Sawt Falasteen - Mamdani to swap humble apartment for NY mayor's mansion

The Democratic socialist, who handily won last month's mayoral election, confirmed he will move to the Gracie Mansion on the city's chic Upper East Side after he takes office on January 1.

The more than 10,000 square-foot (1,000-square-meter) home on the banks of the East River was built in 1799. The mansion has been the New York mayor's residence since 1942, but there is no requirement that incumbents stay there.

That had fueled speculation about whether the 34-year-old Mamdani, who campaigned on affordability and New Yorkers' problems with high rents, would leave his humble two-bedroom residence.

Most mayors have lived at the mansion, with the notable exception of Michael Bloomberg, who held the office between 2002-2013.

In a statement Monday, Mamdani said he and his wife, illustrator Rama Duwaji, made the decision primarily for security reasons and were reluctant to leave their apartment in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria with its diverse immigrant population.

"We have called this neighborhood home as our city weathered a devastating pandemic, cruel attacks on immigrants, and years of an affordability crisis. Time and again, this community has shown up for one another. We will miss it all," the statement said.

"This decision came down to our family’s safety and the importance of dedicating all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for," it added.

Mamdani, who will be the youngest person to serve as New York mayor in more than a century, has faced criticism that he was living in subsidized housing in the first place -- paying $2,300 a month, which is modest by the city's standards.

Opponents contended that his salary as a New York state assembly member and his wife's income meant they could manage without the rent subsidy.

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST