WASHINGTON (AP) – It was a meeting of mutual mayoral admiration in the nation’s capital Tuesday, when New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid a visit to see how Adrian Fenty, the city’s young, new mayor, is putting ideas from the Big Apple to work.

Bloomberg toured the new mayoral office suite, called the bullpen, where Fenty sits in a large, open room with 32 top staffers around him. Fenty, 36, modeled the office after Bloomberg’s concept and has derived quite a bit more inspiration from his counterpart.

Fenty’s controversial proposal to take over city schools is also modeled after New York City’s success reforming its own, much larger school system. Fenty said if New York could turn around a 1,400-school system, Washington can do the same with 140 schools. Bloomberg praised the plan, saying education is a basic civil right.

The bullpen had a hushed chatter as staff members wove through the maze of low cubicles when something was needed, instead of picking up the phone and leaving a voicemail.

“It’s exactly like a newsroom,” said Mafara Hobson, the mayor’s spokeswoman. “You need a quote, you need a figure, someone will hear you and come to your aid. Now it’s like, what did we do before, when everyone was hidden away in offices?”

Bloomberg presented Fenty’s new workspace with a gift of four wall clocks, for each of the district’s quadrants. Bloomberg keeps similar clocks for each of New York City’s five boroughs.

“You live, really, in four different time zones,” Bloomberg said, adding that Fenty would “always know what time it is” – and what needs to be done – in all the areas he serves.

Bloomberg received a set of D.C. government pens and a plaque that proclaimed him an honorary citizen.

But the other imported New York City idea – the schools takeover – will have a much farther-reaching impact than the design of the mayor’s office.

“Last week we made our best decision,” Fenty said about his school plan.

Asked how he would respond to parents and community members who feared they wouldn’t have enough say, Bloomberg said to ask people if they’re happy with the way schools are now.

“Everybody says ‘I want change, but not that change,'” Bloomberg said.

He applauded Fenty for taking the authority and responsibility to fix D.C.’s troubled schools instead of just debating the issue.

As Fenty and Bloomberg joked like old friends, an image of council member and former Washington mayor Marion Barry loomed over them on a television screen showing the city council meeting upstairs.

The council chamber was the second stop on Bloomberg’s tour. Council Chairman Vincent Gray paused the meeting to thank Bloomberg for his “gracious help” in guiding Washington toward the same accomplishments New York has seen.

Fenty, a former council member, said he’d like to have Bloomberg back to speak more about the school system takeover plan. Last month, the mayor and council members visited New York to learn about the city’s school reform measures.

Bloomberg said he was very optimistic about the influence of the nation’s new group of energetic young mayors, from Gavin Newsom in San Francisco to Fenty in Washington.

“I predict great things,” he said. “I think this mayor is a breath of fresh air for Washington.”