But for the last 50 years, there was a constant — Yoko Ono lived in the Dakota. She stayed even after that tragic December day in 1980 when John Lennon was fatally shot right outside the building. Ms. Ono’s presence sustained the mystique of the Dakota — already well known as a coveted quarters for celebrities and artists when she and Mr. Lennon moved into the Upper West Side apartment complex in 1973. To the distaste of some other residents, the couple at one point owned five units at the Dakota, which — in addition to being their primary residence — they used as a guest home, a storage space and a studio for Ms. Ono. The living space and studio alone had a combined square-footage of nearly 6,000 square feet, New York magazine reported in 1996.

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Persons: Duane Reades, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Lennon, Ono Organizations: New York, New, Dakota Locations: New York City, Dakota, New York