When John Lennon and Yoko Ono moved from Greenwich Village to the Dakota apartment building on West 72nd Street and Central Park South in 1973, the area of Central Park directly across from their apartment because a beloved “front yard.” New Yorkers were charmed to find them strolling through the park regularly. On the night of December 8, 1980, when Lennon was shot to death when coming home to the Dakota, grief-stricken fans gathered just inside the park at West 72nd Street, singing, holding candles, and leaving flowers.
Plans for a memorial to John Lennon in Central Park began shortly after his death, and his widow worked with the city to create what she hoped would be an international garden of peace. First New York City resolved to rename this area of the park Strawberry Fields, after Lennon’s 1967 song with The Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever.” The design of the area served as a redevelopment of what had become a run-down part of the park, and includes several meadows and a winding path that leads through a wooded area. Countries all over the world contributed to the development of Strawberry Fields, and a plaque on a large rock just off the path shows gratitude for those donations. A central mosaic with the simple word “Imagine” – a tribute to Lennon’s beloved solo recording – was created in and donated by the city of Naples, Italy. This iconic mosaic is surrounded by benches and soon began to regularly attract groups of people to sing Lennon’s music and play guitars.
Strawberry Fields was officially dedicated on what would have been John Lennon’s 45th birthday – October 9, 1985. Since then, on anniversaries of his birth, and perhaps particularly on each anniversary of his death, large crowds gather to sing and show their love and respect.
On December 8, 2025, I went by in the afternoon and found a large crowd gathered. There were more instrumentalists than the typical single acoustic guitar, and included amps, a keyboard, and drums. As I walked over, everyone was singing “If I Fell” (you can see a video of what it was like to walk up to the crowd HERE). It was a very cold day, but I stayed for many, many songs and regretted leaving when I had to. Perhaps a highlight was “We can work it out” (see a video I took of the song HERE). This song is one of the great examples of a true Lennon-McCartney collaboration, with the result being something much more than the sum of the two parts. Lennon’s weariness with the world’s constant struggles (“Life is very short/And there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend”) is a foil for McCartney’s sunnier optimism, constantly returning to the refrain “We can work it out.” In these troubled times, being in a group of strangers singing both to acknowledge the pain, and attempt to find hope, was a true balm to my soul.
I was back later, and generally show up on the evening of December 8th to be a part of the crowd. The singing continued well into the night, with candles added to the tributes on the Imagine mosaic, and people waving their phone flashlights in time to the beat, today’s version of holding up a lighter.
When it snows in Central Park, I am always impressed with how passersby keep the mosaic cleared and visible. Before too long, someone generally comes back to sing (see a recent video of someone singing “Girl” after a snowfall HERE). Quite often on any particular day, people will leave flowers, notes, or photographs at the memorial. I consider myself fortunate to live fairly nearby, and to walk through the park often. If I am able, I generally do try to walk through Strawberry Fields and feel my spirit lift just a bit. When people come to visit me, we often head to Strawberry Fields as part of a walk around my favorite spots in Central Park. There’s no denying the tragedy that occurred on December 8, 1980 – for his family and friends primarily, but also for the world. We will never know what he might have accomplished had he been given more time. But John Lennon’s spirit and desire to foster peace lives on through Strawberry Fields, a very special place for us to gather and remember – “You might say I’m a dreamer/But I’m not the only one.”
Julie Brannan, NYC residential real estate 