134-674: The Dakota , also known as the Dakota Apartments , is a cooperative apartment building at 1 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City , United States. The Dakota was constructed between 1880 and 1884 in the German Renaissance style and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh for businessman Edward Cabot Clark . The building was one of the first large developments on
268-597: A light court for the interiors of each apartment. A writer for the American Architect and Building News described the Dakota's courtyard and similar spaces in other buildings as "a safe, pleasant and sheltered place, under the eye of the Janitor, where tenants can enter, but thieves cannot...". The writer also suggested that children could play within the courtyard, but other, unidentified observers believed such
402-399: A ballroom. The first floor contained the building's main dining room, as well as a smaller private dining room and a reception room. The floors were made of inlaid tiles of marble, while the walls had English oak wainscoting, above which were bronze bas-reliefs. The ceiling was also made of carved English oak. On one side of the dining room was a fireplace with a Scotch brownstone mantel, giving
536-560: A cigar merchant, a coal-mine operator, and a stenographer. All of the Dakota's residents were wealthy, although not particularly famous. None of the early residents were included in the " Four Hundred ", a list of prominent individuals in New York society during the Gilded Age . This was because of its remoteness; in the days before telephones became popular, people tended to make in-person social visits. It often took an hour just to reach
670-443: A comparable unit in the co-op is typically much lower, however. With limited equity, the co-op has rules regarding pricing of shares when sold. The idea behind limited equity is to maintain affordable housing . A sub-set of the limited equity model is the no-equity model, which looks very much like renting, with a very low purchase price (comparable to a rental security deposit) and a monthly fee in lieu of rent. When selling, all that
804-413: A cost price only, with direct support ranging from 5 to 25 thousand pounds. The beneficiary of this unit can pay its price over a period of 20 years, as 538,000 units have been implemented in all governorates and new cities until 2022, implemented by Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities . In India, most 'flats' are owned outright. i.e. the title to each individual flat is separate. There
938-407: A distinctive form of home ownership that have many characteristics that differ from other residential arrangements such as single family home ownership, condominiums and renting . The cooperative is membership based, with membership granted by way of a share purchase in the cooperative. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit. A primary advantage of
1072-443: A drawing room that rivaled the design of the ground-floor dining room, in addition to 17 fireplaces. In the book New York 1880 , architect Robert A. M. Stern and his co-authors wrote that Clark's apartment was intended to attract row house occupants by "dramatiz[ing] the value of height". Ceiling heights ranged from 15 ft (4.6 m) at the first story to 12 ft (3.7 m) at the eighth story. The largest drawing room in
1206-454: A formal corporation, then shareholders), who are invariably its members. There is no point in creating a deliberate surplus—except for operational requirements such as setting aside funds for replacement of assets—since that simply means that the rents paid by members are set higher than the expenses. (It is possible for a housing co-op to own other revenue-generating assets, such as a subsidiary business which could produce surplus income to offset
1340-450: A gable above the central entrance. On Central Park West, the central section of the roof is a hip roof . Originally, arched balconies connected the gables. The roof is covered with slate tiles. Dormer windows and corbeled brick chimneys protrude from the roof at multiple locations. The dormer windows are arranged in two to four levels and alternately contain either stone or copper frames. There are also turrets, finials , and flagpoles along
1474-417: A house manager, doormen, chambermaids, janitors, hall servants, and repairmen. In addition to the Dakota's in-house staff, each tenant could employ up to five of their own servants on site, though residents typically had up to three servants. Other staff, such as laundry workers, manicurists, and hairdressers, did not live in the building. Servants employed by the residents, as well as visiting servants, occupied
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#17327719432801608-466: A housing cooperative in that the property is owned by a non-profit corporation and the right to use each unit is tied to ownership of a certain set of shares. Housing co-operatives are uncommon in the UK, making up about 0.1% of housing stock. Most are based in urban areas and consist of affordable shared accommodation where the members look after the property themselves. Waiting lists can be very long due to
1742-472: A housing cooperative. The Dakota has historically been home to many artists, actors, and musicians, including John Lennon , who was murdered outside the building on December 8, 1980. The building remained a cooperative into the 21st century. The Dakota is at 1 West 72nd Street in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City . The building occupies the western sidewalk of Central Park West (formerly Eighth Avenue) between 72nd Street to
1876-564: A larger plan that Clark had for the Upper West Side. John Banta was hired as the apartment house's general contractor. In early October 1880, about two weeks before construction began, the Real Estate Record and Guide reported that the building was to be a "residential hotel" with between 40 and 50 suites, each with five to twenty rooms. Construction commenced at the end of October 1880. The building initially did not have
2010-458: A manager or a caretaker, to deal with specific upkeep tasks at which volunteers may hesitate or may not be skilled, such as electrical maintenance. In non-equity cooperatives and in limited equity cooperatives, a shareholder in a co-op does not own real estate, but a share of the legal entity that does own real estate. Co-operative ownership is quite distinct from condominiums where people own individual units and have little say in who moves into
2144-409: A minimalist space within the building's former dining room, which he decorated with his own artwork, while interior designer Ward Bennett repurposed a servant's living area under the roof as a studio. Dancer Rudolf Nureyev placed classical paintings in his living room and theatrical artwork in other rooms. Some units have been substantially redesigned; for example, a four-bedroom unit was renovated in
2278-414: A name, even after the foundations were completed in early 1881. By that October, the building had been constructed to the second story, although the Real Estate Record wrote that "it is hardly to be expected that it will be under roof before the winter sets in". As part of the project, Clark also excavated an Artesian well measuring about 365 ft (111 m) deep and 8 in (200 mm) wide. Work
2412-574: A part of the Australian social housing / community housing sector and have been funded by various iterations of government funding programs. One of the largest co-operative housing organisations in Australia is Common Equity Housing Ltd (CEHL) in the state of Victoria . CEHL is a registered housing association with its shares held by its 103-member co-operatives. As of 2023 CEHL co-operatives house 4,291 people in 2,101 homes. Common Equity, in
