7. Former Mayor Bloomberg was the first mayor since 1942 to not live in Gracie Mansion
Since the house became a residence for the mayor in 1942, Mayor Bloomberg has been the only mayor not to live in it. Breaking the tradition set by La Guardia, Bloomberg lived in his Beaux-Arts townhouse on East 79th Street. From there, he decided whether to raise funds to renovate the mansion and make it more accessible to the people as a house museum.
According to a New York Times article, Bloomberg believes that the mayor should pay for his own housing somewhere else, adding that he thinks it wrong “to take one of the great houses in this city away from the public.” Bloomberg held a campaign to raise funds to renovate Gracie into a house museum, while he used it to host events. Since the $7 million renovation overseen by decorator Jamie Drake in 2002, the number of tours increased as well as events held by city agencies and other non-profit groups.