Jan. 1 – Mayor Michael Bloomberg, officially swore in Bill De Blasio, who became the 109th mayor in the history of the City. The ceremony took place in front of his Brooklyn home, the traditionally Italian immigrant neighborhood where just a year ago his campaign begun. “I want to tell everyone – said a smiling De Blasio – that this is the beginning of a road that we will travel all together.” De Blasio, originally from Campania, had his wife at his side, Chirlane McCray, and his two children, sixteen-year-old Dante and nineteen-year-old Chiara. As first act as mayor of New York City, De Blasio immediately signed an executive order that effectively maintains in force the interim orders issued by the previous junta, to ensure continuity during the handover. De Blasio said he was “grateful” for the opportunity to serve the city. “I want to especially thank my neighbors, who can probably hear us – he joked – This is definitely the best block in Brooklyn, and everyone has been nice and supportive.” That said, the new mayor returned to his home (3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom), where he spent New Year’s Eve: a symbolic choice, seen as a message to the people. The promise is a mayor not from Manhattan, who relates to the richest part of the most famous city in the world. De Blasio and Bloomberg also met at City Hall on Tuesday and the outgoing mayor then wrote on Twitter: “the best of luck to the De Blasio administration, may the best days for our city be in front of us.”
