Throughout the 1960s, the Beatles left a profound mark on New York City, performing at venues such as The Ed Sullivan Theater, Forest Hills Stadium, and Shea Stadium. Fans would swarm the band wherever they went, and some would go so far as to steal some of their personal belongings. The Beatles gave a handful of performances across the city from 1964 to 1966 and continued to provide promotional material shortly after, and even after the band dissolved, the members spent considerable amounts of time in New York. John Lennon lived in New York City from the time of his marriage to Yoko Ono to his death in 1980, and the other Beatles made frequent appearances at concerts or talks. Here are 10 still-standing locations that are tied to the Beatles today.
1. The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel was the first hotel the Beatles stayed at in the U.S., arriving shortly after a press conference at JFK Airport on February 7, 1964. Over 50 policemen protected the band from fans as they made their way inside. They took the 10-room Presidential suites on the 12th floor (rooms 1209 to 1216), and they would sometimes wave at fans on 58th Street from the window. Funnily enough, management at the Plaza Hotel believed they booked rooms for a group of “English businessmen,” not a rock ‘n’ roll band.
At the hotel, the Beatles watched plenty of news about themselves, as well as conducted interviews with local radio DJs. George Harrison developed strep throat and was confined to the hotel during rehearsals for their first performance. On February 10, after a chaotic few nights, Capitol Records president Alan Livingston presented the Beatles at the Plaza with gold records for “Meet the Beatles” and “I Want to Hold your hand.” A cocktail party for the press was held later that day at the hotel. But with all the commotion during their first visit, the Plaza Hotel made it clear that they did not want the Beatles to return. Instead, the Beatles would spend their subsequent visits at the Warwick Hotel.