NYC's incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will opt to make his home in the traditional Gracie Mansion, departing from the affordable apartment that became a focal point in his campaign.
Constructed in 1799, Gracie Mansion has been the mayoral home for the majority of New York City mayors from the post-war period.
Yet, Mamdani, for whom affordable housing is a central policy, was not quick to announce this decision promptly following his triumph in November.
"My choice was based on our family's safety and the importance of directing all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers supported," the Mayor-Elect declared on Monday.
He resided in the Astoria neighbourhood, a community renowned for its diverse immigrant populations and global cuisine.
"To Astoria: thank you for exemplifying the best of New York City," Mamdani's statement said.
"While I may no longer live there, it will always live within me and my work," he said.
During his race for mayor, Mamdani connected his core platform – to freeze the rent – to his own housing situation.
Yet his rivals, most notably former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, challenged Mamdani for occupying the rent-stabilized unit even though he came from a prominent family.
Not all mayors have chosen to live at Gracie Mansion.
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire entrepreneur, kept his residence in his own townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side for his tenure, which ended in 2012.
In his view, Bloomberg argued it should be a place for official events, and advocated for significant upgrades of the older mansion.
When Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion for his inauguration on 1 January, he will be surrounded by an environment a stark contrast to his humble Astoria home.
Adorned in pale yellow exterior, emerald shutters, and pristine railings, Gracie Mansion is a picturesque home situated by the East River.
Within, the first floor of the historically styled mansion is decorated in the spirit of the home's original era.
The compound, which reportedly has five bedrooms, also has fortified protections to secure the mayor and his family.
A number of people have alleged 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 floors emitted odd sounds.
Former Mayor Eric Adams was more certain. "I don't care the skeptics say," he declared in 2022. "It has spirits in there, man."
His former home is rent stabilised, which means the city imposes caps on how much property owners can hike the monthly cost each year.
New Yorkers consider these apartments crucial resources as the cost of housing outpaces the means of many residents.
It was reported Mamdani was paying approximately $2,300 each month for his apartment.
Per figures from real estate analysts Zillow, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City is $3,500 a month.
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