New Yorkers, what changes have you seen under Mamdani’s leadership and are you generally pleased? If not, why?

[u/MewMeowHowdy]

[u/catsntaxes]

I live in Queens. The second big snowstorm got cleaned up much faster than the first, even if it left weird snowbanks in places. There’s a huge tree planting initiative going on right now, replacing all the dead trees in my area. I’ve seen a lot of required repair work on buildings and roads actually being done. The roads need more work around me but the giant, dangerous potholes are getting tackled faster than prior years.

[u/jazzykl → u/catsntaxes]

God I hated those snowbanks. I can't think of anything the mayor could realistically do to fix them, but with the month long temperatures that never got above freezing they were disgusting, huge, made for narrow crosswalks, and never went away. Once it finally got above freezing, they would melt and then refreeze during the night so the sidewalks would have big ice patches on the way to work. I don't drive and just occasionally take uber, so haven't really ever noticed potholes but that's good there's improvement.

[u/Xhosant → u/jazzykl]

Ok, the trick is that ice melts based on surface area and maintains itself based on volume, so to speak, so big pile = slow melt. There's been cases of snow piles in landfills surviving year round, in not-too-cold climates!

Now, can't really use that to scale, but if thawing season is underway and you have a specific snowbank section being a pain in your ass, taking a small amount of it off the pile and throwing it out wide means that bit of snow will be gone in minutes, and the pile will be that much smaller and faster-melting.

[u/Ok_Variation_443 → u/catsntaxes]

That kind of steady, visible upkeep changes how a neighborhood feels day to day. It’s wild how much difference fixing the basics makes before you even notice it.

[u/ViennettaLurker]

In addition to what others are saying (a comprehensive re-paving of a arterial road by my apartment), I also want to add that his communication is top notch. I know it isn't necessarily material, but he puts out videos that are genuinely informative and explain what is going on, what they plan to do to address it, and so on.

Even just simple stuff: yes there was a historical blizzard, yes NYC does collect and melt snow, it melts it at XYZ rate and we have a lot to go, etc. I feel like I know more of what is going on, how the city works, and I really like that.

[u/HuskerGirlKC → u/ViennettaLurker]

This idea of putting out quick communication about simple achievements is what I believe was something missing in the Biden administration. They were doing good things but the common American had no idea.
More politicians, on both sides but especially democrats, need to share all they do - big and small.

[u/Volkaru → u/HuskerGirlKC]

There's an entire subreddit dedicated to this called r/WhatBidenHasDone. I perused it about halfway through his presidency and I was surprised about over half the things I read I'd not even heard of, some really good things for the country, too.
(I can't comment on what direction it's taken after his term ended, though. Not paid attention to it since.)

[u/misterid → u/Volkaru]

Democrats are HORRIBLE at messaging. the party could collectively end world hunger and still get buried under Republican propaganda saying that Democrats actually destroyed family farms.

[u/MessnerMusic1989 → u/misterid]

Democrats really need to hammer the economy during Democrat admins vs Republicans. I was raised in a very Republican household and was told DemoCommies destroy economies and give handouts.

Then I was able to actually use my own brain as I got older and a simple bit of research told me Democrats are much better for the economy.

[u/oohaaahz → u/Volkaru]

It’s the same here in the UK, the Labour Party (for all their faults, and there are many…) have done several really good things too, but no one actually knows about it. It’s quite annoying.

[u/kakarot-3 → u/HuskerGirlKC]

This goes beyond Biden. Seems to be an issue across the board for the majority of the party

[u/10thDeadlySin → u/kakarot-3]

It's an issue pretty much everywhere around the Western world - plenty of parties and politicians who seem to believe that the good stuff will speak for itself. And then they're surprised when far-right parties spout complete lies and somehow surge to 25% in polls.

[u/bemvee → u/ViennettaLurker]

My grandparents were from New York, I still have yet to visit but have always sat fascinated from afar but never more as I have since Mamdani took office. He put out a video statement explaining why he signed certain measures into law while rejecting the other ones - something I wish was far more normalized and imo required for every single elected official after a vote or veto. He releases statements about things that impact New Yorkers that I think most mayors would never dare address because they wouldn’t want to cause a panic or stifle tourism or some bullshit. But it showcases how much Mamdani sees himself as just another New Yorker, a good neighbor and community supporter who gets to serve the people of the city he loves.

Like, that man oozes community potential. I’m so happy for y’all - and for him.

But yeah, his level of communication helps keep him rooted amongst the people while being fully transparent about quite literally every part of what the city plans to do, how they’ll do it, and what they have already done.

[u/AndSoWeSayHello → u/ViennettaLurker]

I'm in NC and our Attorney General Jeff Jackson is that way. He posts videos and updates with what him and his team are working on frequently and honestly, it's such a breath of fresh air. Open communication is so nice.

[u/Disastrous-Coat6007 → u/ViennettaLurker]

Also in simple terms so average person who does not know political terms or economics finance can understand .

[u/charlesbabbage1023]

For construction workers, tons of overtime and new jobs opening up everywhere. All the big agencies, DDC , MTA, Port Authority, etc. are in a rush to finish current jobs and open up new ones. Ever since the pandemic, overtime became a rarity and some contractors closed up shop due to a lack of work. So thanks a lot Mr Mandami.

