WHERE WORK AND HOME INTERSECT

Most employees await the end of the day so that they can tend to their affairs at home. But for Moises Guimet, the workday centers on putting his home affairs in order. As both the superintendent for, and resident of, the Eastmore on East 76th Street, Guimet works where he lives and lives where he works-which makes his workplace community all the more tight-knit. His wife helps him cope with the stress and offers support whenever she can. In addition to regular maintenance work, Moises Guimet helps negotiate bids and manage projects like the building's recent façade restoration. Photo By: Andrew Schwartz "It's a family affair," Guimet said of the Eastmore. "The best part is the communication between tenants, shareholders and the staff. I treat everybody with the same charisma, no matter what." Guimet moved to New York from Peru in 1974 and has been working at the Eastmore since 1985, predating many of the nearly 300 tenants he looks after. "Maybe because he lives in the building, and has lived here for so long, he feels more of a sense of community as a result of using the same services that the other shareholders and residents use," said Lynda Wertheim, an Eastmore resident since 1974. The Eastmore converted to a co-op in 1991 and residents are now a mix of shareholders and renters, and Guimet has equal respect for everyone. "I never have an issue when I need something from the building," Guimet said. "The co-op board is always there for me. It's very easy to run the building with the type of board we have." It is also easy to run the building with an attentive and friendly staff, and Guimet hand-picks only the best. "Moises really engenders a feeling of community not only among the residents, but also among the staff," Wertheim said. "It's hard to convey how warm a feeling people have for the building. It's really a community where people who used to live in the building will come back to visit the staff." The hiring pool comes from the union, but Guimet makes his own hires within that pool, pending approval by the board, and considers himself captain of an exceptional team. Guimet provides his staff with a list of all the elderly residents in the Eastmore, along with contact information for a caregiver or family member. With several residents in their 80s and 90s, the entire staff makes a point to keep an eye on older residents especially. Day after day, Guimet is often the first face residents see when they leave their apartments in the morning and the last person they see before returning home for the night. Responsible for the upkeep of the entire building, he does everything from fixing mechanical problems to tackling a broken pipe at 4 a.m. Part businessman, Guimet also helps negotiate bids and manage projects, such as the building's recent façade restoration. "I never know when I'll be ending my day," Guimet said. "I get paid for eight hours, and sometimes I work 10 or 11, but the residents all know, and they appreciate my work."