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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will live in the Manhattan mansion his predecessor called home, leaving behind a rent-stabilized apartment that became the subject of heated debate during his campaign.
Gracie Mansion dates to 1799 and has been the official residence of most New York City mayors since World War II.
But affordable housing is a core issue for Mamdani, who stopped short of confirming he would live there immediately after winning in November.
“This decision hinges on the safety of our families and the importance of devoting all of my energy to developing the affordability agenda that New Yorkers voted for,” Mamdani said in a statement Monday.
Mamdani lives in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. The area is home to many middle-class families and is known for its rich immigrant community and global cuisine.
“To Astoria: Thank you for showing us the best of New York City,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“While I may no longer live in Astoria, Astoria will always live on in me and the work I do,” he said.
During the campaign, Mamdani linked his core platform – a rent freeze – to his housing situation. But his rivals, chiefly former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, criticized Mamdani for occupying the apartment despite coming from a prominent family. His mother is filmmaker Mira Nair, and his father Mahmood Mamdani is a professor at Columbia University.
Not every mayor chooses to live in Gracie Mansion.
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire entrepreneur and founder of the eponymous financial terminal, chose to live in his townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side during his three terms in office, which ended in 2012.
Instead, Bloomberg said he believed it should be a space for public city functions and pushed for an extensive renovation of the aging mansion.
When Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion around the Jan. 1 inauguration, he will find himself in a very different environment than his modest Astoria residence.
With its buttery yellow paint, green shutters and white railings, the Gracie Mansion is the wedding cake of a house overlooking the East River. Inside, the lower level of the Federal-style mansion is decorated in the spirit of the home’s original era.
The building reportedly has five bedrooms and has increased security to protect the mayor and his family.
Some residents claim Gracie Mansion also has supernatural tenants. Chirlane McCray, the wife of former Mayor Bill De Blasio, told reporters that doors would occasionally open and close on their own and the floorboards would make weird squeaking sounds.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams was even more certain. “I don’t care what anyone says,” he declared in 2022. “Man, there’s a ghost in there.”
Mamdani’s current apartment is rent-stabilized, meaning the city sets limits on how much the landlord can raise the rent each year. New Yorkers consider these apartments a valuable lifeline as housing costs are beyond the reach of many.
Records show Mamdani pays around $2,300 (£1,725) a month for his apartment. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City is $3,500 (£2,625) per month, according to real estate platform Zillow.
