For some, watching the PBS series Downton Abbey about an aristocratic English family and their bevy of house servants isn’t just a way to piddle away the hours on Sunday nights. Oh, no. Metro New York reports that with the success of the show some of the super-rich would like to make changes to their needs in domestic staffers and hire their own Mr. Carson or Anna, the lady’s maid.
Staffing agencies across Manhattan and other wealthy New York areas are reporting an uptick in British-style services at a rate of about four to five inquiries per week. Many clients are also hoping to employ the same people again and again thereby staffing their very own version of “downstairs-dwelling wait staff.”
For example, one staffing agency tells of a woman in Tribeca who asked for a lady’s maid to organize her seasonal wardrobe and prepare her for events. But that’s just part of the task itself, the other part of the resurgence of butlers, ladies maids, and valets is the coveted discretion the show Downton Abbey prides itself on. The “Über Rich” in Manhattan will pay handsomely for just the kind of service they see played out on the small screen — the unwavering loyalty and attentiveness the characters bestow upon the Granthams and Crawleys. We can only imagine the types of role playing that must be going on inside these sprawling, er, apartments? Is it possible that inhabitants in these Manhattan homes are now taking luncheon and are dressing formally for dinner? Yes, yes, we can believe it. Luckily there isn’t some sort of emporium where you can rent a cranky dowager who’ll entertain at family meals with commentary imploring someone explain what exactly is a weekend. (If this exists, we don’t want to know.)
So as a butler in Manhattan what can one expect? Tasks can range from:
- stocking the fridge
- booking a car
- finding balloon rides for a party or specific embroidery for a garment
- to checking electric dog fences surrounding property in the Hamptons
What should a NYC butler have in his arsenal?
- he should be college educated, fluent in at least one language – preferably French – and well-traveled with a valid passport
What’s the pay like?
- In Great Neck one family is willing to pay their butler/house manager more than $90,000 and their tasks would include being in charge of liaising with staff and overseeing daily meals.
- On the Upper West Side the butler would need to travel to the Hamptons and live-in during the summer months. Pay is $80,000 plus.
- In Tribeca the client who would like a lady’s maid to organize her closet and keep track of her seasonal wardrobe and prepare clothing for personal events? A salary upwards of $60,000.
There you have it. If ever you wanted to do a bit more than dress as the cast of Downton Abbey for cosplay sake, you could actually enlist your services with one of many Manhattan-based domestic staffing agencies like The Butler Did It, Inc., or Society Staffing. Remember yachting skills are a plus and speaking French may be a must.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
