The Dakota

[snopes]

Comment: Just read a yahoo article on Lauren Bacall's apartment in the
Dakota Bldg in NYC. In the comments, someone said:

'I used to live nearby the Dakota in the 80's and often saw LB walking her
dog in front of the building. I always said "Hi Ms. Bacall" and she always
answered in that famous voice "hello there". Beautiful apartment, One of
the most beautiful co-ops in NYC. Just a little trivia; it's called The
Dakota because when it was built (by the owner of Singer Sewing Machines)
there was NOTHING on the upper west side. New Yorkers would say of the new
building in the middle of nowhere, "you might as well live in the Dakotas!"'

Only one person challenged that story, saying:

'That story on it's name didn't come to be until the 30's, almost 50 years
after it was built. it is more likely that the building was named the
Dakota because of Clark's fondness for the names of the new western states
and territories.'

I found it fascinating, and a bit scary when you consider how much we all
use the internet for our news, how most people took the first poster's
story as truth (which it may be) with no references, not knowing anything
about the first poster. Now I am curious...what IS the origin of the name
of the landmark building.