On this New Year’s Eve, the transition of power in New York City is already visible at City Hall.

Seats are in place. Crews are working. And the steps of New York City Hall are being prepped for a major moment — the public inauguration of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, set for Jan. 1.

While outgoing Mayor Eric Adams wraps up his final full day in office, attention is firmly on what comes next.

In recent days, Mamdani has been filling key roles in his administration, including a deputy mayor for health and human services and the city’s next schools chancellor — a role that oversees the nation’s largest public school system, serving more than 900,000 students.

More announcements are expected, as several major leadership positions remain unfilled, such as commissioners for the Department of Transportation and the city’s Parks Department. Those roles matter to everyday New Yorkers, overseeing everything from streets, bike lanes and bridges to playgrounds and green spaces across the five boroughs.

Some residents say the focus should be less on who is chosen — and more on how they serve.

“Listen, it doesn’t matter who you pick, somebody’s gonna complain,” Lance Dawes of the Bronx said. “The most important thing is, no matter who you pick, are they gonna do justice for New Yorkers? That’s the bottom line.”

Mamdani will be sworn in at a private ceremony at midnight. Then he'll take the oath a second time on the steps of City Hall conducted by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during a public ceremony Thursday afternoon.

After that, the celebration moves to the streets. Mamdani is planning a block party stretching from Lower Manhattan into Tribeca — an event he has described as “everyone’s inauguration.”