2546-413: A reception area, a drawing room, a library, a kitchen, a pantry, a bath, four bedrooms, one full bathroom, and butlers' and maids' quarters. Larger apartments had up to nine bedrooms, as well as additional spaces like a billiards room, boudoir, or library. Some of the apartments also have balconies, which blend in with the building's overall design. Clark's apartment on the sixth floor had 18 rooms, including
2680-545: A relatively low $ 6,000 to $ 7,000 per year (equivalent to between $ 75,983 and $ 88,647 in 2023). Some tenants, most of whom were friends of Stephen Clark, did not pay rent at all. Residents tended to live in the building for several decades, leading The New York Times to observe: "It is reported that no Dakotan leaves the building permanently unless it is feet first". In January 1961, the Glickman Corporation paid $ 4.6 million (equivalent to $ 47 million in 2023) for
2814-404: A rental setting. However, another hallmark of cooperative living is that it is nonprofit , so that the work is done at cost, with no profit motive involved. In some cases, the co-op follows Rochdale Principles where each shareholder has only one vote. Most cooperatives are incorporated as limited stock companies where the number of votes an owner has is tied to the number of shares owned by
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#17327719432802948-401: A type of housing association that provides affordable housing to its members. They are formed and run by a group of people who come together to pool their resources in order to purchase or build housing for their own use. In Germany, housing cooperatives are typically organized as non-profit organizations, which means that any profits made from the sale or rental of the housing are reinvested in
3082-416: A usage attracted unsolicited attention. The apartments are accessed by four passageways, one from each corner of the courtyard. The main courtyard also functioned as a meeting area for residents, since the rest of the building was designed with "the utmost in personal privacy" as a consideration. Over the years, the courtyard has hosted events such as parties and Christmas carols. A glass breezeway ran along
3216-400: A yearly rent of $ 1,500 to $ 5,000 (equivalent to between $ 51,000 and $ 170,000 in 2023) and that one-quarter of the units had already been rented. Elizabeth Hawes wrote that Clark promoted the Dakota as offering "convenience, a short-cut route to opulent living with none of the problems of upkeep, and at a fraction of the expense that went with owning a private house". The Dakota was completed by
3350-467: Is a legal term used in the Scandinavian countries ( Sweden , Denmark , and Norway ) for a type of joint ownership of property in which the whole property is owned by a co-operative association, which in its turn is owned by its members. Each member holds a share in the association that is proportional to the area of his apartment. Members are required to have a tenant-ownership, which represents
3484-428: Is a reinforced-concrete slab, which is covered by granite pavers . A service driveway also runs along the western side of the main courtyard. The driveway descends to the basement, where there is a lower courtyard with the same dimensions as the ground-level courtyard. This driveway was originally used to deliver goods and "commodities of housekeeping", as well as remove garbage and ashes. All servants entered and exited
3618-900: Is buried in Woodland Cemetery, in Stamford, Connecticut . Hardenbergh was elected to the American Institute of Architects in 1867, and was made a Fellow in 1877. He was president of the Architectural League of New York from 1901 to 1902, and was an associate of the National Academy of Design . Hardenbergh was one of the founders of the American Fine Arts Society as well as the Municipal Art Society . He
3752-540: Is by Dutch law established wherever there are separately owned apartments in one building. The members are legally owners of their own apartment but have to cooperate in the association for the maintenance of the building as a whole. A living cooperation ( wooncoöperatie ) is a construct in which residents jointly own an apartment building using a democratically controlled cooperative, and pay rent to their own organisation. They were prohibited after World War II and legalised in 2015. "Company-share" apartments operate in
3886-457: Is carved on the facade. Above the second story is a horizontal band course made of terracotta. The band course is decorated with a diaper pattern . Above the sixth story is a stone cornice , which separates the seventh story and the roof from the rest of the facade. The cornice is supported by large brackets and is topped by an ornate metal balustrade. The building is topped by gables at each of its corners. The 72nd Street elevation also has
4020-592: Is disagreement over the building's architectural style. CNBC and writers Sarah Bradford Landau and Carl W. Condit described the building as being built in a German Renaissance Revival style, but a contemporary source described the building's design as being patterned after "the period of Francis I ". The writer Elizabeth Hawes said in 1993 that the building had been characterized as "Brewery Brick Victorian neo-Gothic Eclectic". The building's design includes deep roofs with dormers , terracotta spandrels and panels, niches , balconies, and balustrades . The designs of
4154-410: Is essentially a lease. In ownership cooperatives, occupancy rights are transferred to the purchaser by way of the title transfer. Since the housing cooperative holds title to all the property and housing structures, it bears the cost of maintaining, repairing and replacing them. This relieves the member from the cost and burden of such work. In that sense, the housing cooperative is like the landlord in
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4288-432: Is flanked by pedestals with metal urns, and there is a Diocletian window in the upper portion of the archway. There is also a security guard's booth to the west of the main entrance. After midnight, residents and visitors are required to ring the security guard to enter the building. Portraits of a man and woman (probably Edward C. Clark's partner Isaac Merritt Singer and Isaac's wife Isabella Boyer Singer) are placed above
4422-427: Is largely square in plan and built around a central H-shaped courtyard, through which all apartments are accessed. Formerly, there was a garden to the west of the Dakota, underneath which was a mechanical plant serving the Dakota and some adjacent row houses. The facade is largely composed of brick with sandstone trim and terracotta detailing. The main entrance is a double-height archway on 72nd Street, which leads to
4556-459: Is one of several apartment buildings on Central Park West that are primarily identified by an official name. Even though a street address was sufficient to identify these apartment buildings, this trend followed a British practice of giving names to buildings without addresses. By contrast, buildings on Fifth Avenue , along the eastern side of Central Park, are mainly known by their addresses. Unlike other large apartment buildings on Central Park West,
