Mayor De Blasio Hosts Open House at Gracie Mansion

The rain and bitter cold didn't stop hordes of people from flocking to Manhattan's Upper East Side for a chance to meet the mayor in his soon-to-be new home.

"Feet are frozen still, but worth it."

That's Debbie Unger from the Upper West Side.  She waited in a line that snaked around the block for almost two hours, to get a glimpse inside Grace Mansion and a photo op with the mayor.

The open house could only be so open - a limited number of tickets were distributed by lottery.  But Leslie Hogan from the Bronx says inviting guests at all is a sign De Blasio's focused on the people.  She called the house beautiful, yet humble.

"The fancy rooms are fancy, but I saw my grandmother's pottery in there; I saw pictures, and stuff like that."

A young girl named Adriana Gergis described it differently.

"Amazing, like a castle...it was awesome."

No word on a move-in date for the De Blasio family yet.  They'll be Gracie Mansion's first residents in twelve years, as former Mayor Bloomberg chose not to live there during his time in office.  But Mayor De Blasio could be heard in between meet and greets vowing to frequently visit his old neighborhood in Brooklyn.