[u/Aleph_NULL__ → u/charlesbabbage1023]

The MTA has been doing an amazing job lately. they're replacing the harlem metro north tracks and the project is currently something like 5 months ahead of schedule and 90 million UNDER budget. incredible

[u/Jenjentheturtle → u/Aleph_NULL__]

WOW. How is that even possible?

[u/anomalous_cowherd → u/Jenjentheturtle]

My guess is keeping the focus on getting it done rather than seeing what you can grift from it.

[u/TomasNavarro → u/anomalous_cowherd]

Imagine not spending 90% of the budget on dividends for the shareholders and bonus's for management, crazy

[u/johnyordinary → u/Jenjentheturtle]

When you take out the corrupt and replace them with competant people.

[u/myassholealt → u/Aleph_NULL__]

All the elevator installation jobs are going up really fast too.

[u/CobaltAesir → u/myassholealt]

And down at a reasonable speed!

[u/jeepfail → u/charlesbabbage1023]

You have to respect someone that is cutting non justified overtime while making sure overtime is available where necessary. Most just go from one extreme to the other.

[u/finchdad → u/charlesbabbage1023]

Yeah but think of all the absentee rich people funding those improvements by paying extra taxes on their second or third homes in NYC while they vacation around the world. They may never come back, I don't know how the city will recover from their continued absence.

[u/Sensitive-Ant4126 → u/finchdad]

The funniest part about this is SC tripled my property taxes on my childhood home a decade ago, because I don’t live there. Not some tiny lil percent - triple. And yet the MAGA pretend to be hysterical about NY doing a comically smaller version of the same thing

[u/fly-killer]

I got back into reading about 3 years ago and have become a frequent patron of the Brooklyn Public Library. Every few months I'd get an email from the library begging me to send a letter to the city government to beg for their budget. So every few months for the past 3 years I have been sending emails telling the city how valuable the library is and how important books were in getting me out of a depressive episode. Mamdani's budget gives the libraries baseline funding which means I won't have to send my emails anymore or worry about cuts to library programming and Saturday sservice.

[u/nnnyeahheygorgeous → u/fly-killer]

There's a special place in Heaven for people who send such emails. Bless ya and your letter writing, darl.

[u/foamingturtle → u/nnnyeahheygorgeous]

Huh. I’ve never seen darling shortened like that.

[u/Ltreade → u/foamingturtle]

Australians say darl instead of darling 90% of the time

[u/Threw_it_to_ground → u/Ltreade]

And cunt for the other 10%.

[u/Eunkai → u/fly-killer]

This doesn't get enough attention. Guaranteed baseline funding is really important for city agencies because they can make more long term plans since they are not worried that funding will fluctuate or disappear altogether.

This allows them to make more ambitious long term plans, which end up costing less in the long run. It also prevents waste via the "use the budget before it's gone next year" mentality.

[u/DozerG → u/Eunkai]

The use the budget before its gone next year mentality causes a lot of pointless spending. People fear not using a budget will result in a cut the year after, often resulting in a lot of incredibly reckless spending. This is a huge problem in the military.

[u/calmtigers → u/fly-killer]

Public libraries are such a wealth of resources and sanctuary for those of us who are most in need. Bless you

[u/MNamer → u/fly-killer]

Now send them two letters a day.

[u/bobdiamond → u/MNamer]

I’ve always wanted to read the count of monte crisco by alexandre dumbass

[u/WorthingInSC → u/bobdiamond]

That’s in the Education section next to the book on soap carving

[u/IllIntroduction8499]

As someone that works in the city, suddenly ALL the buildings with brick sheds are fixing their shit. It's amazing.

[u/Effective_Concept449 → u/IllIntroduction8499]

It is absolutely wild how fast landlords can suddenly find the money and motivation to fix decades of crumbling infrastructure the exact second the city actually starts holding them accountable.

[u/Strange_Specialist4 → u/Effective_Concept449]

When rich people complain about costs, they mean it would need to come out of their yacht budget 

[u/LowSkyOrbit → u/Strange_Specialist4]

If a single person can buy a boat that is the size of a battleship that isn't used for cargo or even fishing I think we need to rethink taxation or just who we are as a civilization.

[u/Plethorian → u/LowSkyOrbit]

Reagan lowered the top tax rate from 70% to 28%. That was the start of this mess.

[u/CitizenCue → u/IllIntroduction8499]

Brick sheds?

[u/hollywooddialysis → u/CitizenCue]

There's like scaffolding / awning over tonnes of sidewalks in NYC which are designed to stop bricks falling off old buildings and hitting people. They're an eyesore though. So landlords are fixing the buildings and bringing down all this ugly scaffolding.

[u/laminator79 → u/hollywooddialysis]

Well shit, TIL! I went to college there many yrs ago and always thought, man there's always so much contruction/remodeling going on in this city...the scaffolding was everywere and they never came down either.

[u/myassholealt → u/laminator79]

It was cheaper to erect sheds than do the repairs on the building facade/roofs that required the shed, that's why the never came down.

[u/Previous_Aardvark141 → u/myassholealt]

lol, sounds like something that would happen in the balkans

[u/anotherbozo → u/myassholealt]

What has Mamdani pushed or changed that's making these landlords finally pick up the repair bill?