4690-1232: Is re-couped is that very low purchase price. Research in Canada found that housing cooperatives had residents rate themselves as having the highest quality of life and housing satisfaction of any housing organization in the city. Other research among older residents from the rural United States found that those living in housing cooperatives felt much safer, independent, satisfied with life, had more friends, had more privacy, were healthier and had things repaired faster. Australian researchers found that cooperative housing built stronger social networks and support, as well as better relationships with neighbours compared to other forms of housing. They cost 14% less for residents and had lower rates of debt and vacancy. Other US research has found that housing cooperatives tended to have higher rates of building quality, building safety, feelings of security among residents, lower crime rates, stable access to housing and significantly lower costs compared to conventional housing. Housing co-operatives in Australia are primarily non-equity rental co-operatives, but there are some equity co-operatives as well. The rental co-operatives are generally
4824-408: Is similar to a lease . In equity cooperatives, occupancy rights are sometimes granted by way of the purchase agreements and legal instruments registered on the title. The corporation's articles of incorporation and bylaws as well as occupancy agreement specifies the cooperative's rules. The word cooperative is also used to describe a non-share capital co-op model in which fee-paying members obtain
4958-605: Is usually a governing body/society/association to administer maintenance and other building needs. These are comparable to the Condominium Buildings in the USA. The laws governing the building, its governing body and how flats within the building are transferred differ from state to state. Certain buildings are organized as "Cooperative Housing Societies" where one actually owns a share in the Cooperative rather than
5092-565: The GdW Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen (Federal association of German housing and real estate enterprise registered associations). The Housing cooperative project in Egypt aims to serve the low-income class, as it provides them with housing units consisting of two rooms, a hall or three rooms and a fully finished hall, with an area ranging from 75 to 90 square meters. In addition, these units are offered at
5226-625: The Kirkpatrick Chapel (1873)—through family connections. Hardenbergh's great-great grandfather, the Reverend Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh , had been the first president of Rutgers College from 1785 to 1790, when it was still called "Queen's College". He then got the contract to design the "Vancorlear" on West 55th Street , the first apartment hotel in New York City, in 1879. The following year, he
5360-624: The Manhattan street grid . Clark also developed 27 row houses on 72nd and 73rd streets, adjacent to the Dakota, which are no longer extant. The two developments were part of Clark's larger plan for a cohesive neighborhood; the row houses were in the middle of the block, where land values were lower, whereas the Dakota was built on the more valuable site next to Central Park. Clark developed another set of row houses at 13–65 and 103–151 West 73rd Street, some of which still exist. All of these houses were designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh . The Dakota
5494-662: The New Zealand housing system . In the Philippines , a tenant-owner's association often forms as a means to buy new flats. When the cooperative is set up, it takes the major part of the loan needed to buy a property. These loans will then be paid off during a fixed period of years (typically 20 to 30), and once this is done, the cooperative is dispersed and the flats are transformed into condominiums. A tenant-owner's association ( Swedish : bostadsrättsförening , Norwegian : borettslag , Danish : andelsboligforening )
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5628-639: The United States , housing co-ops are usually categorized as corporations or LLCs and are found in abundance in the area from Madison, Wisconsin , to the New York metropolitan area . There are also a number of cooperative and mutual housing projects still in operation across the US that were the result of the purchase of federal defense housing developments by their tenants or groups of returning war veterans and their families. These developments include seven of
5762-616: The Upper West Side was slower to come. This was in part because of the West Side's steep topography and its dearth of attractions compared with the East Side. In the late 19th century, hundreds of empty lots were available along the west side of Central Park. Major developments on the West Side were erected after the Ninth Avenue elevated line opened in 1879, providing direct access to Lower Manhattan . A group of businessmen formed
5896-704: The Waldorf-Astoria , which was demolished in 1929 for the construction of the Empire State Building . Hardenbergh lived for some time in Bernardsville, New Jersey where he designed the building for the school house built with funds donated by Frederic P. Olcott . The school house is in Hardenberghs architectural style and is a landmark in the town. Hardenbergh died at his home in Manhattan , New York City on March 13, 1918. He
6030-422: The apartment , and in most cases live permanently at the address. There are some legal differences between the countries, mainly concerning the conditions of ownership. In Sweden, 16% of the population lives in apartments in housing cooperatives, while 25% live in rented apartments (more common among young adults and immigrants) and 50% live in private one-family houses (more common among families with children),
6164-477: The 1950s, the servants' quarters on the upper stories had been converted to apartments. At the time, many tenants were diplomats, theatrical figures, or publishers. The building particularly appealed to theatrical figures because of its proximity to the Broadway Theater District , which was also on the West Side. There was also a long waiting list of potential tenants, and apartments rented for
6298-561: The 20th century, some dormer windows were added on the roof of the building. Through the early 20th century, the Clark family retained ownership of the Dakota. A New York Herald Tribune article in 1929 noted that the Clarks have "for years resisted all attempts at purchase". The New York Times wrote in the 1920s that the Dakota "has always maintained its old-time popularity". Whereas the Dakota underwent few alterations in its first fifty years,
6432-495: The Clark family never denied this story, its veracity is disputed, as contemporary publications did not discuss the building's remoteness. The earliest recorded appearance of this claim was in 1933, when the Dakota's longtime manager told the New York Herald Tribune : "Probably it was called 'Dakota' because it was so far west and so far north". The more likely origin for the "Dakota" name was Clark's fondness for
6566-568: The Dakota and an adjoining lot that contained the building's boiler room. Glickman planned to build New York City's largest apartment building on the combined site. The residents announced plans to buy the building from the Glickman Corporation in April 1961 for $ 4.8 million (equivalent to $ 49 million in 2023). Glickman dropped its plans to redevelop the Dakota and instead sold the adjacent 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m) site in August. That November,
6700-424: The Dakota and preserve the garden to the west. At the time, two of the tenants had lived there since its opening, and four of the other original tenants had died in the preceding three years. For the next three decades, the Dakota remained largely unchanged, and the building even retained its original elevators. The Clarks were responsible for all repairs and maintenance and were subject to little, if any scrutiny. By
6834-461: The Dakota from the Ladies' Mile Historic District , which in the 1890s was the city's commercial center. A law, restricting the height of large apartment houses in New York City to 80 feet (24 m), passed the year that the building was completed. The Dakota's address was originally 301 West 72nd Street, since the address numbers of buildings on Manhattan's west–east numbered streets were based on
