Farewell to a Beloved UWS Doorman; ‘He’s Looked After Me in a Way I Could Never Have Expected’

By West Side Rag

“Pete has known me since the day I came home from the hospital. He knows every boyfriend I’ve ever had, and now my husband,” said Michelle Messen, 33, speaking of Peter Rodriguez, a doorman at 900 West End Avenue at West 104th Street. “He was at my high school graduation and my younger sister’s too. I can’t imagine coming to my mom’s apartment and Pete is not at the front door.”

But Messen, who now lives in Massachusetts, won’t see Pete at the front door on her next visit to her childhood home. On Thursday, June 26, Rodriguez retired after 45 years. And while the city is full of beloved doormen, some of whom are considered family by the families they work for, it’s clear that, over nearly half a century, Rodriguez forged a very special relationship with the residents of 900 West End Avenue.

They invited him to weddings, bar mitzvahs, graduations, and, on a Sunday in early June, to a festive farewell party in his honor at the Upper West Side Serafina’s on Broadway and West 104th Street.

Arlene Metrick, a math education specialist who has lived at 900 WEA for 44 years, recalled moving in with a newborn just a few months after Peter arrived at the building. “I had a car, and while I was parking Peter would take my kid up and down in the elevator in the stroller,” she said. 

Russell Muller, a relative newcomer who moved into the building just two years ago, quickly developed a different bond with Rodriguez. “Peter works mornings Monday and Tuesday, and we always get into a big conversation about baseball,” Muller said. “On Mondays and Tuesdays I am always late for work.”

“Through the years Peter has been my anchor,” said Laurence P. Mitchell, who has lived in the building for 37 years. “He’s looked after me in a way I could never have expected. He is my friend. He is my brother and always will be.”

“Pete was the glue of this place,” said Jane Bevans, who moved into the building in 1978 with her husband, John Tauranac. They were at the Serafina’s party with their daughter, Maggie, who lives in the building with her three-year-old daughter, now a third-generation resident of 900. Jane’s sister also lives there. “When we moved in, there were lots of siblings in the building, living on different floors.” Bevans said. “Like the neighborhood, the building changed.”

Forty-five years ago, the building still had manual elevators and mail was hand delivered to each apartment. Until the early 2000s, the apartments were rent-stabilized, and most people who moved in expected to stay for life. When the rents went to market rate, though, the building began to attract people looking for something more short-term, before moving to the suburbs or neighboring cities, and there was more turnover.

“Pete is the only staff member here longer than me,” said Eleanore Zak, who moved into the building 33 years ago with her husband, Tony, and their three children, all of whom are now married with children. Like others, she reminisced about Pete’s distinctive, booming laugh, and the atmosphere of joy he brought to the building. “I don’t know who is going to replace him,” said Zak.

Families in more than 96 of the building’s 130 apartments came together to sponsor Rodriguez’s farewell party, organized by longtime residents Rabbi Joseph and Dvorah Telushkin. Two people read poems they had written for Rodriguez, and many gave toasts. There was a huge collage with photos of Rodriguez and residents going back to the 1980s.

One couple remembered how Rodriguez danced at their daughter’s wedding, and another spoke about the speech he gave at their synagogue for their son’s bar mitzvah. Many recalled long conversations about love, sports, or family, and the way Peter introduced new residents to one another, turning the building into a community.

Some days after the Serafina’s party, a Rag reporter caught up with Rodriguez at work.

The outpouring of fond memories from so many families left him with “a great feeling,” Rodriguez told the Rag. “I feel like I was appreciated and accomplished something during all those years. It’s very satisfying.”

Like many a retiree, Rodriquez said he’ll use his new free time to travel. “First I’ll do this country and then…who knows?” he said.

Finally, one more tribute, this one from party organizer Rabbi Telushkin.

“What we realized is that everyone in the building thought they had this special, unique relationship with Peter,” he said. “But it turns out he built these bonds with everyone. Peter has an incredible capacity for love and friendship. We will miss him. I am honored to have him as my friend.”

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