Transcript: Mayor de Blasio and First Lady McCray Appear on PIX-11's "A Gracie Mansion Christmas" Holiday Special

December 25, 2015

Marvin Scott: Merry Christmas, everyone – hope you all had wonderful day. I'm Marvin Scott, and we're celebrating this Christmas with New York's first family – Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray, who have graciously invited us into historic Gracie Mansion to share their private lives with us at this special time of year. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas.

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you. Merry Christmas.

First Lady Chirlane McCray: Merry Christmas.

Scott: You're the first family to occupy this mansion since the Giuliani's left 13 years ago. This is your second Christmas here.

First Lady: That's right.

Scott: What's Christmas like for the de Blasio's at Gracie Mansion?

Mayor: It's wonderful, because this is a – you know, it's a nice older house. You feel a sense of Christmas past. You feel a sense of tradition. We miss our house in Brooklyn all the time –

First Lady: Yes, we do.

Mayor: – which is where the kids grew up. So, it's not quite the same as having, you know, a direct connection to the Christmases when they were kids. But still, it's a beautiful place, and we've got the beautiful tree, and the poinsettias all around, so, it's a real great Christmas feeling here at Gracie Mansion.

Scott: You left Park Slope. You had a house in disrepair – that needed a lot of work – and then you came in here –

[Laughter]

You've got a leaky roof, asbestos –

[Laughter]

First Lady: Yes, and an older house.

[Laughter]

Mayor: But a beautiful one.

First Lady: But it's beautiful, it's spacious, and we're making new memories here, which is a lot of fun. The kids are older and are into different activities. And so, we're making new memories, which we're going to treasure for many, many more years.

Scott: So what – what is Christmas day? Do you have – just the four of you have dinner? Do you have family and friends in here?

Mayor: Well, now it's changed a little bit. When they were young, we would be sleeping and we would hear the banging on the door, and they wanted to go down a early as possible to see what Santa left. And so, of course –

First Lady: No, no, no – wait a minute – they would go down early in the morning and get their stockings. They were allowed to get their stockings, and then they would bring them up and wake us up.

Mayor: Right –

First Lady: And open everything –

Mayor: She remembers better.

First Lady: Yes.

Mayor: Now, we were always up until late the night before. So, we had a little bit of a problem – that we had stayed up late filling the stockings and putting everything out, and then they woke up early.

First Lady: I remember being up all night.

Mayor: Well, sometimes that happened too.

[Laughter]

Mayor: So now, they're teenagers, so they don't want to wake up. So we have the reverse situation – that it's the different reality – but, you know, everyone enjoys time together. We open the presents in the morning and it's a very sweet time. And we of course remember when they were young and that Christmas was magical for them.

Scott: And we have pictures of you back in Park Slope in the snow.

Mayor: Yes, when we had snow.

Scott: How about this –

Mayor: Those were the days.

Scott: How about this – it's spring time at Christmas in New York.

First Lady: Yeah, we're calling it "swinter."

[Laughter]

Mayor: "Swinter"? Is that the new word?

First Lady: That's the new word.

Scott: Okay. We're taping this a couple of days earlier, so we're not going to ask you what you're giving one another, but what type of gifts have you usually exchanged at Christmas? What do you like?

First Lady: We like books.

Mayor: Yeah.

First Lady: We're very big on books – the kids too.

Mayor: Yes. For Chirlane, for a long time – earrings. I loved giving her earrings – sometimes books. The kids – it depends on how old they are. Nowadays – music, books; more when they were younger – candy was always a big hit, and of course all the other kinds of toys. And they would, you know – you know what it's like – they always wanted the latest thing. And the amazing thing was the excitement that they would feel in the morning when they saw that gift they had been hoping for all year.

Scott: All kids are all alike.

Mayor: They are – it's magical.

Scott: Chirlane, what do you buy for the mayor of New York at Christmas? Is it difficult shopping for him?

First Lady: It's very tough – it really is.

