Driven by Excellence: Transportation at Coterie

“I love driving, and I love New York, but most of all I love connecting with the residents we have here,” he says.

Dani already had a decade of experience co-running his own driving company with his brother when he came to the attention of Coterie.

“When Coterie’s founders began scouting for their New York location, I was usually the one driving them around the city, so that’s how we got to know each other,” Dani says. “I’m very much a people person, and I think that’s a big part of what they were looking for in Coterie drivers. So, when they were getting ready to open Hudson Yards, they brought me on as transportation manager.”

Dani and his fellow transportation team members are often some of the first Hudson Yards staffers that Coterie residents meet.

“I’m usually the one who picks up new potential residents to bring them in for a tour or a trial stay, so I try to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible as soon as they get in my car,” he says. “Sometimes they’ll have questions about Hudson Yards or they’re feeling a little anxious about moving, so we’ll just talk about that. I think there’s something about being in a car together that helps conversations happen naturally.”

First-Class Mobility

Providing complimentary luxury transportation service for residents is a key aspect to every Coterie community’s appeal, according to Coterie Hudson Yards Resident Engagement Director Melissa Orr Azzarto.

“Part of why our residents at Hudson Yards and Cathedral Hill choose Coterie is so they can enjoy everything that New York and San Francisco have to offer,” she says. “So providing convenient and safe transportation is a big part of that – we can take them to restaurants, doctor’s appointments, Carnegie Hall, wherever they want to go. And obviously, we provide transportation for all of our guided group events.”

Both Hudson Yards and Cathedral Hill have a customized Mercedes Sprinter van with wheelchair access for large group outings. Coterie’s transportation and engagement teams coordinate every outing to ensure all residents, regardless of their mobility needs, can comfortably take part in an excursion. If a resident requires additional support during an outing their dedicated aide or companion can accompany them.

“Our group trips are fun because we take everyone in the van,” Dani adds. “We go to MOMA, to the Met, to different lunch spots. I get to put on my tour guide hat and point out places we pass, and that always gets people talking to each other.”

Coterie drivers are more than chauffeurs—they're city insiders. They know everything from the best spots to park to which venue entrance is closest to the restrooms and remain on-site throughout the event, ready to transport residents back to the community.

Manhattan on Demand

Individuals and smaller groups can book one of Coterie's Mercedes S580 sedans. Residents are encouraged to reserve transportation 48 hours in advance to ensure availability, though Coterie will accommodate short-notice requests whenever possible. On busy days, or for transportation requests during off-hours, Coterie arranges rides for residents through Uber or Lyft.

“At night, when the drivers have off, Coterie also arranges private transportation services to take you wherever you want to go and pick you up afterward. For example, I was recently at a dinner that ended around 11:30. I called Coterie and they sent an Uber right over. That kind of convenience is very important to me, because I like to get around.”

Hudson Yards resident Martina Yamin agrees.

“The transportation service is wonderful,” she says. “I can go to a museum, to the theater, to a doctor’s appointment. And the drivers are great.”

Beyond the Ride

Dani says his day usually starts while he’s taking the train in to work, looking over ride requests for the day and creating a schedule that works for residents and his transportation team. He also takes a hands-on role checking in with residents about their requests and reminding them of their reservation times.

“We send an email confirmation for every ride reservation and a phone call reminder the day before,” he says. “But I’ll also call the residents myself the morning of their reservation just to make sure they’ll be ready to go in time.”

Dani’s relationships with residents go beyond his job description.

“When I’m not driving, I spend a lot of time at the front desk or in the common areas, just talking to people,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll run little errands for residents if they’re tired or under the weather.”

He also enjoys establishing friendly traditions with residents.

“We had one resident who moved here from the West Village and we developed this weekly tradition of driving around the city trying different pizzas together,” he says. “We’d try a place, rate the pizza, take a selfie of us there, then move onto the next place and do the same thing. We were sort of building our own personal Yelp for New York pizza. I remember one day we ran into his son-in-law, who was out walking his dog, and he seemed kind of happy and surprised to see his father-in-law just hanging out in the park eating pizza on a beautiful afternoon.”