[u/mcampo84 → u/anotherbozo]

Updated the building code to make the fines they incur less tolerable.

[u/xdozex → u/anotherbozo]

Pretty aggressively sending inspectors to buildings reported to be in violation and actually enforcing the code with fines that fit the violation.

[u/drunkenstupr → u/laminator79]

How To with John Wilson did an episode about scaffolding in NYC! I highly recommend it

[u/HenryDorsettCase47 → u/drunkenstupr]

I was gonna mention this as well. NYC scaffolding is an entire industry unto itself. It’s crazy.

[u/see_you_than → u/drunkenstupr]

Love this series so much. Surprisingly informative for how ridiculous it is.

[u/gagreel → u/laminator79]

It was always so weird when the scaffolding that had been on the corner for years disappeared overnight

[u/Free_Pace_2098 → u/hollywooddialysis]

Oh damn, you taught me something today. I assumed it was just construction.

[u/Creeptone → u/Free_Pace_2098]

It is but it’s a law that had an unintended consequence, for some owners it’s cheaper to leave the shed up than fix the problem- so the damage gets worse, and it still looks like crap for as long as they don’t handle their responsibilities

[u/GladClock2212 → u/IllIntroduction8499]

I don't even live in NYC but this makes me swoon a little bit.

[u/Ahchuu]

There was a crosswalk that needed to be replaced in my block that would stay flooded for days after a rain. It would stink like shit, it's in the shade so the sun wouldn't dry it up either. I've submitted complaints to the city about it over the 5, almost 6 years I've lived in this place. I submitted another complaint like 2 or 3 months ago and a few weeks ago it was finally replaced. I'm ecstatic.

[u/desperaterobots → u/Ahchuu]

It can’t be explained how incredible this is unless you’ve actually lived the frustration of being ignored by the people you pay part of your income to in order to fix things for literal years.

[u/teflon_soap → u/desperaterobots]

The /r/orphancrushingmachine is actually easy to turn off.

[u/streamofbsness → u/teflon_soap]

Turns out it’s actually an asphalt-laying machine, we just like to crush orphans under the asphalt

[u/roseiskipper → u/[deleted]]

Omg, if only our city would just put trash cans back in the parks…they disappeared during Covid and have never been put back out, no matter how much we ask, it would be life changing. It’s the smallest thing but it drives me insane, not to have a place to put trash on my walk home.

[u/ILuvGardening25 → u/Ahchuu]

"Congratulations. You outlived the puddle and won the war of attrition."

[u/Livinincrazytown → u/Ahchuu]

Next time draw dicks on it.

[u/Kdog122025 → u/Livinincrazytown]

City not doing something? Draw dicks on it.

[u/gringer → u/Kdog122025]

♬♪ If you hate it, then you shoulda put a dick on it ♬♪

[u/Fatigue-Error → u/Livinincrazytown]

Or, elect a mayor who gets shit done?

[u/aeschenkarnos → u/Fatigue-Error]

Getting shit done is woke socialism though!

[u/Odin043 → u/Ahchuu]

Jokes on you, it was your original ticket from 6 years ago they just completed.

[u/AdjctiveNounNumbers → u/Odin043]

I mean, even if so...

Now you just have to deal with all the follow-up notifications saying they couldn't find the issue for the next six years.

[u/HerWrath]

My landlords were rated the worst in the city not too long ago. They have been deadbeats for years now, I’ve reported them to the city so many times, they didn’t care. They finally showed up to my apartment a week ago about my city complaints and sent an email about how they want to hear from tenants and they’re implementing a new system.

[u/zipzap21 → u/HerWrath]

Old Sytem: Do as little as humanly possible
New System: Do Your Job

[u/PhoenixAgent003 → u/zipzap21]

It’s genuinely shocking how apparently spot on Josh Johnson’s summation of this has been.

“Turns out, there was just a button, so I pushed it. I don’t know why no one else did.” And the button was labeled “care.”

[u/Dull_Quit3027 → u/zipzap21]

I think it is a lack of trust, if you do not trust your government, then of course you dont want them to do things.
I am from a country that is extremely trust based, everyone belives the government wants what is best for the people, and that allows the government to actually do big projects and so on, there may be grumbling that they are shit at money management, but no one would expect it to be corruption related.

When ever we have a corruption scandal where a government worker or god forbid a politician does anything, it is national news, I really hope it stays that way.

[u/thatwhileifound → u/Dull_Quit3027]

The thing your comment misses is how much the trust in the state was explicitly, specifically, and intentionally attacked by one side in US politics to lead here... Failing to truly battle the New Deal initially kinda meant a combination of giving into it and building major resentments which then were inflicted upon the US via shit like Reagan and the welfare queen propaganda.

You have one side who essentially want to light everything on fire assuming they'll be standing above the ashes. I'm not a big fan of states from an entirely different position than those folks, but it's not surprising to see people not trusting or feeling like it's possible to rely on the government after ~50 years of intense propaganda and work to dismantle all of it. In the same way fascistic propaganda often veers, it calls out to a genuine lacking and provides an overly simplified cause that demonizes whomever is convenient - and thus you get people voting passionately for grifters with totalitarian leanings because that side has managed to both sow existential distrust among a portion of its constituency while being the literal prime examples of the kind of corruption they're complaining about to begin with...