Mayor: I'm the man who has everything.

[Laughter]

First Lady: He is the man who has everything and the man who really doesn't want anything. So, it's really – it's really a struggle. Chiara, Dante, and I struggle every year to figure out what we can give.

Mayor: I – and I always say to them, especially the kids – the kids really rebel at this – they always say, what do you want this year? And I say, I don't want anything, I just want time with you. And they're like, we need to give you a thing. And I'm like, no, I just want time – take me to the diner, hang out with me, go for a walk with me. No – we have to get you a thing. So there's this running – running battle all the time. I just want time with my family – that's the biggest gift.

First Lady: That's right. And so, we figure out an experience that we can have that will make everyone happy. You know, whether it's going to a movie, or a play, or something that is an experience that we can all share together. Or, we figure out something that he needs, like new socks or a new tie – or both.

Mayor: Exciting – exciting gifts. No one ever thought of new socks before.

[Laughter]

Scott: How does someone of such high profile – the mayor of New York – go shopping? Or do you shop online?

Mayor: I don't shop online. I – with all due respect to technology, I still think of shopping the way we grew up – you go to a place and you shop. For us, I really believe that – look, gifts are obviously something everyone appreciates, but the time together, especially with our lifestyle – the time together is the most precious thing.

Scott: What's the worst gift you ever got?

Mayor: Oh –

Scott: – you never had the courage to return?

Mayor: I got some ties that were scary.

[Laughter]

Mayor: I got some ties that I will not allow out in public. They will never be seen by your station or any other.

Scott: Any sweaters? Tell us about this one.

Mayor: Well, this I got last time I visited my daughter at her campus – Santa Clara University in California, which she's going to be graduating from in 2016 – and I gave a talk to the students there, and the president of the university gave me this as a gift. And it's – I think it's a great Christmas color. I'm proud to be a Santa Clara University dad, so I thought I would favor you with this.

Scott: Well, we're talking about gifts – we brought you a gift. Do you know that PIX-11 has a connection to Gracie Mansion going back to 1966?

Mayor: Wow.

Scott: We filmed the original Yule Log right here in Gracie Mansion.

Mayor: I love it.

Scott: And I have brought the two of you a gift.

[Laughter]

It's a Yule log.

Mayor: There you go. Here's your Yule log, honey. That's beautiful. Can we – can we hold it up?

Scott: And just be careful you don't have any sparks, because the second time we came back to film it, there was a spark that damaged an antique rug, and we haven't been back since.

Mayor: This is a beautiful Yule log.

Scott: Our apologies.

Mayor: I – you know what? We give you a pardon.

Scott: Thank you.

Mayor: And you're welcome in our house.

[Laughter]

Scott: We now found a fireplace that resembled the one like this, and it's shot out in California, and it's a tradition each year.

Mayor: You know – but you're always welcome here. You can – you can light the Yule log again in Gracie Mansion.

Scott: Oh, thank you.

Mayor: You're very welcome.

Scott: Next year, we will. We'll take you up on that.

Mayor: Alright – we'll have the fire department ready.

[Laughter]

Scott: Talk about tradition – tradition. What's the most beautiful thing this time of year that connects with New York. New York is so beautiful – the lights and everything else. How do you embrace all of this?

Mayor: Well, let me first tell you a neighborhood tradition that we had. So – and the tree behind us is a good example of this, because we have – so, in our neighborhood in Brooklyn, there were guys that came down from Montreal every year and they would sell Christmas trees during the month of December. And Dante and I would go and get the Christmas tree for the family every year. And Chirlane would always say – her instructions every year were don't make the Christmas tree taller than me.

First Lady: Oh, as small as possible – small –

Mayor: Small as possible because we had a pretty small house – and Dante would always want the tallest available tree that was many feet taller than me. So, we had this running – like, every year, the same discussion. We'd go over to the Christmas tree – Dante would pick out the biggest one – we'd have to say, no, it can't be bigger than me – the whole thing. So, we finally came to Gracie Mansion, and finally Dante has a Christmas tree that's even bigger than his wildest dreams. So, you know, finally, the dream came true.

