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I once lived in a studio/efficiency and would have killed for a kitchen. Now I have one. No, I didn't have to kill anyone.
You can always use a mail box service if you get lots of pkgs. pretty reasonable and they seem to be everywhere. Mine sends me an email when a pkg arrives. Not sure if they do it for everyone though.
I don't think this is the kind of question others can answer for you. Which is the nicer apartment? Which one pleases you more? You're the one who has to live there. Maybe go visit each one again. I'd probably go with the more modern unit, even if it is one room. But that's me. Which one is cheerier (assuming you like cheery)? How much do you cook? These are questions only you can answer. I don't have a doorman, and everyone here gets packages all the time. How would you feel if one of the apartments became unavailable? That might help you decide which one you really want. You must have a gut feeling about this. Good luck.
This is the example I mentioned earlier on this thread. It's a gorgeous apartment, but I think the living space is too close to the kitchen! It's the Sky building.
I would go for the separate kitchen, unless you don't cook that much. I have my packages delivered to my job, but yeah, having a doorman to take care of all that would be great. Still, for my own personal tastes, I'd go for the separate kitchen.
Meh. I had a one bedroom apartment in a building with a daytime doorman. He basically just sat behind a table and had packages next to him. It didn't seem necessary to me and I guess it depends on the type of person you are and if you think it adds that much to you life.
The place we bought doesn't have a doorman and I've lived in my neighborhood my entire life without having a package stolen (yet---I'm sure it'll happen now that I have opened my big mouth) but I miss the space I had in the kitchen in the rental. And you can have packages delivered at work if they're small or if you order on Amazon to a locker if that's something you'd worry about.
It's up to you---what do you prefer? I'd prefer the separate kitchen and not tipping a doorman for Christmas. In terms of having a super, mine is live-in but I've hardly called on him in the years that I've lived here.
Doormen and packages is becoming a hot button issue for many buildings with the explosion of online/app shopping. Just to be clear some building and or doormen will clearly tell you flat out it is not their job to sign for/accept and or otherwise get involved with package delivery. It all depends upon the building in question's policy.
Problem with doorman or other staff accepting packages is that the building now becomes libel for what happens to said parcel. If something is missing, not delivered or whatever it can (and often does) become a finger pointing game between carrier, sender and building.
Plenty of the most expensive residential buildings below 34th Street do *NOT* have doormen and that is how residents want things. One of the reasons so many famous and or wealthy persons live in those anonymous loft or whatever apartments in Tribeca, SoHo, West Village, etc... is the anonymity that goes from not having someone in the lobby monitoring the comings and goings.
Having a doorman is helpful to prevent package theft. I have many friends who live in non-doorman buildings who end up having to rent PO boxes..
Package theft would greatly decrease if FedEx, USPS, UPS, and the rest did what they are supposed to do; not leave packages without a signature unless sender has authorized them to do so.
Back in the day UPS would never just leave a package in the hall or whatever if no one was at home. You got a notice saying to call them to arrange redelivery. Now our local UPS driver says for a few years that policy has changed. Due to the large and increasing volume of shipments UPS does not want its drivers coming back with packages just because no one was at home. So they leave things in what is deemed a "secure" area.
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