By Caitlin Walsh, News Staff

For the first time in 20 years, a new mayor of Boston was inaugurated on Monday. Mayor Martin J. Walsh was sworn in as Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s successor at a packed Conte Forum at Boston College, Walsh’s alma mater, at 10 a.m., marking the end of the Menino era.

Former state Representative Walsh’s victory in November over former City Councilor John Connolly was a close one, with Walsh taking 51.6 percent of the vote over Connoll

y’s 48.1. After a large preliminary round that involved 12 candidates, the pool was narrowed down to Walsh and Connolly at the end of September. Preliminary candidates John Barros, Charlotte Golar Richie and Felix Arroyo all endorsed Walsh within weeks of their losses, and a strong final push by the Walsh campaign proved successful.

Walsh kicked off his speech Monday by focusing on solidarity around the city, applauding the strong sense of community that Boston already has as well as pushing to create “one Boston” together with him. “Today, we are sworn in together,” he said.

Walsh continued to outline his desires to immediately start working to improve the crime rates around the city, to choose a new school superintendent as soon as possible, and to restructuring the Boston Redevelopment Authority, a hot issue throughout the campaign.

The 54th mayor also took time to thank his predecessor, the longest serving mayor in the city’s history, Mayor Menino, who had presided over the city since his 1993 victory over former state Representative James Brett. Menino chose not to attend Walsh’s inauguration, however, telling a Boston Herald reporter days beforehand that he would not take part in the swearing in of Walsh, and that, “It’s Marty Walsh’s day, not Tom Menino’s day.” Menino instead left a letter and a set of keys for Walsh on his new desk at City Hall — his son and wife represented him at the inauguration, according to Fox 25 Boston.

Since his Monday inauguration, Walsh has wasted little time getting to work. According to the Boston Globe, just on his first full day in office on Tuesday, Walsh called a press conference, signed a number of documents, announced six appointments to his administration (two of which were top staff members) and had a number of meetings, ending with a dinner date at Ruth’s Chris Steak House with all 13 City Council members and their significant others.