Real-estate heirs and young philanthropists Toby Milstein and Larry Milstein hosted a private reception with Ian Wardropper, Director at The Frick Collection, entitled Across the Park and Into the Past at their family home in The Dakota.
The event celebrated the relationship between the Frick and The Dakota – two of New York’s most iconic addresses.
Ian Wardropper welcomed guests by saying that he lives “in the shadow of the Dakota so the event theme of ‘across the park and into the past,’ is my everyday life as I walk across the park and between the Dakota and the Frick.”
Rachel Himes, Education Assistant, The Frick Collection, then gave a brief history of the building, describing the Upper East Side at the turn of the century as an open and more sparsely inhabited area and noting that “Adelaide, Henry Frick’s wife, would recall how she could hear boats passing on the East River from her home,” something impossible to imagine in today’s modern metropolitan landscape.
The Dakota, a cooperative apartment building located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, was built in 1884, and is one of Manhattan’s most prestigious and exclusive cooperative residential buildings. The Dakota is famous as the home of former Beatle John Lennon from 1973 to his death outside the building in 1980.
Internationally recognized as a premier museum and research center, The Frick Collection is housed in the former residence of Henry Clay Frick on Fifth Avenue and 1 East 70th St. One of New York City’s few remaining Gilded Age mansions, it was built in 1914 and provides a tranquil environment for visitors to experience masterpieces by artists such as Bellini, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, and Whistler.
Toby and Larry then gave an insightful talk about the history of the Dakota, and their personal relationship with “the iconic building that so few have a chance to peek inside.” They spoke about the lore and urban myths of the building, and the notable residents, and John Lennon who had influenced the rich tapestry of New York’s artistic and creative landscape. They shared anecdotes about their experiences growing up in the building, saying “every time you walked into the building, you felt its historical significance,” before introducing Leonard Bernstein’s children, Alexander Bernstein and Jamie Bernstein, who had lived in the apartment before them.
The intimate group of supporters included Frick Collection Trustees Bernard Selz and Melinda Martin Sullivan, and Frick Young Fellows.