John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first New York property has gone on the market for $5.5 million. The couple bought the two-story, loft-style building at 496 Broome Street in SoHo following their relocation to the city in 1971, after the Beatles broke up. They moved in just as Lennon released his second studio album, Imagine.
The Broome Street purchase came after stays at the St. Regis Hotel and a rental apartment at 105 Bank Street in the West Village. It became a meeting spot for artists, musicians, poets, and more.
John Lennon with wife, Yoko Ono, during a press conference. Photo via Getty Images.
It was later used as a recording studio, as well as a base for other creative projects once the couple decamped to their more famed address at the Dakota, on Central Park West and 72nd Street. The couple went on to own five units in this luxurious co-op, which was known for housing a number of celebrities.
The open-plan living space at 496 Broome Street. Courtesy JLL.
Ono now lives on a farm in the Catskills and still owns an apartment at the Dakota, but she has decided to part with the Broome Street building after 53 years. Real estate services company JLL is selling the property on behalf of Ono and her son, Sean Ono Lennon.
The property was built around 1920 and features an Art Deco façade with a decorative checkerboard of glass squares, accompanied by curved cast-iron railings, and a redbrick upper, complete with ornamental facing.
The interior of 496 Broome Street. Courtesy JLL.
Despite its seemingly diminutive stature, it features 3,832 square feet of space, including an open-plan living area featuring hardwood floors, leading to a bedroom loft with a large skylight. Alongside two “gallery” areas, there is a fully sound-proofed recording studio and a considerable cellar. The slick, modern feel is seemingly at odds with a more decadent bathroom, which features a roll-top bath with brass finishings.
The bathroom at 496 Broome Street. Courtesy JLL.
The property is currently vacant, apart from a few white goods and a safe. It comes with 4,600 square feet of air rights, meaning that it could be extended upwards by several floors.
A statement on the listing’s executive summary reads, “With its premier location, versatile zoning, and unique historic pedigree in global popular culture, 496 Broome Street represents an amazing opportunity to own a special piece of New York history in one of its most desirable and trendsetting neighborhoods.”