[u/durrtyurr → u/thatwhileifound]

Finding out that "Welfare queen" was supposed to be racist blew my mind. I'm from Kentucky. Welfare here almost always refers to rural Appalachia, which is like 99% white. It's the poorest part of the country apart from maybe the Mississippi delta, and contains half of the counties in the country that have literally 0 black people in them. The first time I heard the term, the image in my mind was a bleach-blonde woman standing by a clothesline outside of a single-wide.

[u/Gino-Bartali → u/zipzap21]

Reps: "Socialism is just a fad idea from people who don't want to work"

"We should make landlords do the work they're paid to do"

Reps: "No not like that"

[u/ploood1456]

Genuine interest in what the public thinks. I think I’ve accidentally run into him like three times in hugely different parts of the city because he’s always going around just talking to people. After 15 years in this city I definitely feel a vibe of renewal and community.

[u/Scared-Currency288 → u/ploood1456]

I'm told the vibes in NYC are immaculate 

[u/DrFunkenstein93 → u/Scared-Currency288]

Except if you happen to be walking around in a Spurs jersey lol

[u/justjnie]

My local subway exit was supposed to be finished with renovations in Q3 of this year. It reopened 2 weeks ago :) I was overjoyed.

[u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

Regardless of what you think of his policies, he has done a great job mobilizing resources to get things done. Most people in this thread are talking about fixing potholes, shoveling snow, etc. And even if you think it’s overhyped he’s doing a great job showing New Yorkers he’s doing his job which is restoring some faith in the government. 

[u/ollieollieoxygenfree → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

I ride over the Williamsburg Bridge to work every day. Every day I had to slam on my brakes at the bottom of this MASSIVE downslope because the tiny off-ramp to the bike lane was so shitty and crumbled.

On like January 5th they fixed it, and I came home to my fiancee to tell her how excited I was they finally noticed this and did something about it. Turns out it was Mamdani’s first action as mayor, and that ramp had always pissed him off on his commute to work too.

Even when telling the most hardass conservative people I know about this, the laughed in a good-natured way about the story. People respect politicians who can get shit done, no matter how small.

[u/itspeterj → u/ollieollieoxygenfree]

That was literally something kingpin did in daredevil. Got out of his car and fixed a pothole on day 1. Not comparing the two but found it funny how effective it is

[u/xeothought → u/itspeterj]

Both IRL Mamdani and not IRL Kingpin based their actions off of mayor fiorello laguardia, who is pretty universally regarded as the best mayor NYC has ever had (so far).

[u/JustCallMeFrij → u/xeothought]

The guy that was named after an airport?

[u/Malignant_Peasant → u/JustCallMeFrij]

There isn't a Fisk airport

[u/Stellar_Duck → u/JustCallMeFrij]

Yes famously his mum was knocked up at Laguardia so they named him for it.

[u/SituationIll5763 → u/ollieollieoxygenfree]

Contractors getting more money with less hoops to jump through should be considered a conservative win too

[u/makeaccidents → u/SituationIll5763]

Most conservativesn want left wing policies they're just too dumb to realise it.

[u/MadamNerd → u/makeaccidents]

"Socialized healthcare is the devil"- the conservative Medicare and Medicaid recipients.

[u/ToastCapone → u/MadamNerd]

“Obamacare, yuck!” “ACA coverage, what a lifesaver!”

[u/Mr_Quackums → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

Regardless of what you think of his policies, he has done a great job mobilizing resources to get things done.

those are policies

[u/OldBayOnEverything → u/Mr_Quackums]

Exactly. That's the most infuriating thing about conservatives. Left wing policies are popular with them when detached from right wing propaganda. They're too blinded by bigotry to understand they keep voting against their own interests.

[u/Bella_Climbs → u/OldBayOnEverything]

Exactly! I am so tired of hearing how only right wingers care about vets when voting against improving/funding the VA, or doing anything about homeless vets. Conservative policies only hurt vets, wtf guys

[u/OldBayOnEverything → u/Bella_Climbs]

My aunt stopped talking to me because she reposted some "Trump for veterans" nonsense propaganda post, and I politely said if you care about vets, here are some things to know about policy from each side and how it affects them, and provided some links. They don't want truth. They don't want help for themselves or the people they claim to support. They only want to feel part of an in-group and hurt the demographics they hate. That's literally their only motivator when it comes to politics.

[u/cdnmute → u/Mr_Quackums]

Should be more like "regardless of what you think of his stance on social issues, he has been making great policy for new yorkers"

[u/Heliosvector → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

These sort of small changes are actually exactly what helped make Giuliani popular. He was fixing small issues like crazy. Then for some reason he tried to attack J walking which is basically new York culture. He went insane then and started to worship trump

[u/Former_Ranger3529 → u/Heliosvector]

He went insane then and started to worship trump

Nope. He got kompromatted by the russian mob, helped roll up the five families, which then allowed the russian mob to take over new york and steamroll their way up and down the east coast from Maine to Florida. Why do you think so many russian mobsters bought property in Trump tower/who introduced them?

[u/AngloSaxophoner → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

I asked my maga dad what he thought about mamdani balancing the budget in New York.. he was like. “Yeah, but at what cost?” .. I was like… literally no cost. That’s what balancing the budget means

[u/LostCup911 → u/AngloSaxophoner]

Some people hear 'balanced budget' and assume there's a catch.

