For Lower East Siders, a new stand-in for the doorman

By Virginia K. Smith | December 12, 2014 - 2:22PM

A growing roster of services is aiming to make doormen obsolete, or at least make life a little easier for those of us who can't afford one. Another to add to the pile if you happen to live (or make frequent visits to) the Lower East Side: City CoPilot, which bills itself as a "neighborhood front desk," and will accept packages for members at its 143 Orchard Street office.

The service, which launched in October, is largely aimed at the Airbnb crowd (their other offerings include luggage storage and key exchange for hosts and guests), but it'll also hold packages for members, at a charge of $4.99 per delivery, or $14.99 for a month of unlimited deliveries. While it's geared toward area residents, co-founder Maggie Barnett tells us, "Anyone who wants to do it can do it. We have one client who lives in Brooklyn, but picks up packages here when she visits her boyfriend in the East Village."

The company plans to eventually expand to delivery (for an extra charge), and is currently hammering out rules on package dimensions and weight. The current rule of thumb, says Barnett, is no more than five deliveries per day, and that "you have to be able to carry it out."

Parcel, which recently expanded its services to Brooklyn, now offers package acceptance and delivery for $5 a pop (and a maximum package weight of 20 pounds), Manhattan Mailroom accepts up to eight packages a month for a $25 fee, and for $9.99 a month, and Village Doorman will re-route packages of up to 30 pounds to shops in your neighborhood. (For more on these options, we've got a round-up of doorman alternatives.) Package acceptance is also offered as a freebie if you've got a unit with Manhattan Mini Storage (a BrickUnderground sponsor). Your package will be held for 48 hours, and you have the option of taking one of the company's free storage taxis either to or from the location to make your pickup.

With all that in mind, no time like the present to put the money you save renting in a non-doorman building towards a little extra online shopping, no?

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