🔗 Share this article

The city's Mayor-Elect, Zohran Mamdani, will opt to live in the iconic Gracie Mansion, vacating the affordable apartment that sparked debate during his campaign.

An Iconic Home

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

However, Mamdani, for whom affordable housing is a key policy, hesitated to declare his residency plans right away following his triumph in November.

"My choice came down to the security of my family and the imperative to directing all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda voters elected me on," the Mayor-Elect declared in his announcement.

Thanking a Neighborhood

Mamdani lived in the Astoria neighbourhood, a community known for its vibrant immigrant communities and global cuisine.

"To my neighbors in Astoria: many thanks for exemplifying the true spirit of New York City," he noted.

"While I may no longer live in Astoria, Astoria will forever remain within me and my work," he affirmed.

Campaign Controversy

During his campaign, Mamdani connected his key pledge – a rent freeze – to his personal living arrangements.

However his critics, including ex-governor Andrew Cuomo, criticised Mamdani for remaining in the rent-stabilized unit even though he came from a famous family.

A House Not Always Used

Not all mayors have chosen to live at Gracie Mansion.

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor, chose to live in his personal mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side for his tenure, which wrapped up in 2012.

In his view, Bloomberg argued it ought to be a place for public city functions, and pushed for significant upgrades of the aging mansion.

A Stately Residence

As he settles into Gracie Mansion near his first day on 1 January, he will experience surroundings a stark contrast to his previous Astoria digs.

With its cream-colored walls, forest green window covers, and pristine railings, Gracie Mansion is a picturesque home with views of the East River.

Internally, the lower floor of the classically designed mansion is appointed consistent with the home's early 19th-century origins.

The estate, which reportedly has five bedrooms, also includes enhanced security to secure the mayor and his family.

Haunted History

Past occupants have suggested that Gracie Mansion also has supernatural lodgers.

Chirlane McCray, the wife of former mayor Bill De Blasio, informed the press that doors occasionally opened and closed by themselves, and the floorboards creaked eerily.

The departing mayor Eric Adams was more certain. "It doesn't matter the skeptics say," he insisted in 2022. "The place is haunted in there, man."

Affordable Housing Lifeline

Mamdani's current apartment is rent-stabilized, a policy where the city imposes caps on how much building managers can increase rent each year.

New Yorkers view rent-stabilized housing as crucial resources as the cost of housing rises faster than what many can afford.

It was reported Mamdani was paying approximately $2,300 each month for his apartment.

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