A former board president of the famous Dakota is suing the co-op board, claiming that they have entrenched racist and discriminatory practices. Former board president Alphonse Fletcher Jr. says in his suit that he was smeared by board members who were trying to block him from buying a second apartment in the building, which has been home to such luminaries as John Lennon, Leonard Bernstein, Lauren Bacall, Rosie O'Donnell, and Rosemary's demon baby. "Although such conduct by a co-op board on the Upper West Side of Manhattan may seem surprising, this behavior was consistent with the defendants' extensive pattern of hostility toward non-white residents of the building," he claims in the lawsuit. more ›

Yesterday details were scare regarding the man who managed to sneak into the Dakota, but now more are emerging. 24-year-old graphic design student Sungno Kim, a Korean tourist hitting up some spots in his guide book, says he went to the building because he's a Beatles fan and read that is where John Lennon lived (and died). more ›

It's probably fair to assume that Yoko Ono isn't a fan of strangers sneaking in to The Dakota to pay her a little surprise visit, no matter how well-meaning they may be. Yet, on the afternoon of January 12th, one brave tourist decided to sneak in to the building—which is where Yoko lives, and her husband was fatally shot. more ›

The residents and neighbors of the famous Dakota building on the Upper West Side are sick of seeing tour buses filled with folks who want to see where John Lennon lived and died. A long time resident told the NY Post that, “They are an inconvenience and a nuisance. When the tourists get out, they block the entire sidewalk and you can’t get back into your building. It’s dangerous because many times, the buses block the intersection. They block the vision of the pedestrian walking across. I’ve seen people nearly killed.” According to West Side Independent, who broke the story, the buses aren't always city buses—councilwoman Gale Brewer told them, “Both I and my staff have visited the intersections on weekend mornings and have learned that the majority of the tour buses come from out-of-state and Canada." more ›

Today the tourists have been taking a break from Times Square and mingling with local John Lennon fans to pay tribute to the musician. 28 years ago today he was killed in front of his home at The Dakota (where his wife Yoko Ono still lives), and now the spot has become one of the New York City landmarks in which to remember the former Beatle. more ›