether it's minimalist or eccentric, rented or bought, doesn't matter , it's how you make it your own.
In the 1970s I was at circle in the square for a play and at intermission was waiting on line for the ladies room( I THINK it was circle in the square..anyway up walked Lauren Bacall and Maureen Stapleton..Bacall asks me if I know which way the Men’s room is,so I answered her and Stapleton says “c’mon Betty we’ll go there they’.ll let us in I’m not waitin 15 mins. For this one” Bacall politely says thank you and I’m standing there IN shock having witnessed this exchange…and THATS why I live in NYC!!!
Somehow it makes me happy that the great Lauren Bacall surrounded herself with art, sculpture, and just little items that altho eclectic must have greatly appealed to her. The decor is both brave and inviting.
Back in the Seventies Betty went overseas for a film. Her son Stephen decide to have a party with a few friends. It ended up being over 100 people. Someone called Betty and told her and she called Stephen and told him he better get all those people out of her home immediately. When she arrived back home she found not one thing was broken or stolen from her home. Never happen these days!
Lauren Bacall came up to me when I worked in a dress shop in South Hampton. I thought she looked familiar, but I did not realize who she was. We discussed young women choosing not to wear bras. After she left, the other sales girls grabbed me saying, "That was Lauren Bacall!"
When I stayed at the Dakota back in the early 90s as a guest, I spoke with the night guard every night as I would get in just after midnight. They talked about the other famous people that lived there and told me that when one of the long timeguests passed away. He had a horse drawn carriage pull out the compound. I want to say it was Leonard Bernstein, but I don’t remember for sure I do recall it was a famous composer. Bernstein lived in the Dakota building from 1975 until his death in 1990. That sounds about correct because I believe I stayed there in 1991.
I inadvertently bumped into Ms Bacall in the mid 1980s. She was so gracious and breathtakingly beautiful. Her dress, jewellery, hair and make-up looked like she had just stepped off a film set. I am not at all surprised that her apartment in the Dakota was exquisite.
Love her home, her style - not pretentious just pure class, understated elegance, absolutely nothing fake or put on. Her wonderful eclectic furniture, so rustic some refined, yet all seamless. The artwork is to swoon over.
I agree it’s just that I didn’t expect this. No reall Regis rugs or drapes and very understated fabrics I just somehow expected more glamour. More opulence. But must understand the era she was at her peak in. And the art oh my!
A wonderful tour of her beautiful apartment. I absolutely love her eclectic taste in art, very well placed. She had a great knack for interior design of her space. ❤❤
Thank you for this. I fell in love with the Dakota after reading a book about it. This was a rare privilege to see the interior. Her eclectic style was captivating. She obviously used what she loved and not what an interior designer might have. Just eye candy and such a treat.
When I was about 20 around 1968, I was crossing Central Park and lo and behold Lauren Bacall was walking straight towards me with a very handsome young man (probably her son?). It was shocking see her face not four feet from my own. And it was impossible not to instantly note the beauty and casual class she exuded. I'm sure she was familiar with the sort of double take I did as New Yorkers of the time no matter how humble their own origins would have known her face from film and tv screens. 😎I am trying to become a graceful and elegant old woman too. Wish me luck.
To Have and To Have Not, Lauren had. Her apartment looks like her, graceful and elegant but comfortable. She and Kate are my two favorite actresses. Thanks for sharing this tour.
I don't have a huge knowledge of art, but her taste...Oh! Plus I spied one of her neighbor, John Lennon's sketches of Yoko and himself on the wall. (at 7:00 in)
“To Have and Have Not” was one of my favourite movies and I have often quoted Lauren Bacall’s famous line in the movie. I was such a fan of Lauren Bacall for as long as I can remember and Bogie too! In fact I named two of my earlier cats who have now deceased “Bogie” a boy and “Bacall” his sister.
I wore a Frank Sinatra T-shirt to an autograph session at a Los Angeles bookstore where Lauren Bacall was signing her book. I had planned to try to get "a reaction" out of her when she saw my Frank Sinatra shirt since she had such a history with Mr. Sinatra, not all of it good. However ---- I covered my shirt up with my jacket after observing her meeting and greeting fans in the line. She was more gracious and kind than any other celebrity I had ever seen at that bookstore. She was NOT snobbish, not condescending, just humble and kind and lovely, and took extra time with a young woman in a wheelchair. I had no idea that Lauren Bacall was that kind and lovely, since she was a big movie star. I never let her see my Sinatra shirt. She was just too nice to annoy!
My daughter lives on W 78th. I just got back last week from visiting, and I walked passed the Dakota several times. I have often wondered about what it's like inside, as it is a majestic building to see. The gas lamps are always lit in front....very cool.
I hope it is well maintained. It is a very decorative building. I think nicer than the New York block systems. Not a cram them in, give them less and charge them more. Like a city toilet block.
I've been fascinated with the Dakota since watching Rosemary's Baby. I thought it would be an amazing place to live. I really appreciate this closer look!
I love the study📚.... especially that fireplace🔥!! What an incredible apartment! I don't know Lauren's films well, and I didn't know about her marriages💍to other famous actors. My grandpa was married to an actress once (she had small roles on TV📺 shows such as I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Colegate Comedy Hour with Dean Martin...and she starred in a few films too). He was married to the actress (Jil) before she scored her movie roles and TV appearances. She wrote him a "Dear John letter" ✉️ during WWII, when he was overseas. Poor Grandpa👴.....but lucky☘️ me..... because he later met my Grandma👵and started a family. I enjoyed that tour around the layout of the Dakota apartment. I like when you use the red arrows on the plans....it really helps me understand the layout so much better. You're very thorough.👍
I believe that was just for the photo and if she was a dancer may not have had the prettiest feet, and normally she would have been afraid to rip the fabric if she put her shoes on it.
