Michael Bloomberg: The Final Frontier

Michael Bloomberg has had a long, tumultuous tenure in the mayor's office, and it's coming to a close in 2013. 

He took office in a city that was reeling from the horror of Sept. 11, 2001, and will leave behind five boroughs that look very different.

On his watch, city schools, parks and mass transit have all seen substantial changes, just to name a few.

Looking ahead to the next twelve months, here are the four issues/areas we think hizzoner will concentrate on before it's time to hit that dusty trail:

1. Gun Control: The tragedy in Newtown has crystalized Bloomberg's resolve to spearhead a new initiative to curb gun violence. Bloomberg has always been a man looking for his next step, and nationwide gun control laws are an area in which he can be influential even after he's out of office. He'll likely pay a lot of money and attention to advocate for gun control laws in New York City, state and across the country in 2013.

2. New York City Public Schools: Bloomberg folded the New York City Public School system into the Mayor's Office in 2002, and had mayoral control extended through 2015 six years later. Look for Bloomberg to make a major push towards taming the teacher's union and changing city schools beyond just a new evaluation system. It's yet another legacy he'd like to hang his hat on. 

3. Climate Change: New York City, over the next 100 years, is likely to be hugely impacted by rising sea levels. With his PlaNYC 2030 initiative, Bloomberg had hoped to start the city down the path of environmental righteousness. While that program has been, in many ways, forgotten (the site's most recent update was in 2011) Bloomberg will want to be remembered as a man who helped New York avoid what could be a water-logged future.

4. The 2013 Mayoral Race: He can't help himself. Bloomberg is nothing if not a micro-manager, and there have already been reports that he's somewhat dissatisfied with the current crop of potential mayoral replacements. He'll want to do whatever he can to guarantee New York's next mayor is someone he approves of.