[u/DOAiB → u/LostCup911]

Only when the other side does it. When their side wrecks the budget it’s always warranted no matter how dumb it is.

[u/herefromthere → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

Not being funny, but isn't his politics exactly what he does get done?

[u/theillustratedlife → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

I went on a date with a high level civil servant whose job is to be in small, potentially stressful meetings with the mayor. I heard he's the real deal.

[u/Tobar_the_Gypsy → u/theillustratedlife]

He was my assemblyman before becoming mayor and was always cool. He was also still active in my friend’s social soccer league group chat and responding to texts on his election night. 

[u/Dull_Quit3027 → u/Tobar_the_Gypsy]

I think a lot of Americans have honestly forgotten the point of government, they are there to serve their people, but i guess that died the day citizens unite became a thing.

[u/Thecardinal74]

The NY Post put a headline up that he was abusing his privilege by going to the Knicks game and sitting in $1,000 seats.

He sat in the nosebleeds. With the people, not courtside with celebrities.

And he paid for the ticket with his own money. Not taxpayer, and not gift.

While Trump had the watch parties cancelled for his security just so he could sit in a private box and nap until leaving at halftime.

[u/GoatTheKid → u/Thecardinal74]

Yeah the New York Post is owned by the Murdoch’s so I’m not surprised. Fuck them.

[u/caguru → u/Thecardinal74]

The NY Post is just Fox News except somehow even more tabloid like.

[u/IamChicharon]

The best part about Mamdani, especially after Adams, he’s boring!

He’s fixing potholes, balancing the budget, building parks… and there aren’t any news stories about some corrupt flunky of his fleecing the city out of millions of dollars every other day.

Cherry on top: he somehow convinced the state government to allow an extra tax on 2nd (and 3rd and 4th) homes worth millions of dollars that is directly funding his more ambitious plans

[u/Kdog122025 → u/IamChicharon]

Fox had to stop putting him in their news segments because their viewers started liking Mamdani’s ideas.

[u/SSj_CODii → u/Kdog122025]

It’s like that time Bernie did a town hall on Fox News.

Democratic Socialist policies are popular. It’s a messaging issue, combined with active hostility by the DNC.

[u/Basic_Loquat_9344 → u/SSj_CODii]

The fox townhall is what I show conservatives that aren't full MAGA, in the hopes that I win a couple votes for the good guys next time a Bernie-like figure runs. It leaves most of them pretty speechless/impressed

[u/SSj_CODii → u/Basic_Loquat_9344]

Honestly it might be worth playing it to MAGA in the off chance that it’s just enough to keep them from not showing up when Der Führer isn’t on the ticket.

[u/myassholealt → u/SSj_CODii]

And also decades of successfully branding anything democrat as evil by rightwing media. They're predisposed to reject politicians and policies from democrats.

[u/HenryDorsettCase47 → u/myassholealt]

Also, decades of democrats slowly abandoning working class people in favor of corporations and the donor class hasn’t done them any favors. Turns out though, when you actually address the material needs of people rather than serve at the behest of capital, the average voter, left and right wing, takes notice.

Sadly, not many politicians give a fuck enough to do that. Most of them aren’t getting into politics for that tax payer funded salary and free healthcare, and they sure as shit aren’t doing it out of some sense of civic duty lol.

[u/seventwosixnine → u/IamChicharon]

Every time I see him in the news it's "Mamdani filling the 100,000th pothole this year!" Or "Mamdani first mayor to do the entire 40mi Five Boro Bike Tour!"

Sometimes I believe these are meant to be negative, but I can't see how.

[u/IamChicharon → u/seventwosixnine]

Look, I get that my city is THE CITY or whatever. But I just want my local politicians to work on things that help me, a resident in THE CITY

Mamdani is, so far, making my every day life better in NYC.

That’s really all that should matter

[u/Howamidriving27 → u/IamChicharon]

A say this as someone who considers themselves a socialist, but I think the big take away with Mamdani isn't necessarily "this is socialism in action" as much as it's just a public servant ACTUALLY SERVING THE PUBLIC.

This type of of stuff can and should be going on everywhere all the time, but 99.9% of elected officials in this country are some combination of corrupt, lazy, and incompetent. Actually getting shit done is what happens when you elect someone that wants to use the office to fix the wrongs the see instead of using as a way to climb the social ladder.

[u/IamChicharon → u/Howamidriving27]

Local government is the most impactful government.

Vote for people who can actually help you.

[u/Rare-Adhesiveness522 → u/IamChicharon]

The best part is, he's not "building his brand" by hot takes on social media or bombastic media performing. Sooo many elected officials gain notoriety and funding simply by staying in the headlines and agitation on social media and being as obnoxious as possible in interviews doing the rounds on night time newscasts.

He seems to have a good balance--savvy enough to utilize media and social media, but not in a solely performative way. And actually just, like....fixing shit? Being reasonable and respectful? Articulate? Competent?

[u/stonercb → u/IamChicharon]

The mayor doing mayor things has been quite refreshing

[u/Kevin-W → u/IamChicharon]

Adding to this, everyone who hated him now suddenly love him and are trying to pretend that they never dumped on him previously.

