What is Gracie Mansion and why is Zohran Mamdani moving in?

"When New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion, the elegant 18th-century house long associated with New York's political elite on Manhattan's Upper East Side in January, he will leave behind the rather more modest, rent-controlled Queens apartment he has lived in for several years. For a democratic socialist who has been elected by New Yorkers on a housing justice ticket, the contrast may seem striking to observers."

"Gracie Mansion has been the official residence of the mayor of New York City since 1942. A yellow-painted, Federal-style wooden house built in 1799, it is located inside Carl Schurz Park on Manhattan's Upper East Side. According to the Historic House Trust, which oversees the city's historic homes, it was originally designed as a two-storey country villa overlooking the East River. The main house reportedly has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, with period fireplaces and high ceilings."

"The residence today includes the original two-storey structure plus an events wing, which was added in the 1960s. According to the New York City Parks and Recreation Department, the combined complex now measures roughly 12,000 to 13,000 square feet (1,200 square metres), accommodating formal sitting rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and spaces for official functions. The building is maintained as a city-owned asset and is made available to each incoming mayor as their official home."

Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayoral election on a housing justice platform and will move into Gracie Mansion in January, leaving a rent-controlled Queens apartment. Gracie Mansion has served as the official mayoral residence since 1942. The house is a yellow-painted, Federal-style wooden building built in 1799 and located inside Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side. The main house reportedly has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, period fireplaces and high ceilings. An events wing was added in the 1960s, and the combined complex measures roughly 12,000 to 13,000 square feet for official functions and living quarters.

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