Back in the 90s I stayed at the Dakota for a couple of weeks as a guest. If you can, I can tell you there was that really long covered walkway if you walk into the courtyard it was on the left-hand side. You can see it in Rosemarys baby. What I can tell you is because it’s the east coast and rain and snow and such people weren’t freely walking through the compound I walked under that covered thing, so I didn’t have to drag my luggage into the courtyard. I also would walk in every night and say hello to the guards at the right. From there, I would go directly into the hallway of the first floor and walk around it without having to cut through the courtyard. That I did at midnight. I was there I think in October because in the beginning the central fountain is Cala lilies, but then that is put away for the winter time. The other thing I remember is an entire parking garage underneath. There were so many cameras, watching everything to make sure people were not being disturbed, the recycle and trash was put out at that basement floor level. At the time I smoke cigarettes and I was staying in a non-smoking apartment so I would creep downstairs and have a cigarette with the guys that were working. Beautiful beautiful building and I do remember when I would cut through the courtyard seeing Yoko in her window, but if I didn’t cut through the courtyard and I just went through the hallway past the guard, there was a little brass plate on the Lennon/Ono door. Every morning I would sit in the kitchen facing the courtyard and it reminded me of the movie rear window all of these different windows, different apartments with people conducting business and experience. I’ll never forget the building I truly have always loved.
Yeah, that covered walkway! I actually talked a lot more about that but edited it out so I wouldn't bore anyone. It's a mystery why it wasn't on both sides. What floor did you stay on? Ground floor? I want to go into that basement and the roof. Perhaps someday I will. I daydream about stuff like that. It's soooo cool that you stayed there. Much awesomenenss!
@@StrangeHistoryX I always carried a camera 📷 and have pictures somewhere. I walked under the covered thing just so everyone in the courtyard didn’t have to see me pulling Rolling Luggage. The other thing I thought was really cool is the back stairs if you’re going from one apartment to the next it’s like cast iron, circular for the maids and nannies. I did know that back in the old days the upstairs was maids and nanny quarters. I stayed there for two weeks and had my own apartment! It was connected to the main apartment on the first floor but the one I stayed in was downstairs so when I went out to have a cigarette I ran in to all the guys that worked underground, where all the cars were parked And everybody’s recycle was out with their name and apartment number on it. Pretty fascinating. I do recall that the guys worked with in a cage made out of chain-link fence and within the cage were cameras everywhere to keep people safe
@@StrangeHistoryX every night when I came home and walked in and chatted with the night guards I would cut through the hallways and I was able to get to my apartment. You don’t need those separate walkways The other thing I remember was a Post-it note reminder to wake up Sean Lennon, he was about 15 or 16.
I have that movie Rosemary's Baby, and just watched a couple weeks ago. It's funny when I first watched this post, I thought, "this looks just like that apartment building in Rosemary's Baby", I didn't know it was the Dakota. So I streamed it again, and right in the beginning of the film you can see the covered walkway. So interesting!
Magnificent apartment, and as elegant as its former owner. I had a friend that lived at the Dakota for some time. I always found the courtyard and common areas creepy at night, but her apt. was beautiful.
Always a fantasy of mine, To live at The Dakota. I felt that way after seeing photos of John Lennon’s apartment when he was alive. Even though the photos were limited, You could see how special it was. Lauren did well buying there, and she stayed there until passing away, as she wished. She had wonderful sentimental memories and objects. Really enjoyed seeing this.
Lauren was one of my favourite leading ladies from the golden years of Hollywood. Beautiful images of her apartment, thank you for sharing this with us
I live in Brasil, and everytime I get to NYC, I visit the Dakota Building in honour of John Lennon. As a matter of fact, in Rio de Janeiro Brasil, there is a building that was created as a kind of replica of the Dakota building, in Flamengo, and it's named as Seabra building; and it was built in 1931.❤BRASIL❤
I travel to NYC once, twice a year, I've never once thought about going to the Dakota, don't know why, I stay in Chelsea, and settled there! Of course I always hoped to run into Joan Didion other writers, if I ever ran into anyone, I didn't notice, not that I go looking.
Beautiful home, it must have been amazing to live there! I wish I had that type of space. I’m severely disabled and know just seeing it was fantastic for me. Thanks for sharing your experience, be safe!
I so enjoyed this tour. What a timeless and elegant home. Every item was personal. The staircase in the Dakota took my breath away. Thank you for sharing.
Having been inside the Dakota a number of times, the apartments are all different of course but the ceilings are so high you need a pole with a small hook to open them from the top. The elevators are done in a red Chinese style with seats inside of them. The apartments that I've been in are MASSSIVE! You cannot hear someone from one room to the next...
One of my favorite things to do is to look at all different types of properties online. I watch a plethora of home related shows. So I'm surprised that I haven't come across your channel sooner. But, I'm happy to have found you now. I enjoyed this video immensely. It was very well done. And what I appreciated most was your commentary at the end about animals. I currently have 3 rescued cats and one dog, with plans to adopt another senior dog soon. Very soon. So, God bless you for that and thank you for this very enjoyable video!
