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The concierge is an institution worth investing in. They know what is going on in your neighbourhood, can prevent crime and stop you having to wait at home for deliveries. They are a city essential. Monocle meets three of the best.
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Joe Toro has helmed the door at 45 East 80th Street for 14 years and is as punctilious with security as he is with his white gloves and morning greeting. “I know most of the neighbours and I’m friendly with people who I wouldn’t have thought I had anything in common with,” he tells Monocle. “My job is to make the residents feel comfortable. I protect them as if they were my own. Some talk about their families or their day and others don’t but everyone is interesting.”
While Toro enjoys passing the time of day with residents, the Upper East Side Manhattan apartment block under his charge is known for its tough security. “Some people like it and some think it’s too much, but it marks us out, so I like that,” says Toro. With two doormen and a porter on duty at all times, each visitor to the 50-unit building must show ID before Toro or his colleagues phone to let residents know of their guest’s arrival.
Striking the balance between secure entrance and friendly welcome is a task that doormen in New York City frequently face. Residents often call needing help with jobs like unlocking a suitcase or reaching items on high shelves, but the doormen make sure there is always someone manning the desk. In a city where security is a concern, doormen like Toro are key to a neighbourhood’s safety. He is a hard-man with a smile. Commuting daily from the South Bronx, being part of the building’s community is what Toro enjoys most. “This building has become my second home.”
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Known to residents only by his first name, Aji’s character matches that of the Marylebone mansion block in his care; neat, discreet, and gently joyful.
Aji arrived in 1964 from Nigeria and spent decades combining concierge work with study. With law exams and a building degree, he may be the capital’s highest-qualified porter. Only after some time does he let you know he is a prince in Nigeria.
“I look after this place as I would my own home,” he says. “The people who live here are my friends.” He may not guide you to the best table in the neighbourhood but he can soothe a screaming baby, redirect errant parcels and polish the brass entrance plaque to a military standard. Such is his attention to detail, Aji has been heard expressing frustration at trees for shedding leaves in his courtyard.
The pride in presentation extends to Aji himself. There is always a collar and tie under his hi-vis waistcoat. During building work, he places a cap on top of his hard hat. “I have worn a shirt and tie since I was a child,” he explains.
Issue 31
When it comes to disasters, the first few hours make all the difference to rescue and relief efforts. And the better the kit, the greater the chance of saving lives. But is it time for a permanent rapid reaction force?
Issue 53
China's Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan are put on the Style Leader spot, work has begun on a new airport near Beijing that will become the world's largest, and India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh has a new leader after…
Issue 48
The challenges facing Papua New Guinea's new prime minister, solving a housing shortage in Darwin, and why Kiwi students are being spared Shakespeare.
Issue 21
Monocle's view from Washington column discovers White House technology is far from trailblazing. Plus, a crack-down on cattle rustling in Brazil, eco wrangles in El Salvador, and urban chicken farming.
Issue 21
In 2007, the Brazilian government launched a crack down on the drug gangs in Rio’s slums and thousands were killed. Now the city’s civil police have a new weapon: the ‘Huey II’ helicopter gunship. Monocle looks at the use…
Issue 36
Within some states of the US there is an increasing sense of belligerent unrest among the right-wing – over half of polled Republicans believe the president is a Muslim who wants to diminish the nation’s sovereignty. Zed…
Issue 45
Three of the five cities on this page have been in our bottom five for the past two years, and Montréal has slipped. Maybe somebody at city hall needs to start trying a bit harder. Meanwhile, we welcome Seattle to the fold…
Issue 39
Ten experts open their almanacs to explore the challenges of 2011 in the worlds of politics, banking, terrorism and defence.
Issue 53
A new satellite city is planned to ease the pressure of Nairobi's urban centre, restoration is planned for Saudi Arabia's weather-beaten collection of world-class sculptures, and Syria in numbers.
Issue 40
New York City’s enviable culture and wealth have failed to spread to its northern hinterlands. For ailing cities like Buffalo, it’s do or die time.
Issue 28
We sign up for a degree at the University of Seychelles, Iraq's foreign food shopping list grows as droughts dry up the rivers, Israel takes commuting to new lengths and Angola at last rebuilds... sort of.
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