As much of a chameleon as this ever changing city, David Bowie lived the final years of his life in New York.
It makes sense that the British-born legend should gravitate to the Big Apple, where all the misfits, aliens and outsiders he personified as Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke are welcome.
With the news of his death at age 69 after an 18-month-long struggle with cancer, we take a look at Bowie's relationship with his adopted city:
1. Bowie made his Broadway debut in 1980 in "The Elephant Man."
He played the lead in Bernard Pomerance's 1977 play about a 19th-century British man who made his living from his congenital disfigurement. Critics praised his appearance in "The Elephant Man," calling him a "born actor" and a "theatrical wonder."
2. The musician and his supermodel wife Iman made their New York home in 1998.
They purchased two adjoining SoHo penthouses he bought at 285 Layfayette Street for $4 million in 1999. The year before, the couple had purchased an unfinished 5,000-square-foot, ninth-floor condo at 704 Broadway for $1.5 million, but they decided against renovating and put it back on the market for $2 million. Their home is a short walk away from Washington Square Park, which in 2003 he declared one of his three favorite spots in the city.
Fans placed flowers and candles outside the building Monday.
Growing floral tribute outside David Bowie's Soho apartment, as New Yorkers and tourists pay their respects pic.twitter.com/4EAClAwI3K
— Laura Trevelyan (@LauraTrevelyan) January 11, 20163. Bowie played his part in publicly mourning the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001
He performed at the Concert for New York City, a tribute to the terrorist attack's victims and heroes that took place at Madison Square Garden.
Bowie's rendition of his 1977 single "Heroes," an homage to the police officers, firemen and rescue workers who attended the event, earned one of the most vigorous ovations of the night.
David Bowie performs at the Concert for New York City (Credit: Getty/Scott Gries)
4. In 2007, unsatisifed with his varied roles as fashion trendsetter, actor, talent scout and pop music innovator, Bowie took on yet another — he became curator of the first-ever High Line Festival.
The artist himself booked acts — from comedian Ricky Gervais to indie rock band Arcade Fire — for the 11-day series of music, film, comedy and art anticipating the public space that wouldn't open until 2009.
"The point of the festival,” Bowie told the New York Times, “is not to dig out as many obscure and unknown acts as possible — it’s to put on what I would go and see."
5. Bowie recorded the 2013 album "The Next Day" — his first in a decade — in complete secrecy at a SoHo studio at 49 Crosby Street, The Magic Shop.
When the album's single, "Where Are We Now?" dropped in January, the world was astonished by the revelation that the rock star had spent two years making a record without leaking any rumors of its creation.
Guitarist Earl Slick told The Guardian Bowie and his team took up residence at The Magic Shop after the owners of their first-choice studio allegedly disclosed information about their clients.
The proprietors of the Magic Shop were far more discreet, dispatching interns from the studio and keeping staff to a minimum when Bowie booked sessions there.
6. The artist tried to leave a lasting impact on New York City theater ...
...with the premiere of the Off-Broadway musical, "Lazarus," which he co-wrote. Premiering at the New York Theater Workshop in December 2015, the show was inspired by the 1970s sci-fi film in which Bowie starred, "The Man Who Fell to Earth."
It's "pretty much sold out" until its run ends on Jan. 20, according to The Telegraph, but you wouldn't necessarily want to see it anyhow. Many reviewers agreed the plot makes little sense.
7. Bowie's legacy will be honored at Carnegie Hall on March 31.
What had originally been planned as a tribute concert — announced just hours before the rocker's death on Sunday — has become a memorial concert. The Roots, Cyndi Lauper, the Mountain Goats, Heart's Ann Wilson, Perry Farrell and Jakob Dylan will be among the artists to commemorate the musical idol.
