Suit, tie and a splash: NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani revives pool tradition in full formal wear — video

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani revived a long-dormant City Hall tradition on Saturday by diving into a public pool in East Harlem to mark the opening of the city’s 2026 outdoor pool season while dressed in a full suit and tie.Mamdani’s suit-clad dive kicked off New York City’s summer pool season, breaching the pool’s dress code.The mayor jumped into the Thomas Jefferson Pool on East 114th Street alongside Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, becoming the first New York City mayor in more than a decade to take part in the ceremonial plunge. The New York Post noted that Mamdani technically violated pool rules by entering the water in formal attire.The mayor later reposted the tabloid’s story on X with a video of his dive, joking: “When they said ‘wear a suit,’ I just assumed…”The annual tradition had been skipped during the tenures of Eric Adams and Bill de Blasio. Michael Bloomberg was the last mayor to take the plunge in 2013. Mamdani had signalled in March that he “may commit” to reviving the ritual when asked about it by City reporter Katie Honan.After climbing out of the waist-deep water, Mamdani greeted residents gathered at the pool and marked another milestone for the city. “We’re so excited to be celebrating 90 years of public swimming in our city,” Mamdani told reporters in his soaked suit. “This is a moment that New Yorkers are celebrating across the five boroughs.”The anniversary traces back to 1936, when then-Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, whom Mamdani has often described as New York City’s greatest leader, oversaw a major expansion of the city’s public swimming facilities. Backed by then-President Franklin D Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, the project opened 11 new public pools across the city. Known for their distinctive architecture and advanced chlorination and filtration systems, the pools were regarded as landmark public works and continue to serve New Yorkers nearly nine decades later.