Bidets, ghost and a hidden note from Eric Adams; Mayor Mamdani officially moves into Gracie Mansion
To welcome in this new chapter, he held a press conference on the law sharing some details and answering a wide range of questions about his move across the river from Astoria.
From a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria, Queens to the mayor's residence on the Upper East Side, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama, have officially moved into Gracie Mansion.
"I may be changing where I rest my head at the end of every evening, I will not be changing anything about how I interact with the incredible New York City, I will remain the street surrounded by the people I have the privilege of serving," said Mayor Mamdani.
A moving truck and brown moving boxes caught the attention of parkgoers, who peered through the gated entryway for a glimpse of their new neighbor on Monday afternoon.
The mayor says Monday night will be his first night sleeping at Gracie Mansion.
To welcome in this new chapter, he held a press conference on the law sharing some details and answering a wide range of questions about his move across the river from Astoria.
The Upper East Side is sort of a homecoming for the mayor, who says he spent time here after college with friends who lived nearby, and it was his neighborhood of choice for when he trained for the New York City marathon.
While he has not yet found the alleged note left for him by the former resident, Eric Adams, Mamdani says he wants to make changes, like installing a bidet in Gracie's bathrooms, although an ambitious hope.
On a more serious note, Mamdani says he wants the "people's house" to be a place that New Yorkers can have access, too, and not just a place they see on TV or are invited to for special events.
"That's going to be one of the focuses as we move into this home, is how to make it more than a place that you can only visit on a particular event, of one kind or the other and I say that as a New Yorker who had been here for one such event," the mayor said.
The mayor has previously said their decision to move was for safety reasons and so he can effectively deliver on his affordability agenda.
As for his one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment, the mayor says his lease ends at the end of this month, and his security deposit is covering the last month's payment.
