Manhattan Real Estate: Residents Won’t Stand for Removing Doorman’s Chair
Doormen are a classic symbol of Manhattan living. Almost as ubiquitous are the doormen’s chairs- which some condo boards seem to feel are a bit too luxurious of a distraction. Brick Underground tells the story of an Upper West Side condo board who took the doorman’s chair away after renovating the lobby and relocating the doorman’s station.
New York City Doormen
“Usually there are more sensitive souls on the board. And if you take it away you have to take it away from everyone—not just the day guy but the midnight guy. It’s hard to go for eight hours without a chair and only two 15 minute breaks,” says Lynn Whiting, building property manager.
This time, though, the “more sensitive souls” were the residents. It turns out they wouldn’t… stand for it. The story goes on to say that the residents circulated a petition to bring the chair back.
“They didn’t do it to be mean or inhumane—they just wanted him to be more alert and pay more attention. They thought it was inhumane to have to stand for eight hours straight or in some instances the doorman was doing a double shift.”
Whiting also notes that the building is not alone in their “sense that if the doorman is sitting, he’s not that alert and not watching, and can’t quickly get the door.”
The board did bring back the chair, and the incident has certainly gotten the doorman to stand at attention.
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