This location has been closed for over 10 years. It should not be included on this map.
I was walking outside Central Park, and recognized this building as I approached it. I couldn't place where I knew it from, but it was recognizable. Soon I noticed the number of Beatles shirts being worn in the area, and I realized it was The Dakota... John Lennon lived here, and was murdered in the archway. The outside of this building was also used for the movie Rosemary's Baby. It's a nice old building with interesting architecture, and some nice details. The "Strawberry Fields" memorial to John Lennon in Central Park is right across the street.
I had such high hopes for this place... I've heard so many stories about famous musicians coming here to buy guitars, and really thought this would be a great stop for a guitar lover. What I found out was that if you aren't a famous musician, they probably won't talk to you in here. I saw 3 different employees, and not one of them greeted me, asked if they could help me, etc. I spent about 20 minutes looking at the wall and trying to read the markings on the cases stored overhead, but apparently I was a ghost. Little did they know that I am a guitar collector, and they probably missed a sale that day. They were too busy talking about getting some cake from the back room to greet the only customer in their store on a rainy day in NYC. After visiting Rudy's, I'd rather spend my money at a Guitar Center- and that says a lot.
I can't tell you how happy I am that I saw this on the map and decided to stop. What I thought would be a good place to stretch my legs for 10-15 minutes turned into a 90-minute walk through this pet cemetery... and I didn't see all of it! It doesn't take long to start realizing how much love is represented in this place, and how much joy every one of these animals brought to the lives of the people and families they were a part of. There are a lot of really cute names on the gravestones and some touching epitaphs. Strangely, there were a LOT of dogs named Snoopy, but I didn't see a single Lassie! Definitely take the time to see this place if you are in the area.
I got lucky and found a review that told me people from out of state have to pay $30 to enter the park! No way I was going to pay $30 just to drive in and catch a glimpse of a lighthouse. That's ridiculous. Glad I didn't spend the hour driving there before I found this out!