(CNN) \u2014 New Yorkers know better than to be overly positive.<\/p>\n
A day after Zohran Mamdani got a surprisingly warm reception<\/a> at the White House from President Donald Trump, who has spent the last few months deriding the New York City mayor-elect as a \u201clunatic\u201d and falsely labeling him a communist, New Yorkers told CNN they were cautiously optimistic and slightly impressed.<\/p>\n \u201cI really don\u2019t like the guy, but I\u2019m glad that he was able to go in there and do a good job with the president,\u201d John Lani told CNN Saturday following a mid-morning run in Central Park. \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll get some funding, we won\u2019t shut down congestion pricing. Maybe we\u2019ll get some stuff for the subway, we\u2019ll see what it does for the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist who previously served three terms in the New York State Assembly, cruised to victory earlier this month, winning every borough in the city except for Staten Island, a known Republican enclave.<\/p>\n Near Central Park, along the bustle of one of Manhattan\u2019s most congested intersections, New Yorkers praised Mamdani\u2019s handling of his televised press engagement with the president, even if they remain skeptical about how he will ultimately perform once he takes office on January 1.<\/p>\n Voter data analysis published<\/a> by The Center for Urban Research at CUNY\u2019s Graduate Center shows the area near Central Park, home to Columbus Circle and the Trump International Hotel, favored former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran against Mamdani as an independent.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope everyone\u2019s very successful. I didn\u2019t support either party,\u201d said a voter who did not want to share their name.<\/p>\n Meeting could prove to have high stakes<\/p>\n Trump and Mamdani\u2019s relationship will prove pivotal for several key issues in New York City.<\/p>\n There is the question of whether Trump will ramp up immigration enforcement and deploy federal forces, like he has<\/a> in some other blue cities<\/a>. There are major infrastructure projects that depend on federal funding, and the vast majority of Mamdani\u2019s proposals \u2014 like making city buses fast and free, providing free universal childcare and raising taxes on the wealthy \u2014 will depend on funding from the state, which is also dependent on federal funds.<\/p>\n After watching news coverage of the meeting, Sherry and Steve Cohen, who live in Manhattan, said they wanted to give Mamdani a chance.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to think that Mamdani is being smart enough to play Trump and praise the man because he needs things for New York,\u201d Steve Cohen said. \u201cUnfortunately, this is what you have to do. You have to bow down, praise him, and walk out and wash your hands after.\u201d<\/p>\n