🔗 Share this article The Mayor-Elect confirms his intention to live in historic Gracie Mansion New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani The city's next chief executive, Zohran Mamdani, has confirmed to take up residence in the traditional Gracie Mansion, vacating his rent-controlled apartment that became a focal point throughout his election bid. A Traditional Abode Constructed in 1799, Gracie Mansion has been the mayoral home for most New York City mayors from the post-war period. Yet, Mamdani, for whom affordable housing is a core policy, did not confirm his residency plans immediately following his electoral win in November. "This decision came down to the security of my family and the need to dedicating my full attention on enacting the platform on affordability New Yorkers elected me on," stated Mamdani in his announcement. A Fond Farewell Mamdani lived in the Queens borough of Astoria, a community known for its abundance of immigrant communities and culinary diversity. "To the people of Astoria: thank you for showing us the best of New York City," he expressed. "While I may no longer live in Astoria, it will always live within me and the work I do," he added. Political Debate During his race for mayor, Mamdani linked his central policy – a rent freeze – to his circumstances as a tenant. But his critics, most notably former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, challenged Mamdani for occupying the affordable housing despite the fact that he came from a famous family. A House Not Always Used Not every mayor have decided to stay at Gracie Mansion. Michael Bloomberg, the business magnate, kept his residence in his private home on the Upper East Side for his time in office, which ended in 2012. Instead, Bloomberg felt it should be a space for official events, and championed significant upgrades of the aging mansion. The outside of Gracie Mansion in New York City. A Stately Residence Upon taking up residence at Gracie Mansion for his swearing-in on 1 January, he will experience surroundings very different than his modest Astoria apartment. With its pale yellow exterior, green shutters, and white railings, Gracie Mansion is a wedding cake of a house with views of the East River. Internally, the lower floor of the Federal-style mansion is furnished to reflect the home's early 19th-century origins. The compound, which reportedly has five bedrooms, also boasts fortified protections to secure the mayor and his family. Supernatural Speculation Some residents have claimed that Gracie Mansion also has ghostly inhabitants. Chirlane McCray, the partner of previous mayor Bill De Blasio, told reporters that doors occasionally opened and shutting on their own, and the floorboards creaked eerily. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams was even more convinced. "It doesn't matter the skeptics say," he declared in 2022. "There are ghosts in there, man." The Value of Rent Stabilization The apartment he is leaving is under rent control, a policy where the city regulates on how much property owners can increase rent each year. Tenants consider these apartments essential protections as the housing expenses rises faster than the means of many residents. Data indicated Mamdani his rent was $2,300 each month for his apartment. According to the property website Zillow, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City is $3,500 a month.