“`html
Mamdani to Inaugurate Mayoral Term in Historic Old City Hall Subway Station
A unique inauguration is planned for New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who will take the oath of office just before midnight on Thursday at the Old City Hall subway station – a symbolic location steeped in the city’s transit history.
Mayor-elect Mamdani’s inauguration promises a departure from tradition, reflecting his commitment to a city built by and for working New Yorkers. He will take the oath of office moments before the New Year begins,with New York State Attorney General Letitia James administering the oath alongside his family. “When I take my oath from the station at the dawn of the new Year, I will do so humbled by the opportunity to lead millions of New Yorkers into a new era of opportunity, and honored to carry forward our city’s legacy of greatness,” Mamdani stated.
The choice of Old City Hall Station, which opened in 1904 as one of the original 28 subway stations, is deliberate. Mamdani views the New York City subway system as “the lifeblood of New York,” and the station serves as a potent reminder that enterprising public projects should not be relics of the past. The long-abandoned station is located beneath City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan, just south of the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station on the 6 line. members of the public can catch a glimpse of the station while traveling on a downtown 6 train as it loops back uptown, or through limited walking tours offered by the New York Transit Museum.
A Look Back at NYC Mayoral Inaugurations
Mamdani’s unconventional inauguration site prompts a look back at how previous New York City mayors have marked the beginning of their terms.
Robert Anderson Van Wyck (1898-1901) holds the distinction of being the first mayor to take office after the consolidation of New York City in 1898, and therefore the first to hold an official inauguration. In contrast, Fiorello H. La Guardia (1934-1945) eschewed a formal ceremony,being sworn in shortly after midnight on January 1.
The brevity of the ceremony also marked the inauguration of Vincent R. Impellitteri (1950-1953), who spoke for only three minutes after already serving as acting mayor following the resignation of his predecessor, William O’Dwyer. David N. Dinkins (1990-1993) demonstrated a commitment to inclusivity by inviting 200 homeless individuals to his inauguration.
Later mayors also left their mark on the tradition. Rudy Giuliani (1994-2001), the city’s first Republican mayor as 1965, called for an end to what he perceived as a pervasive sense of defeatism. Michael Bloomberg (2002-2013) broke with precedent by holding his first inauguration in times Square, later returning to the steps of City Hall for his second and third inaugurations. Bill de Blasio (2014-2021) had former President Bill Clinton administer the oath during his first term,while Eric Adams (2022-2025) held his inauguration in Times Square immediately after the New Year rang in,though the official ceremony was postponed due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
The selection of the Old City Hall Station underscores a theme of accessibility and connection to the city’s infrastructure that Mamdani intends to prioritize. This choice signals a mayoral management focused on the everyday experiences of New Yorkers and a commitment to revitalizing the city’s public spaces.
This article