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#17327719432806968-421: The Dakota had four entrances with their own elevators and stairs, there were very few public hallways on the upper stories. This gave residents a feeling of privacy, since tenants were largely separated both from each other and from servants. The interior has eight elevators, four each for residents and servants. At each corner of the courtyard, four wrought-bronze staircases and four residents' elevators lead from
7102-414: The Dakota through this driveway. The Dakota's distinct upper and lower courtyards differed from that of Hardenbergh and Clark's earlier Van Corlear apartment house at Seventh Avenue and 55th Street, where residents and servants used the same courtyard. To the west of the Dakota was another garden; both the Dakota and the adjacent row houses were served by a mechanical plant below the garden. The placement of
7236-602: The Dakota was not named after a previous building on the site. Christopher Gray of The New York Times described the Dakota as one of several apartment buildings that were famous enough "to maintain their names simply in common custom". The Dakota was designed by Hardenbergh for Clark and built between 1880 and 1884. The construction process involved several contractors including stonemason John L. Banta, plumber T. Brieu, iron supplier Post & McCord, carpenter J. L. Hamilton, stonework supplier J. Gillis Se Son and Henry Wilson, and woodwork contractor Pottier & Stymus. There
7370-462: The Dakota's 95 tenants. The board of directors decided to instead conduct a smaller-scale renovation. The Joseph K. Blum Company added waterproofing to the Dakota's roof for $ 160,000 (equivalent to $ 0.99 million in 2023). The Dakota's board also voted in 1975 to ban the installation of air conditioners that protruded through the building's facade, since the LPC would have to approve every air conditioner that
7504-540: The Dakota's interior decorations, such as carved marble fireplace mantels , were uncommon even in mansions of the time. The decorations, along with the apartments' layouts, were intended to give the apartments a "palatial" feel. Residents customized their apartments to fit their needs and, in some cases, their occupations. A Look magazine article in the 1960s described interior designer and antique dealer Frederick P. Victoria as having decorated his apartment with wood "draperies" and antique clocks. Artist Giora Novak occupied
7638-492: The Dakota's tenants bought the building, which became a cooperative. The Mayfair was completed on the adjacent site in 1964; according to The New York Times , no plans were ever filed for a larger building on the Dakota's site. Under the co-op arrangement, the residents were obligated to share all maintenance and repair costs, which the Clark family had previously handled. The Dakota was one of twelve apartment buildings on Central Park West to be converted into housing cooperatives in
7772-660: The UK and explains the legal structure of a housing coop. Radical Routes offers a guide on how to set up a housing co-operative. Factors of raising cost of living for students and quality of accommodation have led to a drive for Student Housing Co-operatives within the UK inspired by the existing North American Student Housing Cooperatives and their work through North American Students of Cooperation . Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative and Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative opened in 2014 and Sheffield Student Housing Co-operative in 2015. All existing Student Housing Co-operatives are members of Students for Cooperation . In
7906-566: The University of Knowledge of the Elderly (UNISAVIE: Université du savoir des vieux), and the initiation of a movement to promote other living places that are organized into similar networks. The community charter sets out expectations for privacy. Each apartment is self-contained. Monthly meetings assure the optimal routines of the building and ensure that each person may participate fully and with complete liberty of expression. Plans set out
8040-621: The Upper West Side and is the oldest remaining luxury apartment building in New York City. The building is a National Historic Landmark and has been designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission . The building is also a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District . The Dakota occupies the western side of Central Park West between 72nd and 73rd streets. It
8174-613: The West Side Association the same year. Edward C. Clark believed that the line's presence would encourage the growth of a middle-class neighborhood on the West Side. At a speech in December 1879, Clark told the West Side Association: "There are but few persons who are princely enough to wish to occupy an entire palace...but I believe there are many who would like to occupy a portion of a great building." In
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#17327719432808308-488: The apartment building, even though it was a speculative development that was not being built with specific tenants in mind. Hardenbergh filed plans for an eight-story "Family Hotel" at the site in September 1880, at which point it was planned to cost one million dollars. Hardenbergh simultaneously designed several dozen low-rise row houses for Clark on 73rd Street. The row houses and the large apartment building were part of
8442-412: The areaway from the sidewalk. The sidewalk was originally made of bluestone slabs. Each elevation of the facade is divided vertically into bays . There are 11 bays on 72nd Street to the south and Central Park West to the east; 13 bays on 73rd Street to the north; and 17 bays to the west. The Dakota's raised basement is clad with sandstone. The remainder of the facade is made of buff brick, except on
8576-408: The basement. Horse-drawn carriages, entering from 72nd Street, used the courtyard to turn around. After automobiles supplanted horse-drawn carriages, the Dakota banned automobiles from the courtyard because the space could not support the weight of modern vehicles. The deck of the courtyard was entirely replaced in 2004 because the steel beams that supported it had corroded severely. The modern courtyard
8710-840: The building was 49 ft (15 m) long and contained a classical fluted column instead of a partition. Parlors were generally either 25 by 40 ft (7.6 by 12.2 m) or 15 by 27 ft (4.6 by 8.2 m). Typical antechambers in the Dakota measured 12 by 12 ft (3.7 by 3.7 m); drawing rooms, 18 by 20 ft (5.5 by 6.1 m); bedrooms, 14 by 22 ft (4.3 by 6.7 m); and dining rooms, 12 by 20 ft (3.7 by 6.1 m). Each apartment contained fixtures and materials that were similar to those in contemporary brownstone row houses. The kitchens and bathrooms contained modern fixtures, though other decorations such as moldings, woodwork, and floor surfaces were similar to those in many row houses. The parqueted floors are inlaid with mahogany , oak , and cherry , which are laid on top of
8844-428: The building's distances from Fifth Avenue . In 1886, house numbers on the Upper West Side were renumbered based on distance from Central Park West (Eighth Avenue), so the Dakota became 1 West 72nd Street. In its first two years, the Dakota was not profitable, and the surrounding blocks were still not developed, particularly the lots to the north. Even in 1890, the row houses on the same block were bringing more income than
