Women make up 3% of this famed NYC job: Meet the rare breed of city ‘doorwomen’
NY Post
Maria Silva is used to being the only woman in the building — she’s been a “doorwoman” in New York City for more than two decades.
Indeed, her position is supremely rare in the Big Apple, which has long had residential buildings staffed by doormen.
As that name implies, the position is most commonly held by men, whose crucial duties run the gamut from safeguarding parcels, vetting guests and responding to the occasional headache — lockouts, broken elevators and the like. They also form a strong part of any building’s community.
However, women make up just 3% of this iconic New York City job, according to union demographics, making doorwomen more rare than female taxi drivers, at 6%, or female MTA employees, at 13%.
This small cohort, sources told The Post, has to work extra hard to get their foot in the door — and work extra hard to keep it there.
“There are times that you will get a guest coming in requesting to see an apartment or the leasing office, and they’re like, ‘Oh, wow, there’s a woman here,’” Silva said. “Once in a while you get those. It doesn’t bother me, though.”
