Doorman of 24 Years Celebrated on Upper East Side

Victor Rodriguez, Doorman of the Year for the Upper East Side, found his job by happenstance at the Andover 24 years ago. “I was looking for a job and my friend asked me to go with him — he had an interview here,” Rodriguez said in an interview from the building’s lobby. “So I went with him. I didn’t think I was getting an interview here. When they guy came out, he said, ‘do you want to interview for a job?’ and I said, ‘sure’ and raised my hand. That was in June of 1996 and I’ve been here ever since.”

He said the being in one building for his entire career has been one of the greatest things. It has allowed him to befriend not only his coworkers, but also the tenants over the years.

“The best part of my job? The kids,” he said. “Coming in here and watching them grow up.”

The past year, he said, has been rough due to the pandemic, but many tenants made sure Rodriguez and the rest of the staff were taken care of. “Just the appreciation that they showed in that...moment. They came through for us, they made sure we had gloves, masks, wipes, everything.”

During the pandemic, Rodriguez has grown closer to his wife, as well as the rest of his family. Despite getting a knee replacement and not feeling well, she does a lot of charity work in their community.

“She inspires me because she gets up every morning,” he said of his wife.

Rodriguez recently took a staycation from work to fix some things around the house and work on his car. When he returned to his post as doorman, he was greeted by many tenants, including, Roberta Tayer. “Victor I’m so glad you’re back,” Tayer said. “I missed you.”

Even when away on vacation, Rodriguez misses his job. “I can’t wait to come back from vacation. Of course, I’m enjoying my vacation, but I like my job,” he said. “My friends are here, the camaraderie with my coworkers, my relationship with the tenants — that’s the best thing.”