I can understand why there might not be images of the bathrooms but I always think bathrooms, old and new-large and small, show the true luxury of a living space. It's the place where water runs freely and privacy reigns. I guess if you have a pool you achieve a closer sense to our human origins because you're also in sunlight. Still, bathrooms are my favorite place in a home.
To have and have not." She was flawless in the film. She was my idol since I was fifteen years old in the early 80's. I got to meet her through work , speak with her a few times, brief and few , however to meet her was a dream come true, unexpectedly. I would have never imagined ever happening . The thought would have been preposterous, impossible, simply insane . I was 19 years old. Years later, I received an autographed photograph which I still keep. Thank you for sharing this video.
I think it's such an appropriate film title for this video too...for us collectors, maximalist design, antique and architecture/interiors lovers...I have NEVER seen inside the Dakota, how happy I am to find your account today. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, one of my fave vintage films. As a young actor my Mother knew my love of Bacall and took me to see her Broadway hit, Woman of the Year. A thrill of a lifetime...this was fantastic, thank you!
What a beautiful home. I don't know much about Lauren Bacall, but she was always a great guest when she was interviewed by Michael Parkinson. The two of them got on really well.
Thank you for this lovely tour. I lived 1 block south of the Dakota in NY in the 60's in a far less grand apartment. I was lucky enough to see Ms Bacall one time, not in the neighborhood, but at Rockefeller Center, wheel she was coming in for an interview at NBC where i worked. She looked Beautiful and elegant.
It’s the elegance of the place that gets me. The numerous memory filled items and furniture. Beautiful place and a beautiful woman. They don’t make them like her anymore.
I was always drawn to Lauren's style of dress and manner. I told myself if I could go back in time I would dress just like she did, sophisticated and elegant. I always also felt she was more like me than other women in the 40s and 50s and now I know why. She was born the same month and the same day as I was. We're Virgos. She is just the best actress and person ever.
That is fantastic that you share her birthday. My story is that I was born to the day, one hundred years after Vincent Van Gogh. Since the third grade, inspired by my teacher, I wanted to be an artist. I took art courses through school and into college but flunked out and forgot about an Art career.. A year later, I got married, enlisted in the USAF where I learned to be a telecommunications technician and eventually retired from Verizon. I have been an Art aficionado, but the only thing I did was a good charcoal drawing of my beautiful bride but that was 49 years ago.
I love her style too. Was it Ralph Lauren who said, (and I paraphrase) Style is one thing, fashion another. (or something like that) I love that last shot of her in the clip because it shows her true beauty as she aged! How lovely! I don’t know anything about the fact if she had cosmetic surgery work done, but I feel disappointed at times to see those that chose to continually modify themselves to look “younger”. I wonder what they wdve looked like had they aged gracefully and naturally. ❤
I love this home, simply because that's what it is, a home, with all her nick nacks, and everything personal and probably precious to her, homes such as this, shows off a bit of someones personality, lov it xx
Walking on Central Park West home to West 75th Street, I would see Lauren Bacall with family members on Fridays on the way to Synagogue. This was in the 90’s. I was always in awe
I first heard of the Dakota from the book Time And Again when Si Morley time travelled. Then years later because of John and Yoko. This was very interesting about Bacall and I enjoyed seeing the blueprint and the furnishings. Thanks for sharing this.
Betty certainly had eclectic taste and jammed every inch of her apartment with art, sculpture, and various tshatshkes. Her collection fetched $3.64 million at auction in 2015 a year after her death.
I loved seeing her art collection in this video. Thank you for the extra information about it. As a fan, she seemed like a lovely person. I'm happy the auction did so well for her family and possibly her/their charities.
'@@karlabritfeld7104 I don' think so. She did leave $15,000 to her maid and $20,000 to her assistant. The rest of her estate ($26 million) went to her children and grandchildren. Funny thing she awarded $10,000 for the continuing care of her dog, with the money going to one of her sons to be used on the dog’s behalf.
I am a long-time admirer of Miss Lauren Becall. I admired her work ethic, her no nonsense attitude, her love of the arts, and her politics. John Sivorn 🎉❤
Lauren Bacall was one of my very favorite actresses. Thank you for showing us her apartment and the Dakota! It looks like a very lonely place but it is beautiful.
That was a brilliant commentary of the Dakota and Lauren Bacall's apartment. There is an informative book out there called "New York's Fabulous Luxury Apartments" by Andrew Alpern originally published in 1975 by McGraw-Hill as "Apartments for the Affluent." It itemizes a plethora of floor plans, architectural details and building facades. I'm passing this along because the book truly has your name on it. Cheers! Darryl
Used to visit the Dakota to do hair color for another famous lady. The size and scale, width and breadth of the rooms are indeed breathtaking. Though the common areas and staircase are extremely Victorian/creepy, dark and foreboding.
I cannot thank you enough, this was wonderful. I feel like this was the place I was meant to live. Every single room is perfect. The Tiffany Blue on the walls to the pink chaise longue in her bedroom ❤❤😮 it will serve as inspiration to further the decorating of my place. I'm glad I'm already in the same style. 😊
Awesome. I may not have known that about her but that looks to be an introverts paradise. Maybe that was her style. It fits. Regal. Quiet. Just like her ❤ Edit: you have great energy, I love your positivity. New fan.
