Mayor Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion, promising public access — along with bidets and a cat

Moving boxes littered the grounds of Gracie Mansion on Monday as Mayor Zohran Mamdani officially moved into his new residence on the Upper East Side.

“Today is moving day,” Mamdani told reporters during a Jan. 12 press conference at the mansion. “Tonight will be the first night that I sleep in Gracie. … We are so grateful to all of those who have already welcomed us to the Upper East Side, and I’m delighted to be back in the borough where I grew up, within walking distance of many of the museums that I went to as a teenager in this city,” he said.

But the new mayor was quick to emphasize that the 18th-century mansion is not meant to feel like a private estate. Instead, Mamdani repeatedly framed Gracie as “the people’s house,” invoking its long and sometimes unexpected history — from ice cream stands and public restrooms to English language classes, sewing workshops, and storage space for the Parks Department.

“Gracie has lived many lives,” he said. “And that legacy is not one that should be relegated to the past.”

Mayor Mamdani addresses the press at Gracie Mansion on Jan. 12, 2026, after he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, officially moved in.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Mamdani said he wants the mansion to remain accessible and welcoming to New Yorkers who don’t typically get invited inside, promising to open the space up beyond ceremonial events and formal receptions. When asked whether traditions such as cultural heritage nights would continue, Mamdani said no decisions have been made yet about which events or ceremonies will be held at Gracie.

He did, however, commit broadly to making the mansion a place where New Yorkers “can see themselves,” not just on television.

Zohran and Rama make themselves at home

“I’m home!” Mayor Mamdani greets his wife, Rama Duwaji, at the front door of Gracie Mansion.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

He joked that there was “no security deposit” being put down, but stressed that he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, see themselves as temporary custodians, not permanent owners.

That custodianship will come with some changes — though not all of them are finalized yet.

Asked what he plans to alter inside the mansion, Mamdani said decisions were still forthcoming, but he did confirm a few domestic priorities. Among them: installing bidets, which are plumbing fixtures attached to toilets to help people clean themselves after using the bathroom.

The mayor also revisited his long-discussed desire to get a cat, noting that due to his feline allergies, he is currently undergoing allergy shots to make that possible.

Despite the change in address, Mamdani insisted that his day-to-day habits — and his relationship to the city — would remain the same. He said he plans to continue taking the subway, riding buses, using Citi Bike, and spending time “in the streets” with New Yorkers, rather than retreating behind the gates of the mansion.

“I may be changing where I rest my head at the end of every evening,” he said, “but I will not be changing anything about how I interact with the incredible New Yorkers who call this city home.”

As for the ghosts that are rumored to haunt Gracie Mansion? Mamdani said he hasn’t met them yet. He said he had also not found the note that former Mayor Eric Adams supposedly left him, when asked by a reporter.

Asked whether he plans to keep the current Gracie Mansion staff — including chefs and other workers — Mamdani did not indicate any plans to replace staff. While praising them, he specifically credited Parks Department staff for working over the past 12 days to prepare the house and said he has “nothing but respect and admiration” for their work.

As for the couple’s apartment in Astoria, Mamdani said their lease is up at the end of the month and that his security deposit will cover his final payment. For now, the new mayor is settling in, one bidet installation, and possibly one future cat at a time.