In New York, you’re not guaranteed to find great landlords everywhere, but there are those who are interested in creating a sense of community, belonging and an overall comfortable environment in their buildings.  Alan Shamah, CEO of Shamco Management, strives to accomplish that kind of community in all of his buildings.  The events that he coordinates at Shamco-managed buildings with other organizations, holiday parties and musical performances are all in an effort to build a sense of community and a stronger relationship with the tenants themselves.

This is why last week, on a sunny afternoon, clowns, arts & crafts and artists were at 1 St. Paul’s Court, a Shamco-managed property, compliments of The Chashama Art Organization. Alan Shamah, in coordination with Anita Durst of The Chashama Art Organization, put together the event. So while Shamah might be seen playing “red light, green light, one, two, three” or hula-hooping at such an event, he is doing it to help build “community” –  one building at a time.

When asked why he feels so passionately about creating these events, Alan said,

“These kinds of events not only have a positive effect on the youth of the community, but it also creates stronger bonds between landlords and tenants. In a world that is faster paced than when my Dad was in the business, getting a chance to talk to tenants one-on-one is more challenging. Events like these provide an opportunity for tenants to interact and get to know me as more than their landlord. We want to make sure our tenants always feel connected and comfortable coming to us.”

At Shamco Management, we have always tried to rise above the generalities that people assume based on the rhetoric they hear about big cities and landlords. By creating stronger and more personal relationships with tenants, we try to instill a sense of unity and partnership with our tenants so they feel comfortable reaching out to us when they need. Shamah went on to elaborate about what’s at the heart of these events:

“We not only use these events as an opportunity to talk with our tenants in a positive setting, but we also use them so tenants can meet each other. As busy as everyone is, sometimes our tenants don’t know their neighbors because they simply haven’t had a chance to really meet them. The spirit of these events that include art, music and holiday spirit seem to help disarm any misconceptions of who we are as ‘the landlord’. And while our contact information has always been posted and available, these events make us feel more accessible to the tenants.”