Interested in books about the architecture and history of the Dakota, Friar Park, and Tittenhurst Park? I've written a bunch about them. You can find all of them on Amazon and elsewhere. Buying my books helps support my research and productions. Thank you! tinyurl.com/DakotaHistoryCardinal
I bet she used the stairway,,,many thousands of times, she didn't fear strangers or have an overweight issue
In my business / professional career I worked somewhat closely with a man who lived, together with his wife, in the Dakota. On afternoon, in the nineties, while sitting in a hotel bar in Los Angeles waiting for a car to take us to the airport, I asked him if he knew Lauren Bacall. He said that he didn’t really know her, but, given they lived in the same building, was a acquainted with her. The he said, “You know John, when I see her in the hallway and she says (mimicking a throaty voice”) Hello Barrie, even though she’s 20 years older than I am, my knees just buckle”.
Good for you!
Now THAT'S sexy!
That’s sad.
A Natural beauty with down to earth sexyness no fillers Botox . She had it all ❤❤❤
She a lovely woman. Extremely talented actress.
My word, she was gorgeous. ............those eyes!
That enchanting gaze stares right through you. She was extremely photogenic and didn't have a bad angle.
she was a bit exotic when young.but grew harder as she aged...
Amongst the Billionaire’s stark, somewhat cold, high rises of today, it’s a pleasure to step back to where simple elegance, beautiful architecture and lifelong memories create a space for such an endearing Hollywood legend we can remember fondly for the rest of our days.
That is a thinking person’s home. A person of taste, style, and culture. These modern monied types could never.
If i were rolling in dough i would definitely buy that apartment. So full of life as opposed to the present day steel and glass.
Nice location, too much junk inside. Not to mean not worth anything, but over populated with "stuff".
I think her home is charming, To all those who dont like knick knacks and objets d'art try to remember that her own first priority was that she was a wife, mother and stepmother and being a "style icon" came way down the list, It looks like a comfortable home with lots of interesting things to look at to me. My dear friend Alan Merrill had this memory of her
"I had a few good friends at McBurney School. One kid who lived on my block, and was in my class was Jason Robards Jr., a nice kid. He lived on the corner next to Central Park in the Dakota on West 72nd Street with his dad and stepmother, actors Jason Robards, and Lauren Bacall.
Lauren almost ran me over once as I walked up 72nd Street toward Central Park. She was driving Jason Jr. somewhere, and after she nearly hit me, Jason waved hello. Bacall was both livid and puzzled. How did Jason know this bizarre looking kid with the long hair and the cape? I could see him explain, and her face relaxed. She had a very expressive face.
Years later, when I was in London with the group Meat Loaf, I went to lunch with my friend, the model Marie Helvin at San Lorenzo in Beauchamp Place. Marie and I were talking, and out of the blue, Lauren Bacall leaned over our table and started talking to the designer Valentino at the next table.
"Hi Mrs. Robards" I said, wondering if she would remember.
"Do I know you?" she said in a friendly way.
"I'm the guy you almost ran over! You know, the hippie kid from McBurney? Jason and I were in the same class at school".
Her face lit up, and she happily filled me in on Jason's adult adventures. It was nice seeing her again."
~AlanMerrill~
Thank you for the beautiful story!
That apartment building is from an era of unchecked opulence that is no more. Now, apartment buildings go up and come down in the blink of an eye and they're not made to last. Thanks for an inside view.
It’s so refreshing to see a “home” not just an apartment or house. Her home reflects her personality, all the things she loved and collected throughout her life. It’s comfortable, comforting, warm, inviting.
Too many celebrity residences are carbon copies of each other, monotone, monochromatic, cold, lifeless, cold marble, chrome like a medical facility.
I was in her apartment a few times many years ago because she was a friend of my (former) boss. That building is just wow - in every way. I love looking in people’s houses.
Well I live in a house that was built in 1913. We want 750k for it 😂
People get arrested for that, just sayin, lol, also I’m kidding, I also like seeing people’s houses, Merry Christmas 🎄
@@artby1285 She was Betty from the Bronx. She did not put on airs and graces nor "interior designed" her home to impress others. She lived the way she wanted to live, a very comfortable and cozy place.
@@artby1285but that's what makes it her home, she was surrounded by things that she admired and probably, many of those things would hold personal memories, so it doesn't matter if anyone else liked it and that's exactly how a home should be, whether it's minimalist or eccentric, rented or bought, doesn't matter , it's how you make it your own.
I believe it! I also enjoy looking at people's homes, very fine homes. I love seeing how they live, even the little things!
She was always so Classy,
Lauren and the Dakota were so well suited, both stunningly beautiful.
In the 1970s I was at circle in the square for a play and at intermission was waiting on line for the ladies room( I THINK it was circle in the square..anyway up walked Lauren Bacall and Maureen Stapleton..Bacall asks me if I know which way the Men’s room is,so I answered her and Stapleton says “c’mon Betty we’ll go there they’.ll let us in I’m not waitin 15 mins. For this one” Bacall politely says thank you and I’m standing there IN shock having witnessed this exchange…and THATS why I live in NYC!!!
Somehow it makes me happy that the great Lauren Bacall surrounded herself with art, sculpture, and just little items that altho eclectic must have greatly appealed to her. The decor is both brave and inviting.
Back in the Seventies Betty went overseas for a film. Her son Stephen decide to have a party with a few friends. It ended up being over 100 people. Someone called Betty and told her and she called Stephen and told him he better get all those people out of her home immediately. When she arrived back home she found not one thing was broken or stolen from her home. Never happen these days!
i think it is personal...not brave nor inviting
Lauren Bacall came up to me when I worked in a dress shop in South Hampton. I thought she looked familiar, but I did not realize who she was. We discussed young women choosing not to wear bras. After she left, the other sales girls grabbed me saying, "That was Lauren Bacall!"