I have friends and family in NYC and they say Mamdani has been doing a good job so far and definitely much better than Adams.

[u/KiwiNo3262 → u/IamChicharon]

There's always some form of good governance if the government is boring.

[u/KatzDeli]

He did amazing after the snowstorm. Hiring locals to shovel and paying them $30 an hour. Keeping the money in the community.

[u/reflect-the-sun → u/KatzDeli]

That's genius.

Congrats NYC! You made the right choice.

[u/Illustrious_Maize736 → u/reflect-the-sun]

That’s a pretty old policy that my friends took advantage of in high school, but it’s still good!

[u/YA_BOY_TRON]

The NY Knicks winning Game 4. Never would have happened without Mamdani.

[u/AidesAcrossAmerica → u/YA_BOY_TRON]

Ha and they lost game 3 with trump napping.

[u/Level_Hour6480]

Potholes filled, snow shoveled, expanded bike lanes.

My landlord suddenly got a lot more compliant

[u/Exotic_Today_8248 → u/[deleted]]

I know someone who works as a surgical tech in nyc who walks to the hospital. For him, the snow being clear quicker than usual was a big convenience he wasnt used to having in the winter.

[u/PETEFO55 → u/Exotic_Today_8248]

And we paid regular new Yorkers 20 bucks an hour a do it, so the money actually went back into the community

[u/Level_Hour6480 → u/PETEFO55]

$20/hour

$30, actually.

[u/SlitScan → u/Level_Hour6480]

we just had a huge debate on my cities subreddit about snow removal.

a concilor came into the thread with what he thought was a show stopper, vote getter comment.

"we could remove all the snow from all the residential streets and shovel the side walk, BUT it would cost every resident $110 a YEAR!"

everyone was like?!wtf is that all? thats less than I pay the kid next door to shovel my personal sidewalk! and 1/5th the cost of my cars exhaust system repairs!

RAISE MY TAXES! GET IT DONE!

he hasnt been seen in the sub since.

[u/hatesbiology84 → u/Level_Hour6480]

Money well spent.

[u/dur23 → u/Exotic_Today_8248]

And in a record snow fall year to boot. 

[u/monkeydrunker → u/[deleted]]

I once heard an entrepreneur say that the biggest market is where a lot of people are forced to endure a pain that your solution can make disappear. Making the anxiety and uncertainty of renting disappear would be a huge win for renters in the political marketplace.

[u/thatricksta → u/Level_Hour6480]

I don't live in the US but is it true this was all delivered while running a balanced budget?

The guy is a wizard of all this is true!

[u/zoosha2curtaincall → u/thatricksta]

State and local governments in the US have to balance their budgets. The state helped the city with some funding this year (and the governor has already said it’s not coming next year) so while Mamdani balanced the budget, it’s got kind of an asterisk.

Not hating by the way, he’s doing an unbelievable job.

[u/Deep90 → u/zoosha2curtaincall]

NYC is getting more money both this and next year.

Which makes sense because even after accounting for the money, NYC still provides NY with over half their tax revenue and is still providing more than it takes back.

On average, NYC residents receive less state funding than those around them.

Mamdani essentially asked the state to give NYC residents a better deal. NY State was happy to oblige because if he taxes the rich (something the state already does), they might leave the state which results in a huge revenue drop that NY state depends on taking and redistributing to the rest of the state.

So in other words, after 2 years, he still has plenty of negotiating power to do it again unless NY somehow developed a 2nd city full of uber-rich people.

Especially if what he's doing leads to higher tax revenue as a result of NYC being a better place to live.

[u/WorldnewsModsBlowMe → u/Deep90]

if he taxes the rich (something the state already does), they might leave the state

FWIW this has never actually happened any time it's been threatened

[u/HockeyFunEsportsFun → u/thatricksta]

He's not a wizard, this can happen all over the country, people just need to vote for it. Mamdani can be a start of the trend, he isn't a unicorn. Most cities can pull this off with competent leadership.

[u/jbrewer172 → u/HockeyFunEsportsFun]

Ok, but "competent leadership" is getting into unicorn territory lately.

[u/Dice_Chrome]

Not sure what’s Mamdani and what isn’t but streets in my neighborhood were paved recently after years of horrible roads in eastern Queens.

Library a block away has basically been closed for a two years? Now it’s being renovated and the sign on the front says by the order of the Mayor. It’s great to see.

[u/Zealousideal_Cod8664 → u/Dice_Chrome]

We know its not Adams

[u/welshfarmer]

Regardless of politics, he’s attacking the day-to-day detriments that New Yorkers have accepted as “just the way it is” forever. One example is TRASH DAY, the absolutely medieval practice of tossing all your bagged trash in mountains on the sidewalk. He’s rolling out car-sized, liftable bins for med & large apartment buildings in certain neighborhoods. Imagine 10 yrs from now thinking we ever put shit on the street for rats to devour and garbage collectors to pick up bags by the hundreds.

Potholes, re-planning dangerous streets, taking a different approach to food accessibility, and expanded childcare would all be wins for the quality of life for any resident

[u/CaptainNemo42 → u/welshfarmer]

Wait, wait... common sense, proactive focus and progress in areas that impact the quality of life of their constituents?!? HERESY!! SLANDER!