8978-460: The center of each side of the courtyard. Each service stair and elevator served two apartments per floor. The service elevators, among the first in the city, lead to the kitchens of the apartments. All of the elevators were originally hydraulic cabs with water tanks at the bottom. Each of the Dakota's apartments had a unique layout and contained four to twenty rooms. The initial plans had called for six or eight apartments of about equal size on each of
9112-526: The community /city and through mutual interaction, engaging in its political, cultural and social life in a spirit of participatory democracy; (4) ecological in all aspects of life, in conformity with the values and actions expressed in the Charter of Living of the House of Babayagas. Generally, the association's activities are tied to the purpose above, in particular, the development of a popular entity called
9246-436: The cooperative rather than being distributed to shareholders. This allows housing cooperatives to offer lower prices for housing than would be possible for for-profit organizations. Members of a housing cooperative typically have the right to occupy a specific unit within the cooperative's housing complex, and they also have a say in the management and decision-making of the cooperative. This can include voting on issues related to
9380-445: The cost of the housing, but in those cases the housing rents are usually reduced to compensate for the additional revenue.) In the lifecycle of buildings, the replacement of assets (capital repairs) requires significant funds which can be obtained through a variety of ways: assessments on current owners; sales of Treasury Stock (former rental units) to new shareholders; draw downs of reserves; unsecured loans; operating surpluses; fees on
9514-436: The courtyard. The building's design includes deep roofs with dormers , terracotta spandrels and panels, niches , balconies, and balustrades . Each apartment at the Dakota had a unique layout with four to twenty rooms. The building is divided into quadrants, each of which has a stair and an elevator for tenants, as well as another stair and another elevator for servants. After Clark announced plans for an apartment complex at
9648-471: The decade before the Dakota was built, the city's population had increased by at least 100 percent, but the Upper West Side contained only a few assorted saloons, inns, and other buildings. The modern-day Dakota Apartments was one of the first large developments on the Upper West Side, built at a time when large apartment blocks were still associated with tenement living. The Dakota is also New York City's oldest surviving luxury apartment building, although it
9782-437: The differing apartment layouts as a legacy of the "rugged individualism" that had been common when the Dakota opened. The Dakota's construction drawings are no longer extant, so the original arrangement of the apartments is known only from written descriptions. Many floor plans for individual apartments have been published over the years, and the Dakota's modern floor plans have been reconstructed based on these documents. Many of
9916-428: The doorway. The 72nd Street entrance is a porte-cochère large enough for horse-drawn carriages to drop off passengers. Many of the horse-drawn carriages were dispatched from the now-demolished Dakota Stables at 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, developed by Edward C. Clark's son Alfred Corning Clark . Inside the archway is a groin-vaulted vestibule that leads to the courtyard. There are metal gates on either end of
10050-503: The dormers, roofs, and windows were influenced by the Northern Renaissance style. The Dakota is a nine-story building; most of the building is seven stories high, although there are also two-story gables . Some contemporary sources described the building as being ten stories high, including the raised basement, while others classify the Dakota as being eight stories high. The Dakota measures 185 ft (56 m) tall and
10184-424: The earthen subfloors and concrete slabs. Each apartment's dining rooms, reception rooms, and libraries were wainscoted in oak, mahogany, and other woods. The kitchens had marble wainscoting and Minton tile, while the bathrooms contained porcelain bathtubs. Other decorations included wood-burning fireplaces with tiled hearths ; brass fixtures; and carved mirrors and mantels. Some apartments had plaster ceilings. Some of
10318-914: The eight middle-class housing projects built by the US government between 1940 and 1942 under the auspices of the Mutual Ownership Defense Housing Division of the Federal Works Agency . There are many regional housing cooperative associations, such as the Midwest Association of Housing Cooperatives, which is based in Michigan and serves the Midwest region, covering Ohio , Michigan , Indiana , Illinois , Wisconsin , Minnesota , and more. Henry Janeway Hardenbergh Henry Janeway Hardenbergh FAIA (February 6, 1847 – March 13, 1918)
10452-517: The eighth and ninth floors. The upper-story servants' quarters contained dormitories, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and dryer rooms. The servants' quarters had been converted into apartments by the 1950s. Beside servants' quarters, there was a playroom and a gymnasium on the roof, which was labeled as the "tenth story". The construction of Central Park in the 1860s spurred construction in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but similar development in
10586-445: The entrances to the upper stories. Each corner of the building has a brick shaft with one elevator and one staircase; this roughly divides the Dakota into quadrants. The tenants' staircases contained marble treads. The elevator cabs were manufactured by Otis Elevators and were finished in mahogany. In the original plans, each elevator served two apartments per floor. Each elevator served a small foyer on each floor that provided access to
10720-485: The first and second stories, the walls of the staircases are wainscoted with marble. The hallways on the upper stories are wainscoted in wood, while the ceilings and walls are made of plaster. Because the Dakota was one of the city's earliest luxury apartment buildings, the floor plans resembled those of traditional row houses. Consequently, the hallways were generally long and narrow at the Dakota, compared with later developments such as 998 Fifth Avenue . In any case, because
10854-593: The flat itself. This structure was very popular in the past but has become less common in recent times. Most states have separate laws governing Cooperative Housing Societies. for additional information. In the Netherlands there are three very different types of organization that could be considered a housing cooperative: A housing corporation ( woningcorporatie ) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and maintaining housing for rent for people with lower income. The first housing corporations started in
10988-483: The garden's site in 1964. The building is surrounded by a recessed areaway , also described as a dry moat . The areaway was intended to increase residents' safety, as well as allow natural light and air to enter the basement. An entrance to the New York City Subway 's 72nd Street station, served by the B and C trains, is built within this areaway. A cast-iron fence separates
11122-493: The hallways are made of "fireproof blocks", while partitions in other parts of the building are made of either "fireproof blocks" or brick. The thick walls, floor slabs, and partitions also provided noise insulation. The strength of the Dakota's superstructure rivaled that of contemporary office buildings. The mechanical plant to the west measured 150 by 60 by 18 ft (45.7 by 18.3 by 5.5 m) and contained electrical generators, steam boilers, and steam engines. The plant's roof
