Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams walks around the office in his slippers. That's because Borough Hall is now his living space.
“When I sit up and read in bed, I could use a headboard, my desk as a headboard," he said as he gave NY1 a tour.
Adams gave up his king-sized mattress at his brownstone for a twin thrown on the floor. He moved into Borough Hall at the end of March to deal with the pressing demands during the coronavirus pandemic. He starts his day with meditation, exercise and an energy drink. The former police officer says being at Borough Hall helps him hit the ground running each day.
"It serves, really, the purpose of just creating an environment where I could remain focused," the borough president said. "You can't really manage these crises removed in a conference room or somewhere outside of Ground Zero. It's not terrorism, but it's terrorizing our city and I wanted to always be ready."
The other ways he prepares are by turning a conference room into a command center, and by reading enlightening books on mental health and leadership, including books on former Mayors David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg.
Adams has his own aspirations of becoming mayor and is critical of the city's coronavirus response.
"Crises like these, you're supposed to manage your assets, ensure equitable distribution of resources in real time. We did not," he said.
The borough president says he's not sure how long he'll continue to live at the office, but he's well stocked to stay. He has lots of appliances, including an air fryer, a slow cooker, a hot plate, and an iron. He created a shoe rack, nailed in hooks to hang his pots and pans, and built out a clothes closet.
"Carpentry is my therapy to hang up my shoes and my shirts," Adams says.
He even has a sleep mask to block out the light at Borough Hall. But what he doesn't have are a washer and dryer. For that, he makes a trip home.
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