John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s SoHo Residence Hits the Market for $5.5 Million

Yoko Ono is selling the first New York City home she and John Lennon bought together, according to the New York Post. For the first time in 53 years, the two-story red brick and glass building is hitting the market, priced at $5.5 million.

The late Beatle and the avant-garde artist made the purchase in 1971, the same year Lennon released his highly acclaimed second studio album, Imagine. The transaction came two years before the famous couple moved into the Dakota apartment house on the Upper West Side, where Lennon was fatally shot in 1980. Ono has maintained ownership of the SoHo property since her husband’s death.

The twenty-foot-wide building is located on the bustling Broome Street, in the middle of a neighborhood known for its boutiques and restaurants. On the first floor is a loft-style space with wooden plank floors, 14-foot ceilings, a small kitchen with a sit-in counter space, and a short staircase that leads to a bedroom loft and bathroom hidden behind closed doors. A separate entrance and staircase lead to the second floor, which houses a sound studio, a gallery space, and a second full bathroom.

Built in 1920, the historic abode is zoned for both residential and commercial use. It has been used as a workspace and a recording studio in the past. A standout feature of the building is the 4,600 square feet of air rights that come with the deed; according to a managing director at JLL, the brokerage holding the listing, this means the owner can potentially choose to add an extra three floors to the structure.

Ono, who is 91 years old, lives on a sprawling farm in the Catskills. She and Lennon had one son, musician Sean Ono Lennon.