New York: 40 years after Lennon's death, the city that set him free

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".