Lol. That's funny.
When I stayed at the Dakota back in the early 90s as a guest, I spoke with the night guard every night as I would get in just after midnight. They talked about the other famous people that lived there and told me that when one of the long timeguests passed away. He had a horse drawn carriage pull out the compound. I want to say it was Leonard Bernstein, but I don’t remember for sure I do recall it was a famous composer. Bernstein lived in the Dakota building from 1975 until his death in 1990. That sounds about correct because I believe I stayed there in 1991.
Yes it was Lenny Bernstein .
Yes it was Lenny Bernstein .
Other famous people in the building , the Lennons who were mentioned and Barbra Streisand .
Lauren was an old soul in her youth. She appreciated quality and serenity.
She was just beautiful!!!❤❤❤
L Bacall an all-time beauty,what a gorgeous apartment,two classics.
I inadvertently bumped into Ms Bacall in the mid 1980s. She was so gracious and breathtakingly beautiful. Her dress, jewellery, hair and make-up looked like she had just stepped off a film set. I am not at all surprised that her apartment in the Dakota was exquisite.
Love her home, her style - not pretentious just pure class, understated elegance, absolutely nothing fake or put on. Her wonderful eclectic furniture, so rustic some refined, yet all seamless. The artwork is to swoon over.
I agree it’s just that I didn’t expect this. No reall Regis rugs or drapes and very understated fabrics I just somehow expected more glamour. More opulence. But must understand the era she was at her peak in. And the art oh my!
Artwork looks like a teenager drew it 😂
If you want brilliance look at Banksy
@@Xane_Dragon Banksy? 🤣
A wonderful tour of her beautiful apartment. I absolutely love her eclectic taste in art, very well placed. She had a great knack for interior design of her space. ❤❤
Thank you for this. I fell in love with the Dakota after reading a book about it. This was a rare privilege to see the interior. Her eclectic style was captivating. She obviously used what she loved and not what an interior designer might have. Just eye candy and such a treat.
As a young woman,I lived 2 blocks away from the building.I saw Lauren several times.She was a beautiful woman.
When I was about 20 around 1968, I was crossing Central Park and lo and behold Lauren Bacall was walking straight towards me with a very handsome young man (probably her son?). It was shocking see her face not four feet from my own. And it was impossible not to instantly note the beauty and casual class she exuded. I'm sure she was familiar with the sort of double take I did as New Yorkers of the time no matter how humble their own origins would have known her face from film and tv screens. 😎I am trying to become a graceful and elegant old woman too. Wish me luck.
Happy 100th Birthday Lauren.
To Have and To Have Not, Lauren had. Her apartment looks like her, graceful and elegant but comfortable. She and Kate are my two favorite actresses. Thanks for sharing this tour.
I am 91 - My Wife was the Best ! Lauren Bacall - was like my Wife so she was kind of close - Fascinating !
I would love to know more about Lauren’s art collection. I definitely saw at least one Miro and a Chagall.
That's an interesting idea. Others have asked the same. I might tackle that. :)
yes! I was thinking the same thing, Chagall, and also Henry Moore if I'm not mistaken!@@StrangeHistoryX
I don't have a huge knowledge of art, but her taste...Oh! Plus I spied one of her neighbor, John Lennon's sketches of Yoko and himself on the wall. (at 7:00 in)
@@jmtubeme Yes there were a number of Henry Moore prints. I knew Moore, from Much Haddam, England.
I miss her. She was an amazing woman and left us with great treasures of her talent that will endure. And her jewelry was stunning.
Now I know why i always liked Lauren Bacall, she had incredible taste.
Good taste is easy to recognize! She was the voice for Fancy Feast cat food.
“To Have and Have Not” was one of my favourite movies and I have often quoted Lauren Bacall’s famous line in the movie. I was such a fan of Lauren Bacall for as long as I can remember and Bogie too! In fact I named two of my earlier cats who have now deceased “Bogie” a boy and “Bacall” his sister.
I love this movie, too.
I wore a Frank Sinatra T-shirt to an autograph session at a Los Angeles bookstore where Lauren Bacall was signing her book. I had planned to try to get "a reaction" out of her when she saw my Frank Sinatra shirt since she had such a history with Mr. Sinatra, not all of it good. However ---- I covered my shirt up with my jacket after observing her meeting and greeting fans in the line. She was more gracious and kind than any other celebrity I had ever seen at that bookstore. She was NOT snobbish, not condescending, just humble and kind and lovely, and took extra time with a young woman in a wheelchair. I had no idea that Lauren Bacall was that kind and lovely, since she was a big movie star. I never let her see my Sinatra shirt. She was just too nice to annoy!
Sounds like she had it all.
@@cathynewyork7918 - Ms. Bacall dodged a bullet (not literally) by not marrying Sinatra. She was too refined for him.
Bogart always seemed too old for my taste .
I met this fine lady whilst working at Heathrow airport.
I remember her husky voice, charming !
She was gracious.
her apartment is stunning and the younger Lauren Bacall was just as Stunning! Rest in Peace LB
It was really beautiful and everything was in such good taste. The woodwork was beautiful, the decorations, the furniture, everything.
My daughter lives on W 78th. I just got back last week from visiting, and I walked passed the Dakota several times. I have often wondered about what it's like inside, as it is a majestic building to see. The gas lamps are always lit in front....very cool.