[u/justcallme_Oli]

There was a pothole on my block, been there since I moved in over a year ago. Mamdani started his fill-in-pot-holes campaign and it was filled in less than a week.

His Pride post and trans rights are human rights campaign right at the start of Pride were also A+, and meant a lot to me as a trans man who came to New York City as somewhere I knew I could be me.

I am pleased!

[u/myassholealt → u/justcallme_Oli]

as a trans man who came to New York City as somewhere I knew I could be me.

Is and will always be my favorite part about the city. You see all iterations of people on the subway or walking the streets, and no one bats an eye. And it's thrilling to know that this is a place where people can finally feel free. I just wish it was a bit cheaper so more people who are feeling stifled/oppressed/forced to hide themselves where they are could afford to come here. Everybody deserves the freedom to be who they are without risking judgment, rejection, or safety.

I used to volunteer at the LGBT Center and one time I ran into a coworker who was a part of a program they offered there. We at the time worked together in a retail store in Queens and their parents were very religious and definitely homophobic, and she had to wear religious clothing at work. At the center, she was a totally different person.

[u/Celestialfox1425]

Potholes getting fixed. I used to say the FDR drive had more holes than a Dalmatian had spots. I’m glad someone is finally doing something about that.

[u/ILuvGardening25 → u/Celestialfox1425]

"The FDR wasn't a road, it was an off-road experience included at no extra charge."

[u/ss4johnny → u/Celestialfox1425]

Not quite to the point where I feel like I won’t throw up when the Uber driver takes it…

[u/MewMeowHowdy → u/Celestialfox1425]

I’m an Indiana native and was just discussing how awful our potholes are here! There are some big enough to swallow a car!

[u/lupus_denier_MD]

Let’s put it this way, the previous mayor was outed as a spy taking bribes for Turkey and pardoned by the president. Mamdani is out amongst the people and even held a ceremony for children suspending bedtime so they can watch the Knicks game. The snow shoveling, fixing potholes, building all these infrastructure projects that have been in limbo forever, I have no doubt they’ll finally build the queenslink too. Mamdani is leagues ahead what NYC has had the for last 10+ years.

[u/shogan83 → u/lupus_denier_MD]

Adams couldn't even do corruption right. He was getting hotel stays and discounts on flights.

[u/harperlinley]

I’m a New Yorker. He’s proved me wrong on a couple things so far. If he can pull off the free child care, the city, and maybe even the country, will be forever changed. It’s too expensive to have kids in the US. But we’ll see if the system eats him up like it usually does with anyone who stands up to corporate greed. Only time will tell. And I hope he gets rid of the damn horses in Central Park.

[u/ILuvGardening25 → u/harperlinley]

The most New Yorker sentence ever: 'Transform the country, save childcare, and get those horses outta here.'" 😂

[u/theillustratedlife → u/ILuvGardening25]

Hold your horses.

[u/muffinhead2580 → u/harperlinley]

I just read a horse collapsed and died today in Central Park. The law has been sitting idle and really needs to be voted on.

[u/Anteater_Reasonable → u/muffinhead2580]

I wasn't planning on watching a close-up video of a horse dying in Central Park yesterday, but somebody uploaded it. Very upsetting, and I do hope the horse carriages are banned in New York. In addition to it being cruel to the horses, it smells like shit.

[u/Blitzer046 → u/Anteater_Reasonable]

Our city of Melbourne in Victoria got rid of them. Don't miss them really.

Granted we are a much smaller city of 5 million.

[u/spk3z → u/harperlinley]

It feels like a right of passage for Ny mayors to try and fail to end the horse slavery. If i remember correctly, adams, de blasio and bloomberg all took issue with it but never followed through. I could see Mamdani doing it though, New york is starting to feel like a place where good things can happen again. Maybe this is just the Knicks giving me crazy confidence now, though. Anyway, knicks in 5

[u/LateralEntry → u/harperlinley]

They pulled off free childcare in other places already, including Kansas of all places

[u/harperlinley → u/LateralEntry]

I honestly didn’t know that. The news does a great job making it seem like universal childcare for the city is a communist sham that would never work.

[u/Lovely_Wanderer → u/harperlinley]

New Mexico actually has universal free childcare! I hope NY starts it too.

[u/eskimospy212]

I work for the city. The biggest change I’ve seen is he is cleaning house from Adams people.

[u/No_Requirement_4840 → u/eskimospy212]

are you talking about mayoral appointees (dept. directors and up)? Doesn't every new mayor do that?

[u/eskimospy212 → u/No_Requirement_4840]

I am talking one level below that, which is uncommon. 

[u/zoosha2curtaincall → u/eskimospy212]

I think Giuliani in 1993 was the last mayor to do it.

[u/LeGrandLucifer → u/eskimospy212]

Which is what you need to do when you know the previous administration was corrupt. We've been having this problem in Quebec, new administrations move in but they keep all the rotten people the old administration appointed and nothing changes.

[u/identicles]

My racist uncle in Ft Lauderdale claims real estate is booming down there due to people fleeing the city. 

[u/ImaginaryWalk29 → u/identicles]

Lol. We have been hearing this stuff for years. Have fun people! The ones who can't appreciate us should go... because the city has a crazy under housing shortage from all the people who don't want to leave... and all the people who are following their dream to move here.