11256-413: The house staff were in the basement and included bedrooms; bathrooms and dining rooms for men and women; and a smoking room and reading room for men. Residents could also order food from the basement kitchen to be delivered to their rooms. After World War II, the kitchen was closed and became a studio apartment for Giora Novak. The building had several common areas for residents, including a dining room and
11390-695: The housing cooperative is the pooling of the members' resources so that their buying power is leveraged; thus lowering the cost per member in all the services and products associated with home ownership. Another key element in some forms of housing cooperatives is that the members, through their elected representatives , screen and select who may live in the cooperative, unlike any other form of home ownership. Housing cooperatives fall into two general tenure categories: non-ownership (referred to as non-equity or continuing) and ownership (referred to as equity or strata). In non-equity cooperatives, occupancy rights are sometimes granted subject to an occupancy agreement, which
11524-495: The impression of variety between different parts of the facade. The west elevation, facing the former yard, was sparsely ornamented. The exterior walls function as load-bearing walls , which measure up to 4 ft (1.2 m) thick. The exterior walls taper from 28 to 16 inches (710 to 410 mm) on upper stories. The building's main entrance is a double-height archway on 72nd Street to the south. It measures 16 ft (4.9 m) wide and 20 ft (6.1 m) tall. The archway
11658-462: The lack of municipal electric service did not affect the building. The Clarks tried to sell off an adjacent plot to the north, between 73rd and 74th streets, in 1902 with the proviso that no building on that site be taller than the Dakota. The Clarks were unable to sell the plot with that restriction, and the Langham apartment building was erected on the site. Images show that, in the first decades of
11792-411: The late 1950s and early 1960s. By the mid-1960s, members of the co-op had to pay fees of up to $ 14,400 a year (equivalent to $ 139,225 in 2023), in addition to a one-time down payment of no more than $ 60,000 on their apartments (equivalent to $ 580,106 in 2023). At the time, the building employed about 30 staff. The Dakota's board of directors announced in 1974 that the roof would need to be replaced, since
11926-727: The maintenance and operation of the housing complex, as well as electing a board of directors to oversee the cooperative's operations. Housing cooperatives are a popular form of housing in Germany, particularly in urban areas, and they are often seen as a way to provide affordable, community-oriented housing options. In the Industrialisation in the 19th century there were many housing cooperatives founded in Germany. Presently, there are over 2,000 housing cooperatives with over two million apartments and over three million members in Germany. The public housing cooperatives are organised in
12060-466: The mechanical plant outside the building was a deliberate measure to reassure residents in case the machinery exploded. There were also tennis and croquet courts within the garden. Images show that the garden was surrounded by a fence, and the area above the mechanical plant was further enclosed by a hedge. The garden had become a parking lot by the 1950s, and the Mayfair apartment building was developed on
12194-414: The mechanical plant. The attic had six water tanks, each with a capacity of 5,000 U.S. gal (19,000 L). The pumps could draw up to 2 × 10 ^ U.S. gal (7,600,000 L) of water per day, and over 200 mi (320 km) of pipes delivered water to each apartment. The passageways from the courtyard lead to ground-level spaces with wooden paneling and marble wainscoting . Between
12328-406: The membership, providing a voice and representation in the governance of the property. Rules are determined by the board, providing a flexible means of addressing the issues that arise in a community to assure the members' peaceful possession of their homes. A housing cooperative is normally de facto non-profit , since usually most of its income comes from the rents paid by its residents (if in
12462-425: The middle and upper classes. Between 1880 and 1885, more than ninety apartment buildings were developed in the city. In 1879, Clark announced plans for an apartment complex at the intersection of 72nd Street and Eighth Avenue (the latter of which was renamed Central Park West in 1883). At the time, the vast majority of development on Manhattan Island was south of 23rd Street . Clark said he wanted "to make money" from
12596-407: The modern style in the 2010s. The Dakota's basement contained a laundry, storerooms, a kitchen, and the mechanical plant. The main section of the basement is directly under the courtyard and has an asphaltum floor. On one side of the basement were heated and illuminated storerooms in which tenants could store items for free. There was also a wine cellar, which was empty by the 1960s. The quarters of
12730-708: The municipal government, specifically for female senior citizens. Located in the Paris suburb of Montreuil after many years of planning, it looks like any other apartment building. The senior citizens stay out of nursing homes, by staying active, alert, and assisting one another. The purpose of the Baba Yaga Association is to create and develop an innovative lay residence for aging women that is: (1) self-managed, without hierarchy and without supervision; (2) united collective, with regard to finances as well as daily life; (3) citizen civic-minded, through openness to
12864-504: The names of the then-new western states and territories. Back in 1879, Clark had proposed naming the Upper West Side's north-south avenues after states or territories in the Western United States, though his suggestions had been ignored. The Dakota's remoteness did directly give rise to the nickname "Clark's Folly". Clark died in 1882 and bequeathed the apartment complex to his oldest grandson, Edward Severin Clark , who at
12998-422: The neighborhood changed dramatically during that period. The Dakota's main entrance on 72nd Street originally faced some shacks and gardens, but the high-rise Majestic Apartments overlooked the main entrance by the early 1930s. Edward S. Clark died in 1933, just before the Dakota's 50th anniversary, and his brother Stephen Carlton Clark took over the building's operation. Stephen Clark intended to continue operating
13132-528: The north, and Central Park (including the Strawberry Fields memorial) to the east. The Dakota's developer Edward Cabot Clark , who headed sewing machine firm Singer Manufacturing Company , selected the building's site based on several characteristics. The building is on the crest of the West Side plateau, which overlooks much of Manhattan. Additionally, 72nd Street is 100 ft (30 m) wide, making it one of several major crosstown streets in
13266-434: The original apartments have been subdivided, though the Dakota's co-op board has endorsed numerous renovations that restored an apartment's original floor plans. There were either nearly 500 rooms or 623 rooms in total. While most of the building contained fully-equipped apartments, with their own entrances and service elevators/stairs, part of the second floor was divided into smaller apartments and guest rooms. Apartments had
13400-488: The other units. Because of this, most jurisdictions have developed separate legislation, similar to laws that regulate companies, to regulate how co-ops are operated and the rights and obligations of shareholders. Each resident or resident household has membership in the co-operative association . In non-equity cooperatives, members have occupancy rights to a specific suite within the housing co-operative as outlined in their "occupancy agreement", or "proprietary lease", which