My immature brain immediately thought it would be funny to have the "Leg Lamp" from A Christmas Story, just to add some levity once a year. 🤦🏼♀️😂💁♀️
The movie Rosemary's Baby has some scenes filmed there.
I hope it is well maintained. It is a very decorative building. I think nicer than the New York block systems. Not a cram them in, give them less and charge them more. Like a city toilet block.
I think I've gone as far as 80th, once, by accident, I Bangkok in Chelsea area, I love that neighborhood.
You can tell that Lauren Bacall's art work is really high quality.
I remembered her. Classy lady. She was the classic beautiful heart of New York
I've been fascinated with the Dakota since watching Rosemary's Baby. I thought it would be an amazing place to live. I really appreciate this closer look!
She’s a maximalist. Love it. So interesting to look over her collections. I hope her little dog found a good home after she passed.
I love the study📚.... especially that fireplace🔥!! What an incredible apartment! I don't know Lauren's films well, and I didn't know about her marriages💍to other famous actors. My grandpa was married to an actress once (she had small roles on TV📺 shows such as I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Colegate Comedy Hour with Dean Martin...and she starred in a few films too). He was married to the actress (Jil) before she scored her movie roles and TV appearances. She wrote him a "Dear John letter" ✉️ during WWII, when he was overseas. Poor Grandpa👴.....but lucky☘️ me..... because he later met my Grandma👵and started a family.
I enjoyed that tour around the layout of the Dakota apartment. I like when you use the red arrows on the plans....it really helps me understand the layout so much better. You're very thorough.👍
The antiques alone had me constantly pausing the video
Magnificent! LOVE how she puts her feet on the antique furniture.
Not just her feet, but her shoes too.
I believe that was just for the photo and if she was a dancer may not have had the prettiest feet, and normally she would have been afraid to rip the fabric if she put her shoes on it.
@@tiqh1806one can hope
Back in the 90s I stayed at the Dakota for a couple of weeks as a guest. If you can, I can tell you there was that really long covered walkway if you walk into the courtyard it was on the left-hand side. You can see it in Rosemarys baby. What I can tell you is because it’s the east coast and rain and snow and such people weren’t freely walking through the compound I walked under that covered thing, so I didn’t have to drag my luggage into the courtyard. I also would walk in every night and say hello to the guards at the right. From there, I would go directly into the hallway of the first floor and walk around it without having to cut through the courtyard. That I did at midnight. I was there I think in October because in the beginning the central fountain is Cala lilies, but then that is put away for the winter time. The other thing I remember is an entire parking garage underneath. There were so many cameras, watching everything to make sure people were not being disturbed, the recycle and trash was put out at that basement floor level. At the time I smoke cigarettes and I was staying in a non-smoking apartment so I would creep downstairs and have a cigarette with the guys that were working. Beautiful beautiful building and I do remember when I would cut through the courtyard seeing Yoko in her window, but if I didn’t cut through the courtyard and I just went through the hallway past the guard, there was a little brass plate on the Lennon/Ono door. Every morning I would sit in the kitchen facing the courtyard and it reminded me of the movie rear window all of these different windows, different apartments with people conducting business and experience. I’ll never forget the building I truly have always loved.
Yeah, that covered walkway! I actually talked a lot more about that but edited it out so I wouldn't bore anyone. It's a mystery why it wasn't on both sides. What floor did you stay on? Ground floor? I want to go into that basement and the roof. Perhaps someday I will. I daydream about stuff like that. It's soooo cool that you stayed there. Much awesomenenss!
Thank you for your story❣️
@@StrangeHistoryX I always carried a camera 📷 and have pictures somewhere. I walked under the covered thing just so everyone in the courtyard didn’t have to see me pulling Rolling Luggage. The other thing I thought was really cool is the back stairs if you’re going from one apartment to the next it’s like cast iron, circular for the maids and nannies. I did know that back in the old days the upstairs was maids and nanny quarters. I stayed there for two weeks and had my own apartment! It was connected to the main apartment on the first floor but the one I stayed in was downstairs so when I went out to have a cigarette I ran in to all the guys that worked underground, where all the cars were parked And everybody’s recycle was out with their name and apartment number on it. Pretty fascinating. I do recall that the guys worked with in a cage made out of chain-link fence and within the cage were cameras everywhere to keep people safe
@@StrangeHistoryX every night when I came home and walked in and chatted with the night guards I would cut through the hallways and I was able to get to my apartment. You don’t need those separate walkways
The other thing I remember was a Post-it note reminder to wake up Sean Lennon, he was about 15 or 16.
I have that movie Rosemary's Baby, and just watched a couple weeks ago. It's funny when I first watched this post, I thought, "this looks just like that apartment building in Rosemary's Baby", I didn't know it was the Dakota. So I streamed it again, and right in the beginning of the film you can see the covered walkway. So interesting!
It’s interesting that a woman who’s personal style was so minimalist, had knick knacks all over the place. Every wall and surface covered in memories.
People like her are given tons of gifts, and from what I hear about her, she'd be the type to display it, not throw it.
As large as large as the apartment is, all those things made me feel claustrophobic.
@@auapplemac2441 Me too! I would have had only about a third of that stuff displayed.
Well, when a space is so large and echoy, there is a need to bring it down to a human scale to feel comfortable.
And I thought I had stuff...
Such a gorgeous building and I LOVE her apartment!!!
“To Have and Have Not”
One of my favorite movies.