First Lady: Tell the story.

Mayor: Which story?

First Lady: The story at the inauguration, and you turned –

Mayor: Yes, and at the inauguration – the night of our inauguration, there was a tree like this, and I told – we had a lot of our family here, who came in from all over the country, and I said, finally, for the first time in history, there's a Christmas tree even bigger than the one Dante de Blasio wanted. So, there it is, right behind you. But look, this city is beautiful this time of year. I tell people – people all over the country ask me what's the best time of year to visit New York. I say December. I think it's the most magical. You have all the department store windows. You have this feeling in the air. People, I think, are happier. Obviously, there's some special bond around the holidays.

First Lady: There's a harmony, and the music –

Mayor: And the music everywhere, and the Salvation Army, the whole thing.

Scott: Just the spirit of the city?

Mayor: Yeah.

First Lady: The spirit is so positive.

Scott: I understand this is the first – the first year you went to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center?

Mayor: Yes, and we – I got to push the button to light it. It was an amazing experience. It was wonderful. And because it's New York City, we do it all – I lit the giant Menorah in front of the Plaza Hotel. So, I covered all the bases this year.

Scott: Now, Chirlane, I know you've done so much to fix this place up. You've given Gracie Mansion your own stamp and it reflects diversity.

First Lady: That's right. We wanted the art in Gracie Mansion to reflect the people of New York, the people who were here when this grand building was built, and the people who helped make it so wonderful. And we have 49 new pieces of artwork – and I'd love to show them to you.

Scott: Mind if we borrow your wife for a few moments?

Mayor: I think it is a very fine endeavor. She'll give you the grand tour.

Scott: Let's go take a look.

Mayor: Alright.

[…]

Scott: We're in Gracie Mansion. This is a historic house that goes back to the 16th century, and this room is where you do some of your greeting of guests?

First Lady: That's right. This is called the Peach Room, and this is where we sometimes have our smaller meetings because it's more warm and intimate. And as you can see, we've got some of our new artwork on the walls. Over here, we have Frederick Douglass.

Scott: Now, you've brought in 49 new pieces of artwork –

First Lady: That's right.

Scott: – that have been in various locations in the city.

First Lady: Yes – mostly borrowed from our cultural institutions.

Scott: And what else do we have in this room?

First Lady: We have Henry Phibbs. We have a picture of downtown Manhattan, and if you get a little closer you can see that there's just about everyone in this picture – this is the Crossroads of the World here. You can see the pier, you can see the – this was actually the stock exchange area.

Scott: So this is down around Wall Street?

First Lady: This is down around Wall Street, exactly right.

Scott: Where the Fulton fish market was?

First Lady: That's right. The pier was down this street here. I know this is where they had the slave auction. So, I want to take you through the ballroom. This is the newer wing of Gracie Mansion. It was built by the Wagners. And we're going to go into the older wing where – where LaGuardia first lived. This is called the Hyphen, and it connects the new wing with the older wing. We're now entering the foyer, and, as you can see, the floor looks like marble, but it's actually painted wood.

Scott: And is this the original floor that was – when they renovated the house?

First Lady: When they renovated, yeah.

Scott: But this is beautiful. And the stairs – the stairway up here –

First Lady: Quite elegant – and remember, this used to be, like – this was the house. You would walk in the door and this would be where people were actually entertained. And they really needed that new wing because it was a lot of people gathering in a very small space.

Scott: It's changed a lot since Archibald Gracie had this place back in 1799, if I'm not mistaken?

First Lady: 1799 is when Gracie was built. And this is the library. This is also a great place for meetings and for if we have small groups of people assembling for meetings. We have a lot of meetings here. Here you can see the Cries of New York. This is some of my favorite pieces of art. These are all vendors of some sort, some selling boots, some selling vegetables and fruit.

