Zo and go?
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s cakewalk election as New York City mayor has ignited vehement reactions from across the political spectrum — and a flood of predictions about the Big Apple’s prospects.
Left-leaning supporters are jubilant over the installation of an unabashed progressive, while many of their right-leaning counterparts fear Gotham’s imminent decline.
Much of the discourse speculates on a potential wave of disaffected New Yorkers moving south — though not necessarily to St. Johns County.
“Mamdani is going to be realtor of the year in way more places than Palm Beach if he wins,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on X ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Local realtors say it’s too early to predict a mass exodus, but the signs are intriguing.
“I think there’s a good chance you’ll see that,” said one local broker. “Especially given his statements on rent control, I think you’re going to see a lot less investment in that space up north. The business community isn’t thrilled, so they could look to make a move.”
Another St. Augustine-based broker noted that any large-scale migration would favor South Florida over the First Coast.
“People from Manhattan are more likely to head to Miami or Palm Beach,” she said. “The only part of the city where I’ve seen folks move to St. Johns County in any real numbers is Staten Island, which tends to be more conservative. You don’t get a lot of people who moved from the Upper East Side to Nocatee or World Golf Village. Some, but not many.”
St. Johns County has certainly welcomed its share of Empire State transplants, particularly during COVID, though many hailed from Long Island or upstate New York — areas largely outside Mamdani’s future influence.
The county’s conservative bent may also make it a more appealing destination for those coming from New York’s redder precincts.
Still, brokers say interest could eventually trickle north.
“I think there will be a lot of wait-and-see with this guy,” said one agent experienced with former New Yorkers. “But I guarantee you we’ll start getting calls soon. People will start hitting Zillow and looking at their options.”