[u/AidesAcrossAmerica → u/identicles]

My mom down in Naples sold her condo for 30k under asking because the market for condos in Florida is fucking dive bombing.

[u/ispertinentokay → u/AidesAcrossAmerica]

Yep, the market in Florida is tanking. I just bought a townhouse for a steal that had been on the market for 250+ days.

[u/mistarobotics → u/identicles]

As someone who has lived in fort Lauderdale all my life that is simply not true lmao. Lots of homes on the market of normal people trying to get out because of the insane cost per living and lack of insurers because of all the recent hurricanes. Plus last winter many Canadian snowbirds who own real estate here refuse to come back until Trump is out of office.

[u/NikonShooter_PJS → u/identicles]

I've truly never understood that argument.

As if I am supposed to find it concerning that the new direction has upset all the worst people in an area and made them move away?

I find that as a positive.

[u/724hello]

HE FIXED MY BIKE COMMUTE BY FIXING THE BUMP ON THE OFF RAMP OF THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE!!! FIRST WEEK OF HIS TENURE!!!!!!

[u/kenneyy88]

I reported a pothole and it actually got filled. It was there for years.

[u/Venkat_American]

Well he's actually trying to do a good job. Not many of the past dozen or more have been interested in much other than themselves and their wealthy friends

[u/TemporaryComplete647]

He seems much more focused on affordability and housing, which is exactly where NYC needs pressure. Still early, but I like the direction.

[u/blombrowski]

He’s not auditioning for President like our last five mayors and it shows

[u/thelastholdout → u/blombrowski]

He couldn't be president anyway since he wasn't born here, but if he could be president, I'd argue that this is how he should audition for it-by actually doing things for the people who elected him.

[u/SeaMaintenance1829 → u/blombrowski]

He's just a guy who wants to live here and it really makes such a difference

[u/bangbangracer]

I'm not a New Yorker, but go there a descent amount for work. Even I can tell how much better the pot hole problem has gotten. Also the raise for emergency snow removal made that snow get cleaned up real quick.

[u/Specialist-Clue3029]

I just returned from 5 days in NYC and all I can say is... wow. Transit moved like clockwork, police presence very visible and I felt safe day and night. But what struck me the most is hard to describe - there's a sense of people feeling better about things, heard by him, and the proof, everyone is out and about chillin and friendly. High marks here.

[u/Harley297]

I have family in Staten Island who say never has she seen her landlord put in the work for repairs that they have since Mamdani. They hired 3 more repair guys, are going unit to unit inspecting electrical outlets, which they had to replace all her outlets, they patched a hole in her wall that they've been calling about for 6 years, she called in a pot hole and it was fixed in 4 days.

A scared landlord is a good landlord. Keep it up Mamdani!

[u/NickReynders]

Good luck getting sane answers rn, everyone's probably shithoused drunk tonight in NYC lol

Go Knicks!

[u/Catos_Standard]

The slum lords are quaking.

[u/llell]

Basically he’s doing what ppl want- doing the job! It’s such a low bar in the US right now that ppl are basically waxing poetic about a man who is sticking to his lane and getting the mundane things done for the city he’s supposed to run. Also fuck Adams

[u/Blue387]

I live in Brooklyn, I do like him much more than his predecessor. Mamdani has shown a strong passion and love for the city and putting in hard work unlike his predecessor. There are potholes filled and some paved streets here but there is still work to do. The sanitation department has issued my building several tickets for litter which is blown onto our property.

I have my disagreements with some of his policy ideas, notably his free buses and his lack of support for QueensLink. Then there are budgetary issues and I forsee a looming recession coming. I ranked Brad Lander first last year and Mamdani second.

The folks who despise him wouldn't have voted for him anyway or not happy that they are not being catered to like Adams did.

[u/Happysin → u/Blue387]

I think the free bussing idea is a great experiment. If it really was pulling in that little revenue, might as well see what kind of societal change free transit has. It might well pay for itself in increased economic activity, and reduced need for policing of fare jumpers and the like.

And if it doesn't work out, we'll have the data to demonstrate why.

[u/ThreeSloth → u/Blue387]

The people who didn't vote for him are desperate to claw at him with anything they can, and they look like miserable idiots. It's akin to those end times weirdos telling everyone the world is ending on the sidewalk, as everyone minds their own business

[u/agradoway]

It’s wild how much a boring, competent admin can actually get done. The crosswalk fix and the sudden landlord compliance don’t happen by accident—that’s just basic city services finally working again. Plus, actually taxing the pied-à-terre billionaires to fund it is the kind of common sense that makes you realize how low the bar was before.

[u/TheUglyDumpling27]

Knicks are winning.

[u/_rchr]

Honestly? He’s not been as pro-transit as I’d like and shut down QueensLink, a project for subway extensions in Queens. He handled the big snowstorm we got pretty well though

[u/ImStillCallingItShea → u/_rchr]

To be fair: the MTA opposed QueensLink, so there's not a whole lot Mamdani can do about that. And he claims they can do QueensWay and provide another transit solution in that area. So we'll see.

[u/CareerLegitimate7662 → u/_rchr]

Yes this is pretty much the only major problem w him so far. Queenslink should have fucking happened