13534-445: The person. Whichever form of voting is employed it is necessary to conduct an election among shareholders to determine who will represent them on the board of directors (if one exists), the governing body of the co-operative. The board of directors is generally responsible for the business decisions including the financial requirements and sustainability of the co-operative. Although politics vary from co-op to co-op and depend largely on
13668-594: The rarity of housing co-operatives. In some areas the application procedure is integrated into the council housing application system. The laws differ between England and Scotland. The Confederation of Co-operative Housing provides information on housing cooperatives in the United Kingdom and has published a guide on setting them up. The Shelter website provides information on housing and has information specific to England and Scotland . The Catalyst Collective provides information about starting co-operatives in
13802-467: The remainder living in other forms such as student dormitories or elderly homes. In Finland , by contrast to the Scandinavian countries, housing cooperatives in the strict sense are extremely rare; instead, Finnish tenant-owned housing properties are generally organized as limited companies (Finnish asunto-osakeyhtiö ) in a system peculiar to Finnish law. The Finnish arrangement is similar to
13936-491: The right to occupy a bedroom and share the communal resources of a house owned by a cooperative organization. Such is the case with student cooperatives in some college and university communities across the United States. As a legal entity, a co-op can contract with other companies or hire individuals to provide it with services, such as a maintenance contractor or a building manager. It can also hire employees, such as
14070-757: The roof. The Dakota was designed as a fireproof structure. According to construction plans, the foundation walls were made of bluestone blocks, extended 10 to 18 ft (3.0 to 5.5 m) deep, and measured 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) thick. The perimeter walls tapered in thickness from 28 in (710 mm) at the first story to 16 in (410 mm) above the sixth story. The superstructure includes rolled steel beams on each floor, spaced every 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) and measuring 6 to 12 in (150 to 300 mm) deep. Between these rolled beams were brick or terracotta arches. The floor surfaces consist of 9 in-thick (23 cm) earthen subfloors above 9-inch-thick slabs of concrete. Partitions in
14204-426: The room the quality of an "old English baronial hall". The original plans had called for the dining area to be accessible to the general public, but the plans were modified before the building opened, and the dining room only served residents. The Dakota also had a ladies' reception room with an artwork. There was a florist, a messengers' office, and a telegraph office for residents. The Dakota's in-house staff included
14338-530: The routine intervention of a mediator who could help get to the bottom of the causes of eventual conflicts in order to allow for their resolution. The success of the Paris co-op inspired several Canadian grassroots groups to adopt similar values in senior housing initiatives; these values include autonomy and self-management, solidarity and mutual aid, civic engagement, and ecological responsibility. Housing cooperatives, or "Wohnungsgenossenschaften" in German, are
14472-535: The sales of units between shareholders and new and increases to existing mortgages. There are housing co-ops of the rich and famous: John Lennon , for instance, lived in The Dakota , a housing co-operative, and most apartments in New York City that are owned rather than rented are held through a co-operative rather than via a condominium arrangement. There are two main types of housing co-operative share pricing: market rate and limited equity. With market rate,
14606-496: The second half of the 19th century as small cooperative associations. The first such association in the world, VAK ("association for the working class") was founded in 1852 in Amsterdam . Between 2.4 and 2.5 million apartments in the Netherlands are rented by the housing corporations, i.e. more than 30% of the total of household dwellings (apartments and houses). A (house) owners' association ( Vereniging van Eigenaren , VvE)
14740-454: The seven lowest floors. The largest apartments were on the lower floors, as elevators were still a relatively new technology, and Hardenbergh thought a lower-floor apartment would be more attractive to people who had moved from townhouses. As the building was being constructed, Clark changed the specifications to accommodate individual tenants, resulting in substantial changes to the formerly standardized floor layouts. Look magazine characterized
14874-407: The share price is allowed to rise on the open market and shareholders may sell at whatever price the market will bear when they want to move out. In many ways market rate is thus similar financially to owning a condominium, with the difference being that often the co-op may carry a mortgage, resulting in a much higher monthly fee paid to the co-op than would be so in a condominium. The purchase price of
15008-478: The site in 1879, work began in late October 1880. The building was not given its name until mid-1882, and Clark died before the Dakota was completed in October 1884. The Dakota was fully rented upon its completion. The building was managed by the Clark family for eight decades and remained largely unchanged during that time. In 1961, the Dakota's residents bought the building from the Clark family and converted it into
15142-463: The slate tiles had started to fall off and the copper trim had deteriorated. Since the building had been designated a New York City landmark five years prior, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had to review every proposed modification to the exterior. The LPC hired experts who determined that a full restoration would cost $ 1 million (equivalent to $ 6.18 million in 2023), which amounted to an additional $ 10,000 assessment for each of
15276-549: The south and 73rd Street to the north. The Dakota occupies a nearly square land lot with an area of 40,866 sq ft (3,796.6 m). The land lot has frontages of 200 ft (61 m) along Central Park West and 204 ft (62 m) along 72nd and 73rd streets. Nearby locations include the Majestic apartment building immediately to the south, the Olcott Hotel to the west, the Langham apartment building to
15410-435: The state of NSW , is also a registered housing provider and manages 500 properties in 31 member housing co-operatives Co-ops in Canada offer an affordable alternative to renting, but waiting lists for the units can be years-long. In 2013, the opening of La Maison des Babayagas , an innovative housing co-op in Paris, gained worldwide attention. It was formed as a self-help community and built with financial assistance from
15544-491: The strike but returned to work within a month. The mechanical equipment was being installed in the building by March 1884. The Real Estate Record said the next month: "The 'Dakota' is at last near completion and is receiving its finishing touches prior to its opening in May, when it will be quite ready for dwelling purposes." In September 1884, the Real Estate Record reported that the Dakota "will be ready for occupancy October 1" at
15678-458: The time was 12 years old. After Edward C. Clark's death, Hardenbergh never designed another building for the Clark family; their final collaboration, the Ontiora at Seventh Avenue and 55th Street , was similar in design to the Dakota. Work on the Dakota was delayed in August 1883 when the plasterers went on strike to protest the employment of non-union laborers at the site. Other tradesmen joined
