It may have taken the De Blasio family a while to decide whether or not they were going to move to Gracie Mansion but it didn't take long for them to open the doors up to the public, The New York Times reports.
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On Sunday, newly christened mayor, Bill De Blasio opened his new digs up to thousands of New Yorkers.
According to the Times, tickets to Sunday’s open house were distributed by lottery; and as such a black market thrived on Craigslist.
The mayor's staff served cups of hot chocolate and apple cider to visitors who stood in the cold, some of whom waited more than two hours. The mayor’s transition team hired a band of guitarists and tambourine players to keep the guests spirits up.
Many of those in line said they were lifelong New Yorkers who had never had a chance to be inside the mansion.
"We felt for this whole inauguration that it was crucial to make clear government was open to the people," De Blasio said and Politicker reports. "This is the people's house. Gracie Mansion is the people's house. City Hall is the people's house. We want people to know, in everything we do, they are welcome in."
Read more at The New York Times and Politicker.
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