If you do a lot of ordering items to be delivered, you will never have to worry about porch pirates or missed deliveries if you have a doorman. They can accept packages for you. Plus, it does add a measure of security, although I wouldn't expect them to take a bullet for me. I vote for a doorman, especially if you live in an urban area. My DD has this situation, and I don't think she would ever go back to not having one. Happy looking!

I live in a city--right now in a row house but can't wait to ditch house responsibilites. I am going to keep looking.

DMIL is in a condo without a doorman, but she is not downtown. And there is a super, though I don’t know if he receives packages. He does, though, look out for DMIL.

DS was house-sitting in a building with a doorman, and boy was that nice. I want one, and I’m in a suburban house!

Whether it's a doorman (at the door) or a concierge (stuck behind a desk), having someone at the building to receive packages is one of the better things about condo living.

^^ same here gardengal. I've never noticed any door-person for condos, like in downtown Seattle. Hotels yes, but not condos. And I live in a condo - no door-person here.

If the only consideration is receiving packages, I'd just get an address at a place that receives them, or even a PO box. I, too, am on the West coast and have never seen a doorman for anything but a hotel.

Never came upon one here in the Midwest either. I can't imagine the upcharge for the condo to have one. Pass. But then I don't know anyone who has the perils mentioned either.

Doormen/concierge aren't common in my area at all. Probably select ones in downtown Toronto (more a concierge than a doorman). A close friend lives in a 1M condo and there are no concierge etc.

A lot of supers do not want the responsibility for accepting packages. They make it plain to the tenants/owners. They don't want to be held there if someone buzzes, or if something gets lost/damaged. Check first.

" Doormen/concierge aren't common in my area at all. Probably select ones in downtown Toronto (more a concierge than a doorman). A close friend lives in a 1M condo and there are no concierge etc. "

Huh....My family has lived in 3 different condo buildings in Toronto, and all had a concierge (and none were downtown Toronto). Then again, when I was moving to a condo, I didn't even bother looking at the buildings without one.

Ahhh, TorVet, thinking back, my brother's inlaws had a concierge and they lived in Bayview. I definitely stand corrected. Thanks.

I lived most of my life without a doorman and the thought of having someone watch my comings and goings creeped me out. Then I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) who was in a doorman building. I love it. I'm lucky to live in a building with a very nice staff. Getting packages and deliveries, leaving things to be picked up, even having someone to greet me when I come home is nice.

I liked having a doorman in DC. I can't think of any downside.

Not a condo, but a townhouse complex that has the units surrounding an open area on 3 sides: my DD has started having all of her packages sent to my home, because she has had multiple experiences of a package being stolen within minutes of the delivery notification (most from the big A). Same with food delivery. It seems that someone in the complex with a view of her door, and of the spot where the delivery trucks stop, is keeping an eye out for opportunities.

I hope that her next apartment is in a better part of town and hopefully one with controlled access to the interior of the building. Rents are so high now that the "better part of town" part is difficult.

Doormen do far more than receiving deliveries. A very short list of what comes to mind - greeting and directing visitors, hailing taxis, providing first line security, letting in and looking after service workers when the occupant is away, helping to carry-in bundles or bulky items or watching a parked car when others are doing that, and on and on. In NYC as an example, buildings with doormen (and I think more usually they're co-ops than condos) are highly prized. In a largish building, the incremental cost shared by owners isn't a large portion of common charges.

And the good ones really look out for their tenants. I grew up in a doorman (rental) building, and my mother lived there for 50 years. In the '80s she got to know a couple of the guys really well, as they were Russian emigrés and she spoke the language. As she became sicker they helped her numerous times, calling to check in on her, until she finally consented to have me hire people to be with her when I couldn't be there. It was great peace of mind for both of us to know there was someone looking out for her.