New York Inauguration: Block Party Frustrations as Mamdani Takes Office

By Michael Katz | Thursday, January 01, 2026 7:19 PM EST

Even as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani positioned his administration as a government for all New Yorkers, the inauguration ceremony at City Hall on Thursday was limited to invited guests. Meanwhile, members of the public gathered nearby for an open “block party” where they viewed proceedings on outdoor screens.

Approximately 4,000 attendees participated in the city hall ceremony, including actors Mandy Patinkin, Cynthia Nixon, and John Turturro, alongside politicians such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James.

Thousands more watched the event on large outdoor screens along Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes—a stretch traditionally reserved for ticker-tape parades. Attendees reportedly expressed frustration over the absence of food vendors and bathroom facilities at the block party.

A Brooklyn resident told observers: “It’s not exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting food and music.” Another attendee, a 25-year-old Queens woman, stated: “I could’ve watched this from home.”

Mamdani’s transition website had previously specified that no portable restrooms would be available on Broadway due to security concerns and that no food would be sold at the block party. The site encouraged attendees to bring snacks and highlighted nearby markets, cafes, and restaurants.

Simone Swartz, a veteran who attended with friends Dev Mehra and Bilal Mohammed, described Mamdani as “the first political candidate for whom I felt excited to vote.” She added: “Mamdani has been the first politician that has actually supported actual American values: treating everybody with respect, freedom, and access to public services.”

The block party also attracted non-Mamdani supporters. Sharon Jones, a conservative Republican who identified herself as a New Yorker, attended for what she called “civic duty,” stating: “Even though my political views are different, as a New Yorker, it’s all about community. My neighbor is my neighbor regardless of what political affiliations they may have.”

Mamdani was sworn in as New York’s 112th mayor just after midnight at the Old City Hall subway station, where Attorney General Letitia James presided over the private ceremony. He became the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century and the second-youngest in New York City history.