Zohran Mamdani trades his tiny 1-bedroom for NYC’s iconic Gracie Mansion — Here’s why

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said in a social media post that he and his wife will move into Gracie Mansion, the historic mayor’s home on the East River. Mamdani, who is 34, announced the move on Instagram on Dec. 8 and shared a photo of a miniature replica of the mansion from the New York Botanical Garden.

He wrote, “Went to the NY Botanical Garden’s train show last week, and saw our new home!” and confirmed that he and his wife Rama will move in January. Mamdani said he is moving mainly for safety reasons and so he can focus fully on “enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for”, as reported by USA Today.

Gracie Mansion move explained

Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji have not known mansions like many of the former NYC mayors have. The couple have spent a good part of the new decade living in what Mamdani has promised for most of his campaign—a rent frozen house. And now they will transport into lavishness by taking over the mayor mansion in NYC.


The couple currently lives in a small one-bedroom rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria, Queens. The modest house also roused controversy, as his main campaign rival Andrew Cuomo brought up his sleek $142,000 state assemblyman salary, saying that with a decent paycheque, Mamdani was using state benefits to live in a rent- stabilised unit.

The New York Times reported that Cuomo himself once lived in a rent-stabilized apartment. Mamdani made housing affordability the main message of his mayoral campaign and pushed for a rent freeze on about one million rent-stabilized apartments in NYC, as per the report by USA Today. Gracie Mansion is 226 years old. It is one of the oldest wooden buildings in New York City. The house is very big, covering more than 10,000 square feet.

Historic Gracie Mansion details

The mansion has five bedrooms, a big ballroom, and nice views of the East River. Moving there also means Mamdani will leave Queens, where he has lived for many years. He even lived in Queens while working four years as a state assemblyman for Astoria.

Mamdani shared an emotional message about leaving Astoria, saying they will miss cooking dinner together, riding the elevator with neighbors, and hearing music and laughter from nearby apartments. He wrote, “To Astoria: thank you for showing us the best of New York City”, as noted by USA Today. Gracie Mansion became the official home of NYC mayors in 1942, starting with Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia’s family.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg chose not to live in Gracie Mansion and instead used it for public events while staying in his own private apartment. Zohran Mamdani will officially take office as New York City’s mayor on New Year’s Day.

FAQs

Q1. Why is Zohran Mamdani moving into Gracie Mansion?

He is moving for safety and to focus on his housing affordability agenda, as reported by USA Today.

Q2. Where did Zohran Mamdani live before Gracie Mansion?

He and his wife lived in a one-bedroom rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria, Queens.