Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City and his fashionable spouse, Rama Duwaji, have taken up residence in Gracie Mansion, bringing a touch of their own style to the historic abode.
The couple held a press conference on the lawn of the mansion, a Federal-style structure dating back to 1799, to share insights into their decorative plans for their new home.
Thus far, the renovations are minimal yet tasteful. The mansion is receiving a new layer of paint, a substantial dresser mirror has been moved into the bedroom, and a vibrant monstera plant has found its place inside.
In addition to these changes, the couple intends to introduce a feline companion to the household. Throughout his campaign, Mamdani expressed his desire to adopt a cat, and he has been undergoing allergy treatments in preparation for its arrival.
Mamdani is an enthusiastic cat aficionado, having even featured in a program dedicated to New York’s iconic bodega cats during his campaign.
“I’m in the process of getting allergy shots to combat my sensitivity to cats,” he shared.
The most distinctive upgrade, however, may be found in the bathrooms as they had a very European amenity.
‘We will be installing a few bidets’ Mamdani said. ‘That’s an aspirational hope. But let’s see if we can get it done.’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially moved into the mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, with his stylish wife, Rama Duwaji
So far, the couple is getting a fresh coat of paint throughout the house and a large dresser mirror for the bedroom was spotted being hauled in. A healthy-looking monstera plant was also seen being moved in
The 11,000-square-foot home has been the city’s official mayoral residence since 1942 and is located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side
Bidets, with their sprays of water, either work as standalone fixtures or are integrated into toilets, and symbolize hygiene and refinement, with Italy even mandating them since the 1970s.
The couple moved to the mansion from a $2,300 a month one-bedroom apartment in Astoria.
‘My wife Rama and I have made the decision to move into Gracie Mansion in January,’ Mamdani said in a statement at the time.
‘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.’
The 11,000-square-foot home has been the city’s official mayoral residence since 1942.
It sits on 11 acres in Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan’s Yorkville neighborhood of the Upper East Side, an area where Mamdani actually lost the vote.
Former governor Andrew Cuomo carried the neighborhood by 24 points. The area is also known as a filming location for Gossip Girl, and homes there cost an average of about $1.6 million.
Outside, there are marigolds and cabbages growing, alongside flowering dogwood trees and azalea bushes. Gracie Mansion has five bedrooms, which mayors are given free rein to decorate.
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The couple moved to the mansion from a $2,300 a month one-bedroom apartment in Astoria to Gracie Mansion
Gracie Mansion is named after Archibald Gracie, a wealthy Scottish-American shipping merchant who built it as his country home in 1799, far from the bustling city center
Gracie Mansion sits on 11 acres in Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan’s Yorkville neighborhood of the Upper East Side, an area where Mamdani actually lost the vote
The interiors at Gracie Mansion, where the mayor will live, moving from a $2,300 a month one-bedroom apartment in Astoria
Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference during moving day at Gracie Mansion, where he plans to install bidets and get a cat
New York’s new mayor has moved into Gracie Mansion,
On the main level, the home has a formal ballroom and dining room, and a veranda has sweeping views of the East River
The home’s charming yellow paint exterior was chosen by former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who never officially lived there
A moving company arrives to Gracie Mansion on January 12, 2026 in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, have begun to move from their one-bedroom Queens apartment to Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan
On the main level, the home has a formal ballroom and dining room, and a veranda has sweeping views of the East River.
Over the years, the interiors have undergone various tastes and styles.
When Bill de Blasio was mayor, West Elm donated $65,000 worth of furniture so his family could update the mansion’s upstairs residential quarters in more of a midcentury modern look.
Former mayor David Dinkins, faced backlash after it emerged that the city had spent $11,500 to handcraft a custom headboard for his mayoral bed.
The home’s charming yellow paint exterior was chosen by former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also added French bronze chandeliers. He also never officially lived at the house and preferred his own residence instead.
For former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the interior was filled with drama.
His then-wife Donna Hanover had barred Giuliani’s then-mistress, Judith Nathan, from visiting the house, causing Giuliani to leave the mansion before his term ended.
During Giuliani’s time there, the house also fell into disrepair with peeling paint and rotting floorboards.
And New York’s last Mayor Eric Adams said his interiors will filled with imaginary friends.
‘I don’t care what anyone says, there are ghosts in there, man,’ he told Yankees announcer Michael Kay in 2022. ‘Listen, they’re creeping around.’
Hopefully, they don’t mind the bidets.
