Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to trade in his $2,300-a-month rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria for a life of luxury at Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side. The decision comes after weeks of speculation about whether he would leave behind the home he shares with his wife, Rama Duwaji.
According to Mamdani's statement, the move is driven by concerns for their family's safety and the need to focus all his energy on implementing his affordability agenda for New Yorkers. His apartment in Astoria became a target for criticism during the campaign trail, but voters largely rejected this criticism, opting instead to send Mamdani to office.
The decision to leave behind his local roots is not new, however. Many of his predecessors have faced similar dilemmas when it comes to deciding whether to live at Gracie Mansion or elsewhere. Ed Koch was initially reluctant to give up his rent-controlled apartment near New York University but eventually took up residence at the mansion and founded the Gracie Mansion Conservancy.
Mamdani's own experience has been marked by security concerns, including death threats during the campaign trail. His campaign hired its own security team before being assigned an NYPD detail once he won the Democratic nomination. The five-bedroom mansion in Carl Schurz Park will undoubtedly provide a significant upgrade in terms of security.
Gracie Mansion itself is steeped in history and has been home to several mayors over the years, including Fiorello La Guardia who reluctantly moved there during World War II due to concerns for his family's safety. The mansion has also undergone restoration work under Michael Bloomberg's tenure as mayor.
Mamdani will undoubtedly bring a new energy to the position of mayor, but he will have to navigate the challenges of living in a historic home that is steeped in tradition and protocol. His wife and him will occupy five bedrooms in the mansion, which will be a significant change from their current lifestyle in Queens.
In his statement, Mamdani expressed his gratitude to his neighbors in Astoria for showing him the best of New York City culture, but also acknowledged that he will miss the community that raised him. He wrote that while he may no longer live in Astoria, Astoria "will always live inside me and the work I do."
According to Mamdani's statement, the move is driven by concerns for their family's safety and the need to focus all his energy on implementing his affordability agenda for New Yorkers. His apartment in Astoria became a target for criticism during the campaign trail, but voters largely rejected this criticism, opting instead to send Mamdani to office.
The decision to leave behind his local roots is not new, however. Many of his predecessors have faced similar dilemmas when it comes to deciding whether to live at Gracie Mansion or elsewhere. Ed Koch was initially reluctant to give up his rent-controlled apartment near New York University but eventually took up residence at the mansion and founded the Gracie Mansion Conservancy.
Mamdani's own experience has been marked by security concerns, including death threats during the campaign trail. His campaign hired its own security team before being assigned an NYPD detail once he won the Democratic nomination. The five-bedroom mansion in Carl Schurz Park will undoubtedly provide a significant upgrade in terms of security.
Gracie Mansion itself is steeped in history and has been home to several mayors over the years, including Fiorello La Guardia who reluctantly moved there during World War II due to concerns for his family's safety. The mansion has also undergone restoration work under Michael Bloomberg's tenure as mayor.
Mamdani will undoubtedly bring a new energy to the position of mayor, but he will have to navigate the challenges of living in a historic home that is steeped in tradition and protocol. His wife and him will occupy five bedrooms in the mansion, which will be a significant change from their current lifestyle in Queens.
In his statement, Mamdani expressed his gratitude to his neighbors in Astoria for showing him the best of New York City culture, but also acknowledged that he will miss the community that raised him. He wrote that while he may no longer live in Astoria, Astoria "will always live inside me and the work I do."
So the new mayor-elect is trading in his rent-stabilized apartment for a mansion on the Upper East Side... because what's more New York than that? 
A guy who's all about affordability is gonna live in one of the most expensive places in NYC. I guess it's all about prioritizing family safety and security, right? 
Meanwhile, his wife gets to enjoy the 5 bedrooms and a life of luxury... sounds like a real "affordability" plan 
And what about his wife, does she get her own suite or something? 
It's like they're trading one set of problems for another...
. And what about the dude who raised him? Is his community just an afterthought now? 
I mean, can you blame him for wanting a safer space for his family after all those death threats during the campaign trail? 
And let's be real, Gracie Mansion is like, super luxurious and historic - it's gonna bring a fresh vibe to the Upper East Side! 
Plus, he's gonna have a huge security team looking out for him (and his wife), so that's a plus too 
. I'm curious to see how this all plays out and if Zohran can make his affordability agenda a reality while living in the mansion 
That's what being a New Yorker is all about, right? 
sounds like just what New York City needs - another out-of-touch politician living in a mansion with more rooms than a Kardashian family vacation home 
. I mean, I get that safety is a concern, but trading in a $2,300 rent for the mayor's mansion? That's some serious sacrifice 
. Maybe he'll make a difference in the city, maybe not 
.
and who knows, maybe he'll make gracie mansion his own thing too. 