New York City's incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will opt to take up residence in the iconic Gracie Mansion, departing from the affordable apartment that became a focal point in his election bid.
Dating back to 1799, Gracie Mansion has served as the official residence for the majority of New York City mayors from the mid-20th century.
However, Mamdani, for whom housing costs is a central platform, hesitated to declare his residency plans immediately after his victory in November.
"This decision was based on our family's safety and the need to dedicating my full attention on enacting the agenda for affordability New Yorkers supported," Mamdani said in his announcement.
Mamdani lived in Astoria, Queens, an area renowned for its vibrant cultural enclaves and culinary diversity.
"To the people of Astoria: many thanks for demonstrating what is great about New York City," he noted.
"While I may no longer live there, it will continue to reside a part of me and my work," he said.
During his campaign, Mamdani connected his central policy – to freeze the rent – to his own housing situation.
But his rivals, mainly ex-governor Andrew Cuomo, criticised Mamdani for remaining in the apartment although he hails from a prominent family.
Some mayors have opted to reside at Gracie Mansion.
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire entrepreneur, chose to live in his own townhouse on the Upper East Side during his tenure, which wrapped up in 2012.
Rather, Bloomberg said he believed it ought to be a space for civic gatherings, and championed a major refurbishment of the historic mansion.
As he settles into Gracie Mansion near his inauguration on 1 January, he will experience a setting very different than his previous Astoria apartment.
Featuring butter yellow paint, forest green window covers, and bright white balustrades, Gracie Mansion is a wedding cake of a house situated by the East River.
Internally, the first floor of the classically designed mansion is furnished in the spirit of the home's early 19th-century origins.
The compound, which allegedly has five bedrooms, also has fortified protections to safeguard the mayor and his family.
Past occupants have suggested that Gracie Mansion also has supernatural lodgers.
Chirlane McCray, the wife of previous mayor Bill De Blasio, once said that they experienced doors opening and closing inexplicably, and the floorboards creaked eerily.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams was even more convinced. "No matter the skeptics say," he declared in 2022. "It has spirits in there, man."
The apartment he is leaving is rent stabilised, meaning the city imposes caps on how much building managers can raise the rent each year.
City residents see such units as valuable lifelines as the housing expenses rises faster than the means of many residents.
Data indicated Mamdani was paying approximately $2,300 each month for his apartment.
Per figures from real estate analysts Zillow, the average rent for a studio or one-bedroom in New York City is $3,500 a month.
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