Gallery: Eric Garcetti is Sworn in as Los Angeles Mayor

In an inauguration that eschewed formal pageantry, Eric Garcetti was sworn in Sunday night as Los Angeles’ 42nd mayor, a position he said he would to use to bolster the city’s economy and create jobs.

Stating the tough economic times call for a “back to basics” mayor, Garcetti, the former councilman from Silver Lake, vowed to work with residents to spur economic growth in the city. Repeatedly, he said that Angelenos would play a part in shaping the city’s future.

“One person, one mayor, by himself, cannot single-handedly bring about a more livable city and a more prosperous future,” Garcetti said. “But together, the four million most creative, diverse, hard-working people ever assembled in one place in human history, marching towards a common horizon, are an unstoppable force for progress.”

Touted by the Garcetti campaign as a people-powered event, the ceremony at City Hall had the feel of a neighborhood block party. Kenia Castillo, an eighth-grader from Westlake and the daughter of a janitor, delivered the oath.

Electronic music pioneer Moby performed his 2002 hit “We Are All Made of Stars.” Clad in a black T-shirt, Moby told the crowd he was “happily inaugurating the coolest mayor in the history of Los Angeles.”

The son of former District Attorney Gil Garcetti, Garcetti brings many firsts to the Los Angeles mayor’s office. At 42, he is the youngest of L.A.’s modern mayors. He is also the city’s first Jewish mayor.

An Ivy League-educated Rhodes Scholar, Garcetti threaded a careful path to the mayor’s office, beating rival City Controller Wendy Greuel in May with a campaign narrowly focused on job creation and restoring city services.

On Sunday night, he thanked Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for his leadership, saying the outgoing mayor “pointed us squarely towards a more prosperous future.”

During his 15-minute speech, Garcetti promised to give Silicon Valley “a run for their bitcoin,” a reference to the digital currency. He also said he would end runaway film production, and focus on the city’s aerospace industry. And he vowed to lower the city’s business tax.

Garcetti also evoked his own family’s immigrant history, reminding Angelenos how his ancestors arrived from Russia and Mexico to the United States.

Stating that “we all may not share a common past, but we share a common future,” he vowed to work with the “dreamers and our immigrant communities as we transition to the new immigration law we hope for.”

He also quoted historian Wallace Stegner’s words on the American West: “This is the native home of hope.”

Hundreds of people packed into the park to watch the ceremony. They waved paper fans handed out by Garcetti’s team, and sat on the grass at Grand Park, a newly opened green space across from the City Hall.

West L.A. resident Barbara Goldberg, 71, said Garcetti’s speech lifted her spirits.

“His speech just touched my soul,” Goldberg said.” I feel like there is so much hope for our city.”

Sunday’s event also marked a significant turnover elsewhere at City Hall. Six new City Councilmen — Mitch O’Farrell, Felipe Fuentes, Gil Cedillo, Mike Bonin, Bob Blumenfield and Curren Price — were also sworn in. City Councilmen Paul Koretz and Joe Buscaino also won re-election and were sworn in again Sunday.

Additionally, Mike Feuer was sworn in as City Attorney and Ron Galperin as City Controller.

Staff Writer Brenda Gazzar contributed to this report.