It’s not such a black and white issue in my experience.

I’ve lived in both and each has its pluses and minuses.

For what it’s worth, I used to live in an 1890s building that appeared to be very solid. The apartment was huge with taller ceilings than you’d find in any high rise, but the building turned out to have the worst sound insulation of any place I’ve ever lived.

Personally, the convenience factor of a doorman building is worth it to me. A few months ago, I accidentally locked myself out of my apartment late on a Saturday night. Didn’t realize it until I got home around 1 or 2am. I simply asked the doorman for my spare key and problem solved.

In my old building, which had no live-in super and a landlord who lived 1,000 miles away, that same situation would’ve been a big hassle.

I’ve also rarely have to wait more than 2-3 minutes for a package. And I never have to worry about being home to make sure a valuable package isn’t stolen off the front stoop.