The Beatles: Now and Then – Part 2

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/11/2023 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This story is the second in a two-part series about travel destinations of interest to fans of The Beatles, including a magnificent place I found ‘accidentally’… Read the first part here.

New York City is where John Lennon put down roots in 1971, and where his life was tragically taken nine years later. Right next to Central Park is The Dakota, the historic apartment where he lived with Yoko Ono. I’ll admit it was a little strange to stand across the street from that building, seeing the entranceway where he was shot, and have it feel eerily familiar after seeing it depicted so many times in the media.

Tucked inside the park is Strawberry Fields, a five-acre memorial landscape honouring Lennon’s life as a musician and peace activist. The Imagine mosaic is a peaceful place to stop and reflect, or just sit and watch “the wheels go ’round and ’round” around you.

There are two hotels made famous by John and Yoko’s ‘bed-in for peace’ protests in 1969. The first is the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam, where they sat in bed in their pajamas for a week in March, surrounded by flowers and encouraging world peace, as media visitors came and went.

A few months later, they were going to hold a second bed-in in New York, but that was stymied when Lennon was denied entry into the United States. So, they came to Canada instead, and climbed into bed for another week at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. This time, they recorded the song Give Peace a Chance with visiting guests participating as backup singers.

Both hotel suites have been memorialized, and guests can stay overnight for a hefty price tag. In Montreal, Room 1742 is known as the ‘John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite’ and rents out for $3,500 (and up) per night. In Amsterdam, Room 702 is the ‘John and Yoko Honeymoon Suite’ at the nightly cost of $2,500 (and up).

The most famous locale in London related to The Beatles has to be Abbey Road. Fans from around the world still visit daily to take their shot at replicating the legendary album cover. That same street crossing is right next to Abbey Road Studios, where the Fab Four recorded the majority of their music with producer George Martin – often referred to as the ‘Fifth Beatle’.

Another significant building is the old Apple Corp. headquarters at 3 Savile Row in London’s fashion district. The Beatles played a spontaneous concert on the rooftop of the building in January 1969. In what ended up being their last-ever public performance, they entertained random people gathering curiously in the streets for just over 40 minutes before being shut down by police for excessive volume.

One of my most-favourite London moments was walking through the Soho District, meandering the streets with no set plan or destination. Suddenly I found myself standing right in front of a gloriously lit-up building! I look up to see the word ‘Palladium’ written across the top – and recognize it instantly as one of the most famous and historic places The Beatles performed.

I stood there in awe, taking in the spectre of it. Imagining what it would have been like to see one of my all-time favourite bands performing live at the Palladium – inside that actual building. In real-life. Pondering how it would have felt to be part of ‘Beatlemania’ as it unfolded. In real-time.

It’s something I do wonder about every now and then.