George Washington's first presidential inauguration was held in New York City on April 30, 1789.
Washington took the oath on the balcony of Federal Hall, then located on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Robert Livingston, the chancellor of New York, administered the oath before a large public crowd. John Adams had already begun serving as vice president and attended the ceremony.
New York City was the national capital when the federal government began operating under the Constitution. Congress met at Federal Hall, and the city hosted the first inauguration, the first presidential administration, and other early national institutions.
Washington, D.C., did not yet exist as the capital; it became the permanent capital later. Philadelphia served as the national capital from 1790 to 1800, while New York City's earlier role lasted from 1785 until 1790 under the Confederation and the early constitutional government. The ceremony therefore belongs to the nation's first capital, not its eventual one.