15812-429: The two apartments. These foyers were intended to be "almost as private and convenient" as entrances to typical brownstone row houses. In some cases, an elevator served only one apartment on a floor, so the elevator doors opened directly into that tenant's foyer. In place of dumbwaiters , the building contains four service elevators and four iron staircases for servants. The service elevators and staircases are placed near
15946-416: The vestibule. Architectural Record likened the 72nd Street entrance to a "fortress entry". A "handsome doorway", measuring 10 ft (3.0 m) tall, also led from 73rd Street to the courtyard. The northern entrance on 73rd Street was seldom used except for funerals. The 72nd Street elevation contains projecting turrets, which rise the entire height of the facade. A depiction of a Native American's head
16080-415: The week of October 24–27, 1884. The building was fully rented upon its completion, though detractors considered the building to be isolated and criticized the Dakota as an "intrusion" onto Central Park's landscape. According to historical records, the Dakota's earliest residents were active in a variety of industries. The residents included lawyers, brokers, merchants, and clothiers, although they also included
16214-526: The west elevation, which is made of red brick; all of the brick is laid in common bond . The Dakota's use of soft-hued buff brick contrasted with the facade of the Van Corlear, which was a "harsh red". The facade also contains Nova Scotia sandstone trim and terracotta detailing. The materials and colors were selected to not only complement each other but also to soften the appearance of the building's shadows and massing. The large amount of ornament created
16348-489: The western United States. Other buildings, including a church, fire station, and rowhouses, also were developed nearby. Nonetheless, the Dakota remained the only large apartment building in the neighborhood until the end of the 19th century. A major reason was the lack of electricity in the area, since large apartment buildings needed electricity for their elevators, but the city did not install electric ducts along Central Park West until 1896. The Dakota had its own power plant, so
16482-420: The western portion of the courtyard. This breezeway had been installed during the 1920s to protect residents from inclement weather. When the courtyard was rebuilt in 2004, the sidewalk under the breezeway was reconstructed with bluestone pavers that measure up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long and 5 in (130 mm) thick. The Dakota's courtyard originally contained two fountains, which doubled as skylights for
16616-474: The window sills. The basement had a coal bunker with a capacity of 1,000 short tons (910 t). From the beginning, the building was equipped with "a complete system of electric communication", including electric bells that were used to request the elevators. The Dakota had telegraph wires leading to a florist's shop, a fire station, a nearby stable, and the messenger's and telegraph offices. There were 300 electric bells and 4,000 electric lights, all powered by
16750-399: The wishes of its members, it is a general rule that a majority vote of the board is necessary to make business decisions. In larger co-ops, members of a co-op typically elect a board of directors from amongst the shareholders at a general meeting, usually the annual general meeting . In smaller co-ops, all members sit on the board. A housing cooperative's board of directors is elected by
16884-612: Was an American architect, best known for his hotels and apartment buildings, and as a "master of a new building form — the skyscraper." He worked three times with Edward Clark , the wealthy owner of the Singer Sewing Machine Company and real estate developer: The Singer company's first tower in New York City, the Dakota Apartments, and its precursor, the Van Corlear. He is best known for building apartment dwellings and luxury hotels. Hardenbergh
17018-627: Was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey , of a Dutch family, and attended the Hasbrouck Institute in Jersey City . He apprenticed in New York from 1865 to 1870 under Detlef Lienau , and, in 1870, opened his own practice there. He obtained his first contracts for three buildings at Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey —the expansion of Alexander Johnston Hall (1871), designing and building Geology Hall (1872) and
17152-569: Was commissioned by Edward S. Clark , then head of the Singer Sewing Machine Company , to build a housing development. As part of this work, he designed the pioneering Dakota Apartments on Central Park West , novel in its location, very far north of the center of the city. Subsequently, Hardenbergh received commissions to build the Waldorf (1893) and the adjoining Astoria (1897) hotels for William Waldorf Astor and Mrs. Astor , respectively. The two competing hotels were later joined together as
17286-493: Was constructed of brick arches and iron beams, and the garden was planted above it. The generators became obsolete in the 1890s after the neighborhood was connected to the city's power grid, and the boilers and engines were relocated to the Dakota's basement. The steam plant in the basement, as well as the building's hydraulic elevators, were powered by water that was collected from the roof and from underneath each apartment's radiators. The radiators in each apartment were placed under
17420-417: Was installed. Housing cooperative A housing cooperative , or housing co-op , is a legal entity which owns real estate consisting of one or more residential buildings. The entity is usually a cooperative or a corporation and constitutes a form of housing tenure . Typically housing cooperatives are owned by shareholders but in some cases they can be owned by a non-profit organization. They are
17554-482: Was not the first such structure to be built in the city. Only a few large apartment houses in the city predated the Dakota, including the Manhattan Apartments (built in 1880) and Windermere Apartments (built in 1883). During the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class, but by the late 19th century, apartments were also becoming desirable among
17688-535: Was slightly delayed by a labor strike in March 1882. The exterior walls were up to the sixth story by that May, and the builders estimated that the edifice would be completed in 18 months. The building was renamed the "Dakota" by June 1882. At the time, the development was still within a rural part of Manhattan. One story claims that the name arose because it was remote like the Dakota Territory was. Though
17822-512: Was the Dakota. By the early 1890s, there was a waiting list for vacant apartments. According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the Dakota, along with the American Museum of Natural History several blocks north, helped establish the "early character" of Central Park West. The Dakota's completion spurred the construction of other large apartment buildings in the area, several of which were named after regions in
17956-419: Was the tallest building in the neighborhood when it was constructed. Due to the apartments' high ceilings, the Dakota's height was equivalent to that of a standard 15-story building. The building is largely square in plan and built around a central H-shaped courtyard. The space measures 90 ft (27 m) long and up to 55 ft (17 m) wide. The courtyard provides entry to all apartments and doubles as
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