On December 8, 1980 the filigree gates of New York's Dakota residence, across from Central Park, went down in history as the spot John Lennon was shot dead. But for nearly a decade prior to his shocking murder, the former Beatle's adopted hometown was where he rediscovered life. When he moved into a basement apartment in Greenwich Village with Yoko Ono, he could "be John, Yoko's husband, who could just hang out and be a regular person," says Beatles' expert Susan Ryan. According to Ryan, New York City "gave him anonymity that he craved".