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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 attendees poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was completely sold out. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the younger generation that seemed to energize the event.

Many characterized the event as more than just a rally. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was simple: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change as a country, and NYC is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event signaled something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a long time. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference is showing up in an area that I’m in,” he said. “If it’s here, it’s like, why not? If we’re not gonna be involved now, then when is the time?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, young professionals and retirees all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his initial campaign event of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to what they have to say, and there’s no other viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an imam all on stage together in support of his bid. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance of voting for Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is occurring.”

New York governor the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the supporters the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at taking jabs the former governor.

“Let our words resound that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his closing words.