Wednesday 21 September 2022 05:14 AM Bill de Blasio strolls past Empire State Building wearing a 'Brooklyn' top, ... trends now

Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has been spotted walking around the streets of Manhattan, unfazed and unrecognized by the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple around him.

De Blasio, 61, sported a pair of blue athletic shorts which fell above the knee, white socks reaching just past his ankles, New Balance sneakers, and blue t-shirt reading 'Brooklyn' across the chest. 

He also appeared to be wearing a pair of transition eye glasses. The former mayor was seen strolling around town with a frown on his face, right across from the Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue in Midtown.

Though he was mingled amongst many New Yorkers, not a soul seemed to notice the ex-mayor in their presence.  De Blasio wore his grey hair in his signature combed-to-the-right style, and could be seen crossing a sidewalk.

The sighting comes just as De Blasio is set to begin a teaching fellowship Harvard University's schools of government and public health.

De Blasio announced the position with Harvard last month, and tweeting that he was delighted to be teaching at the venerable institution.

'I am VERY optimistic about the generation of leaders and activists coming up,' he said. 'It will be a privilege to offer lessons I've learned through decades of public service. 

'My key message to them: we CAN make bold progressive change. I know because I've lived it.'

De Blasio, who served as mayor from from 2014 to 2021, will take part in 'a variety of discussions, events, and programming' at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.

He will also teach classes on leadership and public service at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.