Scott: There's a story behind every one of these, these pieces of art.

First Lady: There's a story – exactly. Every print – everything you see here has a story behind it. On our left, we have a ketubah, which is the – the contract used for a Jewish couple who would get married – a contract between the man and the woman.

Scott: Who's this guy over here?

First Lady: William – son of Archibald Gracie.

Scott: Okay, and they were the original occupants of this house.

First Lady: This antique is actually – belongs to Bill de Blasio. It belonged to his mother.

Scott: An antique from Brooklyn?

First Lady: It is an antique from Brooklyn, but it is from the federal period, and we brought it along with us.

Scott: That's everything in this – in this house – it's all from the federal period, and that's the way it's all decorated, and the architecture, and everything, correct?

First Lady: And this is the dining room – very striking.

Scott: Beautiful.

First Lady: Notice the wallpaper, called the Gardens of France, from 19th-century France.

Scott: Authentic wallpaper?

First Lady: Yes it is. Yes it is.

Scott: And so, who have you entertained here in the – well, you've been here 14 months now –

First Lady: Yes – not that long, but we have entertained – oh, so many people. Mostly, we have meetings. I mean, this is – again, we work almost all the time, and this is great table to spread out a lot of papers and – in addition to having a wonderful meal.

Scott: I know in past administrations you had people like Nelson Mandela, Reverend Tutu, you've had Ronald Reagan here. I know you've been here a short time, so –

First Lady: Yes, well, we've had a number of mayors. I've entertained Gloria Steinem here, Robin Morgan – oh, so many folks. But mostly, we work.

[Laughter]

Scott: Do you – does the family dine here? Do you go up into [inaudible] –

First Lady: Only occasionally – we dine upstairs most of the time. Welcome to the yellow parlor. I love this room. I love the yellow.

Scott: And you have a lot of the artwork in here?

First Lady: We do – we do. We have the Emancipation Proclamation from 1799, which really should be called the Gradual Emancipation Proclamation, because it didn't really free all of the enslaved peoples – that wasn't until 1827.

Scott: But this is the one that says that children born on a certain date –

First Lady: That's right.

Scott: – would no longer be considered slaves?

First Lady: That's correct. What I would love for you to look at is one of the few paintings by a woman. Her name was Louisa Coleman. It's a copy – it's a copy of a painting by Francis Guy, it's oil, and it's a depiction of the – of a scene in downtown Brooklyn. What you're looking at right now is Cadman Plaza. And –

Scott: Well, that's not far from Park Slope.

First Lady: No, it's not that far from Park Slope.

[Laughter]

The very cool thing about this is that Francis Guy, when he painted the original, he did it actually looking out through his bedroom window. So, all of the people that you see were all friends and neighbors of his. This was about 1827.

Scott: Really a beautiful winter scene.

First Lady: Beautiful winter scene, and, again, painted by a woman. Not that easy for women to make pieces of art like this back in those days.

Scott: Well, thank you very much for this tour, for taking us around, and giving all of our viewers an inside view of Gracie Mansion, the home of the mayor and first lady of New York. And we're going to take a break, and you and I will go rejoin the mayor.

[…]

Scott: The tree is beautiful. Chirlane, all the ornaments on there, there's some significance to these ornaments.

First Lady: Yes, most of these ornaments up above are donated, but all of the ornaments you see down here are donated by children, who – they actually made these ornaments – children from five shelters around the city. They came – we actually had an event with cookies and singing and sharing of memories. And then they came and they put the ornaments on the tree themselves. So it was a very special moment – we do this every year. And the children have – they have a great time doing it. So we actually get to talk to one another and – and on the back of some of these ornaments you'll see written in their handwriting what they want for Christmas.

Mayor: So, we always say Gracie Mansion is the people's house – belongs to all the people of New York City. And for those children, from those shelters, this is their Christmas tree too. And we're happy that they got to enjoy this beautiful tree.

Scott: Mayor, let me ask you this, if New York City was one huge Christmas tree what would you put under it?

