5. Westbeth Apartments
Nearby, Lennon was photographed in the famous image wearing the “New York City” t-shirt at Westbeth, the former Bell Labs building which has been a live-work space for artists since the 1960s. The photograph was taken by Bob Gruen, who lived at Westbeth. Gruen also took the photo of Lennon in front of the Statue of Liberty, where the musician is showing a peace sign.
In an interview with Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner, Lennon spoke of his love for Greenwich Village:
“You know, I should have been born in New York, man. I should have been born in the Village! That’s where I belong! Why wasn’t I born there? Like Paris was in the eighteenth century or whatever it was, London I don’t think has ever been it. It might have been literary-wise when Wilde and Shaw and all them were there. New York was it! I regret profoundly not being American and not being born in Greenwich Village. That’s where I should have been. But it never works that way. Everybody heads towards the centre, that’s why I’m here now. I’m here just to breathe it. It might be dying, or there might be a lot of dirt in the air, but this is where it’s happening.”
