🔗 Share this article

New York City's next chief executive, Zohran Mamdani, has confirmed to live in the historic Gracie Mansion, departing from the rent-stabilised apartment that sparked debate throughout his election bid.

A Historic Residence

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

Yet, Mamdani, for whom affordable housing is a central policy, did not confirm his residency plans promptly following his electoral win in November.

"My choice came down to keeping my family safe and the need to dedicating my complete efforts on implementing the platform on affordability New Yorkers supported," Mamdani said in his announcement.

A Fond Farewell

His home was in the Queens borough of Astoria, a district renowned for its diverse immigrant populations and culinary diversity.

"To Astoria: thank you for demonstrating what is great about New York City," he expressed.

"Although my address will change in the neighborhood, it will continue to reside inside me and my work," he affirmed.

A Contentious Issue

Throughout his election campaign, Mamdani tied his key pledge – halting rent increases – to his circumstances as a tenant.

However his critics, mainly one-time governor Andrew Cuomo, criticised Mamdani for living in the apartment even though he came from a famous family.

Previous Exceptions

Not all mayors have decided to stay at Gracie Mansion.

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor, kept his residence in his own townhouse on the Upper East Side for his tenure, which ended in 2012.

Rather, Bloomberg argued it should be a venue for official events, and pushed for significant upgrades of the aging mansion.

A Vastly Different Setting

When Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion near his swearing-in on 1 January, he will experience an environment very different than his humble Astoria digs.

With its pale yellow exterior, forest green window covers, and pristine railings, Gracie Mansion is a wedding cake of a house with views of the East River.

Within, the ground floor of the Federal-style mansion is furnished in the spirit of the home's early 19th-century origins.

The estate, which allegedly has five bedrooms, also boasts increased security measures to protect the mayor and his family.

Ghostly Tales

Some residents have claimed that Gracie Mansion also has supernatural lodgers.

Chirlane McCray, the wife of previous mayor Bill De Blasio, informed the press that they experienced doors opening and closing inexplicably, and the floorboards creaked eerily.

Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams was adamant. "No matter what people claim," he insisted in 2022. "It has spirits in there, man."

The Value of Rent Stabilization

His former home is rent stabilised, which means the city regulates on how much building managers can hike the monthly cost each year.

Tenants view rent-stabilized housing as valuable lifelines as the price of rent exceeds the average income.

Records showed Mamdani paid about $2,300 each month for his apartment.

Per figures from the real estate platform Zillow, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City is $3,500 a month.