New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, officially moved into Gracie Mansion on Monday, trading their modest, flood-prone one-bedroom apartment in Queens for the city’s historic, fully staffed mayoral residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
View this post on Instagram
As movers carried cardboard boxes filled with houseplants and rolled-up rugs onto the riverfront estate, Mamdani marked the milestone with a press conference on the mansion’s lawn, framing the transition as both personal and symbolic.
“Today, Rama and I feel lucky to participate in a ritual that so many New Yorkers have experienced at various meaningful moments in their lives: beginning a new chapter, by moving to a different part of the city that we call home,” Mamdani said.
Gracie Mansion, an 18th-century, custard-colored landmark overlooking the East River, has served as the city’s official mayoral residence since 1942. Nearly every mayor since then has stayed there at least part-time.
For Mamdani, the move represents a stark contrast from his previous living conditions. Until now, the 34-year-old democratic socialist lived in a $2,300-a-month Queens apartment without a washer or dryer and plagued by flooding from a broken pipe.
His new home spans roughly 11,000 square feet (1,021 square meters) and includes an ornate ballroom, a veranda with sweeping river views, a private chef, and layers of New York history. Among its features is the original fireplace tied to Alexander Hamilton, who was brought there after his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. Former mayor Eric Adams has also claimed the mansion is home to at least one ghost.
Acknowledging the optics of the move, Mamdani addressed potential criticism that relocating to such grandeur might conflict with his campaign promise to lead “a government that looks and lives like the people it represents.”
He said the decision was influenced in part by heightened security requirements that come with the office. Still, Mamdani emphasized plans to make the space more accessible, saying he intends to “open it up to New Yorkers who are not often the ones who get to visit such a place as this.” On a lighter note, he added that one personal upgrade he hopes to make is installing bidets in the bathrooms.
Mamdani’s journey to Gracie Mansion reflects a life shaped by varied corners of the city. He spent much of his childhood in a Manhattan apartment subsidised by Columbia University, where his father is a professor. As a state legislator, he lived in Astoria, Queens — a neighbourhood known for its diversity and progressive politics, sometimes nicknamed “the People’s Republic of Astoria.”
Before leaving, Mamdani released a statement saying he would miss Astoria’s everyday rhythms: the “endless Adeni chai, the spirited conversations in Spanish, Arabic and every language in between, the aromas of seafood and shawarma drifting down the block.”
His new Upper East Side surroundings present a different demographic reality. The neighborhood is among New York City’s wealthiest and is nearly three-quarters white. While Mamdani won Astoria by a wide margin in the mayoral election, his opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, carried the Upper East Side comfortably.
Residents in the area are already sizing up their new neighbour. Zoe Cuddy, a neuropsychologist and longtime Upper East Sider, was walking her cockapoo in a park near the mansion when she shared her thoughts.
She described the neighbourhood as “the suburbs of Manhattan” and said she hoped Mamdani would come to appreciate its quieter appeal. She also predicted a warm reception in return.
“I think we’ll grow to be happy to have him here,” Cuddy said.