Magnificent apartment, and as elegant as its former owner. I had a friend that lived at the Dakota for some time. I always found the courtyard and common areas creepy at night, but her apt. was beautiful.
Tartaria building. Ghosts of previous civilization probably float around.
@mardiwolfe2600 Oh yes! I heard that it was haunted! The ghost loved it, too!
@@mardiwolfe2600 Then ghosts would be everywhere in the world.
Always a fantasy of mine,
To live at The Dakota.
I felt that way after seeing photos of John Lennon’s apartment when he was alive.
Even though the photos were limited,
You could see how special it was.
Lauren did well buying there, and she stayed there until passing away, as she wished.
She had wonderful sentimental memories and objects. Really enjoyed seeing this.
Absolutely loved her home. Homey and eclectic.
Lauren was one of my favourite leading ladies from the golden years of Hollywood. Beautiful images of her apartment, thank you for sharing this with us
I live in Brasil, and everytime I get to NYC, I visit the Dakota Building in honour of John Lennon.
As a matter of fact, in Rio de Janeiro Brasil, there is a building that was created as a kind of replica of the Dakota building, in Flamengo, and it's named as Seabra building; and it was built in 1931.❤BRASIL❤
How wonderful! ❤
I travel to NYC once, twice a year, I've never once thought about going to the Dakota, don't know why, I stay in Chelsea, and settled there! Of course I always hoped to run into Joan Didion other writers, if I ever ran into anyone, I didn't notice, not that I go looking.
You won’t get inside. Only viewing from the street.
Beautiful tour of Miss Bacall’s home. Each room is wonderful,and so well decorated.
In her younger years, I believe she was the greatest beauty of all the Hollywood beauties.
A stunner.
What a delightful video!
Beautiful home, it must have been amazing to live there! I wish I had that type of space. I’m severely disabled and know just seeing it was fantastic for me. Thanks for sharing your experience, be safe!
The apartment is stunning 😍.
Thank you for sharing this apt viewing! Beautiful and so many fireplaces! 🧑🏻🦰🇨🇦
🇺🇸💙🇨🇦
I so enjoyed this tour. What a timeless and elegant home. Every item was personal. The staircase in the Dakota took my breath away. Thank you for sharing.
She's so stunning and has such a cool vibe for that time period.
Having been inside the Dakota a number of times, the apartments are all different of course but the ceilings are so high you need a pole with a small hook to open them from the top. The elevators are done in a red Chinese style with seats inside of them. The apartments that I've been in are MASSSIVE! You cannot hear someone from one room to the next...
LOL I thought the same thing....are you opening the ceilings? I assumed it was the windows she was referring@@busterbiloxi3833
@@busterbiloxi3833those high windows I assume
One of my favorite things to do is to look at all different types of properties online. I watch a plethora of home related shows. So I'm surprised that I haven't come across your channel sooner. But, I'm happy to have found you now. I enjoyed this video immensely. It was very well done. And what I appreciated most was your commentary at the end about animals. I currently have 3 rescued cats and one dog, with plans to adopt another senior dog soon. Very soon. So, God bless you for that and thank you for this very enjoyable video!
She was such an elegant woman.
I can understand why there might not be images of the bathrooms but I always think bathrooms, old and new-large and small, show the true luxury of a living space. It's the place where water runs freely and privacy reigns. I guess if you have a pool you achieve a closer sense to our human origins because you're also in sunlight. Still, bathrooms are my favorite place in a home.
yes the opulence of the bathrooms with space and built in storage is a measure of wealth
As graceful and elegant as Bacall herself.
To have and have not." She was flawless in the film. She was my idol since I was fifteen years old in the early 80's. I got to meet her through work , speak with her a few times, brief and few , however to meet her was a dream come true, unexpectedly. I would have never imagined ever happening . The thought would have been preposterous, impossible, simply insane . I was 19 years old. Years later, I received an autographed photograph which I still keep. Thank you for sharing this video.
What a beautiful home. Her eye for art was unique. Thank you for the tour and history of the Dakota.
I think it's such an appropriate film title for this video too...for us collectors, maximalist design, antique and architecture/interiors lovers...I have NEVER seen inside the Dakota, how happy I am to find your account today. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, one of my fave vintage films. As a young actor my Mother knew my love of Bacall and took me to see her Broadway hit, Woman of the Year. A thrill of a lifetime...this was fantastic, thank you!
What a beautiful home. I don't know much about Lauren Bacall, but she was always a great guest when she was interviewed by Michael Parkinson. The two of them got on really well.
Thank you for this lovely tour. I lived 1 block south of the Dakota in NY in the 60's in a far less grand apartment. I was lucky enough to see Ms Bacall one time, not in the neighborhood, but at Rockefeller Center, wheel she was coming in for an interview at NBC where i worked. She looked Beautiful and elegant.
Wow. Very interesting to see this. Thanks for the video. 👍
I'd like to see the bathrooms and kitchen....do they still have the original fixtures and hardware?
I love this apartment! It's very comfortable and only on the 4th floor which is perfect.
Beautiful. She aged well and so did her apartment. Cozy rooms.
The "whistle scene" is from the 1944 film noir To Have and Have Not, Warner Brothers, directed by Howard Hawks.
It’s the elegance of the place that gets me. The numerous memory filled items and furniture. Beautiful place and a beautiful woman. They don’t make them like her anymore.
Extraordinary! Thank you so much. I think the movies To Have & Have Not
I was always drawn to Lauren's style of dress and manner. I told myself if I could go back in time I would dress just like she did, sophisticated and elegant. I always also felt she was more like me than other women in the 40s and 50s and now I know why. She was born the same month and the same day as I was. We're Virgos. She is just the best actress and person ever.
