🔗 Share this article The Mayor-Elect states plans to reside in historic Gracie Mansion New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani The city's Mayor-Elect, Zohran Mamdani, has decided to take up residence in the iconic Gracie Mansion, vacating the rent-stabilised apartment that was a central issue during his election bid. An Iconic Home Built in 1799, Gracie Mansion has served as the primary dwelling for most New York City mayors after the post-war period. But, Mamdani, for whom housing costs is a central policy, hesitated to declare he would live there immediately following his electoral win in November. "This decision came down to the security of my family and the need to dedicating my complete efforts on implementing the agenda for affordability the city's residents voted for," stated Mamdani in his announcement. Leaving Astoria His home was in the Astoria neighbourhood, a community known for its diverse immigrant populations and international dining. "To the people of Astoria: thank you for showing us what is great about New York City," Mamdani's statement said. "Although my address will change there, the community will always live within me and the work I do," he said. A Contentious Issue During his campaign, Mamdani linked his key pledge – to freeze the rent – to his own housing situation. Yet his rivals, mainly ex-governor Andrew Cuomo, attacked Mamdani for remaining in the apartment despite the fact that he is from a well-known family. A House Not Always Used Some mayors have opted to reside at Gracie Mansion. Michael Bloomberg, the business magnate, kept his residence in his personal mansion on the Upper East Side during his time in office, which concluded in 2012. Instead, Bloomberg felt it should be a place for civic gatherings, and championed significant upgrades of the aging mansion. The facade of Gracie Mansion in New York City. A Vastly Different Setting When Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion for his first day on 1 January, he will be surrounded by a setting a stark contrast to his previous Astoria apartment. With its cream-colored walls, forest green window covers, and white railings, Gracie Mansion is a wedding cake of a house situated by the East River. Within, the first floor of the historically styled mansion is furnished to reflect the home's original era. The compound, which reportedly has five bedrooms, also includes fortified protections to secure the mayor and his family. Ghostly Tales Some residents have claimed that Gracie Mansion also has ghostly inhabitants. Chirlane McCray, the wife of ex-mayor Bill De Blasio, informed the press that doors would sometimes open and closing inexplicably, and the floorboards creaked eerily. Former Mayor Eric Adams was adamant. "It doesn't matter the skeptics say," he declared in 2022. "There are ghosts in there, man." The Value of Rent Stabilization His former home is under rent control, which means the city imposes caps on how much landlords can increase rent each year. New Yorkers see such units as crucial resources as the cost of housing outpaces the means of many residents. It was reported Mamdani his rent was $2,300 each month for his apartment. According to the real estate platform Zillow, the typical monthly cost for a single-bedroom unit in New York City is $3,500 a month.