🔗 Share this article

NYC's incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has confirmed to make his home in the traditional Gracie Mansion, leaving behind his rent-controlled apartment that was a central issue during his campaign.

An Iconic Home

Built in 1799, Gracie Mansion has functioned as the official residence for nearly all New York City mayors after the post-war period.

However, Mamdani, for whom affordable housing is a key issue, hesitated to declare this decision immediately after his electoral win in November.

"The choice came down to keeping my family safe and the imperative to focusing my complete efforts on enacting the agenda for affordability New Yorkers supported," Mamdani said in a statement.

Leaving Astoria

He resided in the Astoria neighbourhood, a district known for its abundance of immigrant communities and culinary diversity.

"To Astoria: thank you for showing us the true spirit of New York City," he noted.

"Although my address will change in the neighborhood, it will always live inside me and the work I do," he said.

A Contentious Issue

Throughout his election campaign, Mamdani connected his core platform – halting rent increases – to his circumstances as a tenant.

But his critics, including ex-governor Andrew Cuomo, attacked Mamdani for living in the rent-stabilized unit even though he hails from a well-known family.

A House Not Always Used

Not all mayors have decided to stay at Gracie Mansion.

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor, kept his residence in his personal mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side throughout his tenure, which wrapped up in 2012.

In his view, Bloomberg said he believed it should be a space for public city functions, and pushed for a major refurbishment of the older mansion.

A Stately Residence

When Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion for his inauguration on 1 January, he will find himself in an environment far removed from his previous Astoria digs.

Adorned in butter yellow paint, forest green window covers, and pristine railings, Gracie Mansion is a picturesque home overlooking the East River.

Inside, the lower floor of the historically styled mansion is appointed in the spirit of the home's original era.

The estate, which is said to has five bedrooms, also includes fortified protections to safeguard the mayor and his family.

Ghostly Tales

Past occupants have claimed that Gracie Mansion also has ghostly inhabitants.

Chirlane McCray, the spouse of former mayor Bill De Blasio, once said that doors occasionally opened and closed by themselves, and the floorboards made strange noises.

Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams was more certain. "I don't care the skeptics say," he stated in 2022. "There are ghosts in there, man."

The Value of Rent Stabilization

The apartment he is leaving is rent stabilised, a policy where the city imposes caps on how much building managers can raise the rent each year.

New Yorkers view rent-stabilized housing as essential protections as the cost of housing rises faster than the means of many residents.

Data indicated Mamdani was paying approximately $2,300 each month for his apartment.

According to the property website Zillow, the typical monthly cost for a single-bedroom unit in New York City is $3,500 a month.