God bless you dear one!
That is fantastic that you share her birthday. My story is that I was born to the day, one hundred years after Vincent Van Gogh. Since the third grade, inspired by my teacher, I wanted to be an artist. I took art courses through school and into college but flunked out and forgot about an Art career.. A year later, I got married, enlisted in the USAF where I learned to be a telecommunications technician and eventually retired from Verizon. I have been an Art aficionado, but the only thing I did was a good charcoal drawing of my beautiful bride but that was 49 years ago.
I love her style too. Was it Ralph Lauren who said, (and I paraphrase) Style is one thing, fashion another. (or something like that) I love that last shot of her in the clip because it shows her true beauty as she aged! How lovely! I don’t know anything about the fact if she had cosmetic surgery work done, but I feel disappointed at times to see those that chose to continually modify themselves to look “younger”. I wonder what they wdve looked like had they aged gracefully and naturally. ❤
I love this home, simply because that's what it is, a home, with all her nick nacks, and everything personal and probably precious to her, homes such as this, shows off a bit of someones personality, lov it xx
Walking on Central Park West home to West 75th Street, I would see Lauren Bacall with family members on Fridays on the way to Synagogue. This was in the 90’s. I was always in awe
Beautiful video and commentary 💙Thank you
Enjoyed seeing her apartment and knowing one of the paintings from her bedroom, now hangs in our bedroom.
Beautiful classic grandeur. CLASS
Gorgeous apartment !
The line was from the movie
"To have and have not ".
Lauren Bacall was a class act.
She was one of the best.
I first heard of the Dakota from the book Time And Again when Si Morley time travelled. Then years later because of John and Yoko. This was very interesting about Bacall and I enjoyed seeing the blueprint and the furnishings. Thanks for sharing this.
Betty certainly had eclectic taste and jammed every inch of her apartment with art, sculpture, and various tshatshkes. Her collection fetched $3.64 million at auction in 2015 a year after her death.
I loved seeing her art collection in this video. Thank you for the extra information about it. As a fan, she seemed like a lovely person. I'm happy the auction did so well for her family and possibly her/their charities.
Did she do anything to help those less fortunate than herself??
'@@karlabritfeld7104 I don' think so. She did leave $15,000 to her maid and $20,000 to her assistant. The rest of her estate ($26 million) went to her children and grandchildren. Funny thing she awarded $10,000 for the continuing care of her dog, with the money going to one of her sons to be used on the dog’s behalf.
@@karlabritfeld7104 - She was known for her significant philanthropic work with numerous charities.
According to her will, she left her housekeeper a nice sum of money. The housekeeper wasn't expecting that.
I am a long-time admirer of Miss Lauren Becall. I admired her work ethic, her no nonsense attitude, her love of the arts, and her politics. John Sivorn 🎉❤
Beautiful just beautiful
I ran into her many times at Zabars on Broadway and 82nd . She was friendly and beautiful.
Thank you, I loved every room you showed. Truly an elegant and classic building.
Lauren Bacall was one of my very favorite actresses. Thank you for showing us her apartment and the Dakota! It looks like a very lonely place but it is beautiful.
Thank you for a look into this fabulous apartment and another thank you for promoting animal awareness. I love animals and I see you do too
OMG It took my breath away.....the clutter choked me up. One person's clutter, another's treasures.
Lauren sure had a type. And what a spectacular building. I couldn't even imagine living in such a fabulous space. Sigh...
As an antiques dealer, this is the kind of collector we adore. No trendy Martha Stewart stuff here.
If I could afford it, I would live in that building. I LOVE it!
Beautiful and inspiring! Thks for sharing.
That was a brilliant commentary of the Dakota and Lauren Bacall's apartment. There is an informative book out there called "New York's Fabulous Luxury Apartments" by Andrew Alpern
originally published in 1975 by McGraw-Hill as "Apartments for the Affluent." It itemizes a plethora of floor plans, architectural details and building facades. I'm passing this along because
the book truly has your name on it. Cheers!
Darryl
Loved Bogie and Bacall. Apartment seems a bit busy for my taste. Thank you for the tour
Used to visit the Dakota to do hair color for another famous lady. The size and scale, width and breadth of the rooms are indeed breathtaking. Though the common areas and staircase are extremely Victorian/creepy, dark and foreboding.
Thanks
Thank you very much for your support. I appreciate it. Have a great weekend.
I cannot thank you enough, this was wonderful. I feel like this was the place I was meant to live. Every single room is perfect. The Tiffany Blue on the walls to the pink chaise longue in her bedroom ❤❤😮 it will serve as inspiration to further the decorating of my place. I'm glad I'm already in the same style. 😊
I just discovered this channel and I'm hooked. The narrator is informal, but in the right way.
Thank you. And I'm not an ai voice either, which seems to be a plus these days. :)
@@StrangeHistoryX I was hooked on the first horse drawn carriage ride 😏😌
@@bluebox2000 I'm the same, I'm hooked there's no going back. 😊
Gorgeous and timelessly gracious, like the lady herself.
Thank you.
very sophisticated high end decore. It has real soul and a vibrancy that is rarely seen today. Impressive.
Awesome. I may not have known that about her but that looks to be an introverts paradise. Maybe that was her style. It fits. Regal. Quiet. Just like her ❤
Edit: you have great energy, I love your positivity. New fan.