Building Service Workers Award Honoree Bryce Moreno: A Journey to East 79th Street

Not all careers are the same. Bryce Moreno, this year’s East Side Doorman of the Year, held various odd jobs before landing at his current building: 300 East 79th Street.

Moreno, 36, originally went to college to study architectural engineering, but didn’t finish.

“I was really into all of that stuff, but I could not draw a straight line on a schematic to save my life,” he said.

He dropped out of college and began working fulltime as a necessity. He hasn’t looked back since. He first worked at a deli in his neighborhood and then at Tower Records for several years before its bankruptcy in 2006. This is when Moreno was forced to pivot yet again.

On the recommendation of a friend, Moreno started working in residential buildings part time. He worked at a building on 55th Street, across the street from the Friars Club, and on 33rd Street, near NYU Langone.

In 2008, Moreno was tapped to join a new building, 300 East 79th Street, as a doorman.Moreno first thought of the position as a steppingstone.

“I would always say, ‘oh, yeah, next year I’ll start looking for something new,’” he said. “And then, you know, almost a decade later, I’m still here.”

Moreno’s father, who also worked in the service industry, passed last October. In moments of strife, like when he was dealing with his father’s estate and questioning his future, his father’s voice comes into his mind.

“My father popped into my head. And, you know, he’s a very, very stern person, and I know the words would be very colorful, but I could hear him in the back of my head like, ‘you better stick with this,’” Moreno said.

“It’s a nice feeling to know that I’ve gotten this far,” he said. “Because he didn’t stick with it as long as I have. And then I reached his plateau and then have surpassed it.”