Mayor: Wow, that's a really good question. Look, I think what I've talked about since I took office – I want this to be a city for everyone. I want it to be a city where everyone has opportunity. And we know there's a lot a people of struggling to make ends meet in this city. And it's a time of year where are especially sensitive to the fact that some people are struggling and having a tough time in a time of year when we wish the best for everyone. So, if I had something for every New Yorker it would be a roof over their head and a good meal to eat each night.

Scott: Now, as we sit here, we think of those people. Those people who aren't as fortunate as we are, sitting in the warmth of Gracie Mansion, who are homeless tonight. And I know you're very passionate about that.

Mayor: Yes.

Scott: You've tried so hard, but you haven't reached your goal yet.

Mayor: No.

Scott: This Christmas season, what are your thoughts that you can share with us and share with them what your goals are?

Mayor: Look, when it comes, for example, to the homeless on the streets of this city – we're the greatest city in the world. And that's not something that should be happening in the greatest city in the world. And we know it's been going on for a long time, and we know some people have real challenges, mental health issues and other issues. But I believe we can do better. I believe we can reach them. Chirlane has been doing great work trying to help people get the mental health support they need. I believe if we really go and reach each individual on the streets and find out what's going to get them back off the streets – I said, you know, the other day, each and every person on the streets had a path from a more normal life to the streets. We have to find the path from the streets back to a better life. And I think we can get there. It will take a lot of work, but I believe in my heart we can get there.

Scott: You have a tough job. They say it's the second toughest job in the country – first being the president, the second being the mayor of New York.

Mayor: I don't know if that's true, but it's – it comes with its challenges, but it comes with its joys as well. And for us, look, it has been a blessing on so many levels. It's been an honor. It's been a privilege. This place is, you know, a magical place that we get to live in. And it's a time – you know, you count your blessings this time of year. I certainly do. I find that when you get towards Christmas Day, you're counting your blessings a lot, and you're really stopping to reflect a lot. So, yeah it is a tough job, but it's a job I feel very honored to have.

Scott: Now, there's some days that are tougher than others.

Mayor: Yes.

Scott: Particularly sometimes when we reporters are after you, and –

Mayor: Never you, Marvin.

[Laughter]

Mayor: Never you. You're always a gentleman.

Scott: But I have to ask you, does he ever bring it home with him?

First Lady: Oh, you know, no one can just leave it outside the door, but Bill's extraordinarily good-natured and he doesn't bring it home with him in a bad way. We do a lot of talking sometimes.

[Laughter]

Scott: You're so intricately involved and you were so much with the campaign. And in this administration, you have a very important role as well. And you're working with the city. Tell us about your role, if you would, Chirlane?

First Lady: My role – well, my role is – has range.

[Laughter]

First Lady: I – as you know, my main effort is with ThriveNYC to help us change the way people think about mental health and the way we deliver services. That's a very – very ambitious goal, but it's something that we really need so desperately in our city. It affects every single New Yorker. You know, they say one in five – and let me tell you, that's not exaggeration. Every New Yorker is touched by this. So, we have a lot to do. We have many tools and we want to make sure that we're using every tool we can to make sure that New Yorkers can live their lives to the fullest.

Scott: When he gets home, how do you relax?

Mayor: We watch TV.

[Laughter]

First Lady: Yes, we do.

Mayor: We come home – like, it's a big treat for us to watch TV.

First Lady: Because we don't get to do it that often.

Mayor: We don't get to do it that often. So, we have, you know, a bunch of shows we like to watch whenever we get a chance. Sunday nights tends to be one of the times we get to watch TV. That's a big deal. We get to a movie maybe once a month or something like that. We're really simple that way. We like the simple things. We love going to the gym together.

First Lady: We like taking walks.

Mayor: We love taking walks together. We are – it's the simple things in life, Marvin, that's what we're into.

Scott: Tell us about the Christmas card you've sent out this year.

