Born in the city and raised on the Upper West Side, Gaga, aka Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, spent her early years in NYC learning to play the piano and sing, and eventually make her way onto the local music circuit.
Now on her fifth studio album, her tour will take her temporarily away from her apartment with Central Park views and duties as NYC entertainment ambassador. But while Gaga is often on the road, New York remains her home.
Take a walk down Gaga’s memory lane to find out where the singer used to hang out, go to school and perform — and see the luxurious life she’s living now, when she spends time in the heart of Manhattan.
John Lennon memorial
It's no secret that Lady Gaga is a major John Lennon fan. Besides the peace sign tattoo on the singer's left wrist dedicated to Lennon's activism, and performing with the late singer's partner Yoko Ono, Gaga's love for Lennon hits close to home. The singer grew up near the Strawberry Fields memorial on the West side of Central Park.
In an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning," Gaga visits the memorial, sharing that she often walked past the mosaic "Imagine" peace sign while growing up on the Upper West Side.
(Credit: Getty Images / Don Emmert)Washington Square Park and NYU
Lady Gaga attended New York University for three semesters in the mid-aughts, before dropping out at age 19 to pursue her music career full time. "I really felt New York was my teacher and that I needed to bite the bullet and go it alone," she told Elle magazine, in a 2009 interview, on her decision to leave school.
NYU's downtown campus surrounds Washington Square Park, which campus-less university students use as a quad. As a student, Gaga would have frequented the park, and the buildings surrounding it.
Before Gaga left NYU for good, she did show off her vocal chops at the university's annual talent show, "Ultra Violet Live." During freshman year, Stefani Germanotta performed two original songs, "Captivated" and "Electric Kiss," on stage at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, next to the park. (The Skirball Center is also where undergrads take Chemistry and Biology courses.) Germanotta was a runner-up in "UVL," but the loss of first place clearly didn't discourage her from continuing to make music.
(Credit: Getty Images / Spencer Platt )Walk-up on Stanton Street
After Gaga dropped out of NYU, she moved from her parent's UWS home to her own place in downtown Manhattan. Her one-bedroom apartment, in a walk-up at 176 Stanton St., was where the singer lived for a few years after dropping out of NYU. It was during this period that songs from her first album, "The Fame," came to be, songs including "Beautiful Dirty Rich," which she and stage partner Lady Starlight performed at local haunts like The Knitting Factory in 2007.
The storefront at 176 Stanton St. houses apparel store OnlyNY.
In 2014, Gaga posted this photo of herself outside her old apartment while celebrating her birthday.
(Credit: Lady Gaga via Twitter)ADVERTISEMENT
The Bitter End
Right around the corner from NYU's downtown campus, The Bitter End, at 147 Bleecker St., is a popular spot for musicians starting out to get some mic time.
Lady Gaga, who took to the Bitter End's stage -- and roof -- on Oct. 20, 2016, during her Bud Light Dive Bar tour, frequented the spot for local gigs when she performed with her Stefani Germanotta Band, which played everything from original tunes like "Hollywood" to a cover of Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Maker." Fans can relive those moments thanks to clips of a 2006 show.
(Credit: Getty Images / Dimitrios Kambouris )The Cutting Room
Lady Gaga didn't always wear crazy costumes when she performed.
Before she struck it big and took on a stage name, Germanotta played plenty of local shows as a more demure brunette, including at Manhattan's Cutting Room (pictured), at 44 E. 32nd St. Germanotta also performed at The Knitting Factory and Mercury Lounge.
(Credit: Lady Gaga via Instagram)Beauty Bar
Retro-themed hangout Beauty Bar, at 231 E. 14th St., was another one of Gaga's frequent performance spots before "The Fame" pushed the singer into the broader spotlight.
In a 2013 interview with the Villager, Gaga's friend and former DJ Brendan Jay Sullivan revealed that the singer frequented the East Village bar for years. Perhaps it was the $10 manicure and martini special that made this place a Gaga go-to.
(Credit: Christa Lopez)Joanne Trattoria
Lady Gaga's album isn't the only reference to her middle name. Opened by Gaga's parents in 2012, Joanne Trattoria, 70 W. 68th St., serves classic Italian cuisine, including family recipes (including the Joanne's meatballs, per the menu). If you head to the restaurant, you may get more than a meal; in October, she tweeted to fans that she'd be at the restaurant tending bar.
(Credit: Getty Images / Donna Ward)The Pomeroy
Gaga seems to surround herself with people who know food. This American restaurant, located in Astoria, is co-owned by chef Bo O'Connor (pictured, at left).
"My best friend over 20 years opened her restaurant last night," Gaga tweeted about the eatery, including the restaurant's address, 36-12 Ditmars Blvd.
The singer was spotted enjoying a meal at The Pomeroy's grand opening in 2015.
(Credit: AFP / Getty Images / Eduardo Munoz Alvarez; Lady Gaga via Twitter)ADVERTISEMENT
The Oak Room
As the world has known since Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett released their duet album "Cheek to Cheek," the singer doesn't just enjoy contemporary pop music.
But long before "Cheek to Cheek" came to fruition, Gaga began frequenting this swanky Oak Room, a lounge in The Plaza Hotel, at 768 Fifth Ave. where she's given impromptu performances of songs including George Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me." Paparazzi and YouTubers alike have seen the songstress take the mic here from 2010 to 2014.
(Credit: Getty Images / Amy Sussman)Central Park apartment
From a fourth floor walk-up to park views, Gaga's address changes over the years offer concrete examples of her success.
Though the singer now splits her time between New York City and California, when Gaga is in town, she enjoys the views from her 40 Central Park South penthouse apartment.
(Credit: Lady Gaga via Instagram)
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