Mayor: Well, it's just our – from our family to the people that we know and have worked with and care for all over. And, you know, it's just – we love when our family is together, and it's a chance to take that picture, and just, you know, show people the love that this family feels and the love we have for all the people. It's the four of us and Dante's hair.

[Laughter]

Mayor: It has its own persona.

[Laughter]

Scott: Well, it's a beautiful card. And do you have any special plans for the holiday – Christmas, New Year?

Mayor: Still working. This is also classic of us.

First Lady: Yes.

Mayor: We make our plans for Christmas Day and the days after Christmas like the day before. We never get a chance, because you come to end of the year and you're rushing to get everything done. So we usually don't get to plan anything in advance. So we're still trying to sort it out as we speak. But so long as we're together, it will be good.

First Lady: That's what matters. It's just having that time together.

Scott: What Christmas present would you offer New York?

Mayor: Well look, again, I – to me the amazing thing about this place, and Chirlane mentioned it before, this time of year there's a feeling of harmony. So, what I would say – the thing I hope for for all our people is harmony, for understanding. This city is a beacon to the world, because, you get on subway car, walk down any street, all of humanity, every faith, every background, together – and it's a blessing. And there's a lot of parts of the world that don't have harmony right now. So, I wish for continued and deeper harmony in this city. And, you know, we are an example to the world – it's something to be very proud of as New Yorkers. And maybe, just maybe in 2016, you know, some more people will take a look at that example and say that's a better way to live.

Scott: And your goals for the New Year?

Mayor: We've got a lot to do in the New Year – a lot to do to build affordable housing, a lot to do to improve our schools, keep making our straight – excuse me, keep making our streets safer. We've got a lot to do in 2016, but I'll tell you, I'm counting my blessings because I have a great, great team that I get to work with. We have a lot of people who serve this city very, very well, and with great dedication – the men and women of the NYPD, the FDNY, our teachers – you name it. So there's a lot of good happening in New York City, and we want to build on that in 2016.

Scott: Any personal resolutions you're making?

Mayor: Well, I'm proud to say, you know, last year I said I was going to work on lateness, and I'm – I can say humbly I've made some progress. And this year I've got to come up with a new one. I don't have a new resolution yet, but I've got – I've got, you know, a few more days to get one together.

Scott: How about you, Chirlane?

First Lady: Well, I'm still working on it, but I think that my resolution is – oh, I don't know, I'm still working on it.

Scott: You're still working – it's a work in progress.

[Laughter]

First Lady: Yes, it is a work in progress.

Mayor: As is life, Marvin.

[Laughter]

Scott: Any final message you'd like to deliver to New York on this Christmas Day?

Mayor: Just wish everyone a very, very happy –

First Lady: Peace on earth.

Mayor: – peace on earth, peace in our city – happy holidays, and a joyous New Year to all.

Scott: Final word from you, Chirlane?

First Lady: Happy New Year.

Scott: Well, thank you both so much.

Mayor: We'll be there in Times Square – we'll get to repeat that.

First Lady: That's right, we will.

Scott: You'll be there?

Mayor: We'll be there, yeah.

First Lady: We will.

Scott: What is that like, being out there, the mayor of New York, and – ?

Mayor: It's pretty cool.

Scott: Hopefully, it's – the weather will be like it is now.

Mayor: Yeah.

First Lady: Hopefully.

Mayor: Last year it was definitely cold, but it was still a pretty amazing experience.

First Lady: It was.

Mayor: So it will be fun to do again.

Scott: Being out there with those crowds of tens of thousands of people – it's incredible.

Mayor: Absolutely amazing.

Scott: What does it feel like it standing up there, and you pushing the –

Mayor: On top of the world. On top of the world.

[Laughter]

Scott: Well, thank you so much for sharing your holiday with us, and allowing us into Gracie Mansion. Chirlane, Mayor de Blasio, thank you very much.

Mayor: Thank you.

Scott: Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you.

Mayor: To you as well.