New York Today: What We’ll Miss About Bloomberg

Damon Winter/The New York Times The mayor on Monday at his last bill signing ceremony.

Good morning on this nippy Tuesday. It’s not only the last day of the year, but also the end of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s tenure.

Mr. Bloomberg will walk out of City Hall for the final time as mayor at 4:45 p.m., surrounded by his staff.

As a political reporter for The Times, I’ve covered Mr. Bloomberg’s policies and politics for the last five years.

I have also delved into his golf game, his wealth and his dining habits. (Ours, suffice it to say, is a love-hate relationship.)

What will we miss about Mr. Bloomberg? Here’s my list:

- His promiscuous approach to political party affiliation.

- Well-intentioned but mangled Spanish (and the ingenious Miguel Bloombito Twitter account it spawned)

- Utter indifference to polls: who else would champion a mosque at Ground Zero?

- The superfluous and ungrammatical “s” that he tacks on to a dozen different words. (“Elsewheres,” “anyways.”)

- His big “idears.”

- The mysterious mayoral weekend whereabouts.

- The impossibly preppy wardrobe. (Those salmon sweaters!)

- His relentlessly tin ear. (“Wouldn’t it be great if we could get all the Russian billionaires to move here?” Etc.)

- The C.E.O. swagger.

- The money. Because the new mayor, for all his charms, doesn’t have all that much.

What will you miss about Mr. Bloomberg? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, using #nytoday.

Here’s what else you need to know for Tuesday.

WEATHER

Clouds and a snowflake or two, with a high of 34.

Chilly as the year fades: around 27 at midnight.

Similar weather on New Year’s Day.

And brace yourself for a “significant amount of snow” on Thursday.

COMMUTE

Subways: Check latest status.

Rails: Check L.I.R.R., Metro-North or New Jersey Transit status.

Roads: Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s.

Beware of street closings around Times Square starting at about 3 p.m.

Alternate-side parking is in effect today, but suspended tomorrow.

DE BLASIO WATCH

From Kate Taylor of the City Hall bureau of The Times:

- At 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Bill de Blasio will become New York’s 109th mayor.

- But first, he may have more appointments to make. He is holding a news conference today at 1 p.m.

- Mr. de Blasio will be sworn in by Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman just after midnight in an “intimate ceremony” at his home in Park Slope. Translation: No press or public allowed.

- But the proceedings will be live-streamed on nyc.gov and photos will be posted to the Mayor’s Office Flickr page.

- The official inauguration is at noon on Wednesday at City Hall.

- Mr. de Blasio will be sworn in by former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose 2000 Senate campaign Mr. de Blasio managed, will also attend.

- The 1,000 free tickets for the public were quickly snatched up, but some are being sold on Craigslist.

- The ceremony will be live-streamed on nyc.gov, and shown on most local TV stations.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

The Ball Drop

- At 6 p.m. tonight, the Times Square ball, a geodesic sphere 12 feet across, will be raised up a 77-foot flagpole at Broadway and 43rd Street.

- Below the ball, Miley Cyrus, Macklemore, Blondie and many others will perform.

- At 11:59, Justice Sonia Sotomayor will push a button and the ball will make its 60-second descent.

- If you want to attend, get to Times Square before the streets close in the afternoon. Or file in at these access points.

- You can also watch a live webcast or download a free app.

- You may not drink alcohol, which might help with the public bathrooms problem â€" there are none.

Elsewhere

- A four-mile midnight run in Central Park, with a fireworks display for a starter’s pistol. [Free to watch, $65 to run]

- More fireworks, in Prospect Park near Grand Army Plaza. Party starts at 11 p.m. Also, a 5-K run in the park begins at 11:15 p.m. [Free to watch, $40 to run]

- The Concert for Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. 7 p.m. [Limited free tickets, otherwise $30]

- The blowing of the steam whistles at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. IT IS LOUD. 11:59 p.m.

- On New Year’s Day, the annual poetry marathon at St. Mark’s Church in the East Village features more than 140 poets. 2 p.m. [Some $20 tickets available at the door]

- For more events, see The New York Times Arts & Entertainment guide.

IN THE NEWS

- Nearly a quarter million New Yorkers have signed up for the state health insurance exchange. [New York Times]

- Investigators posing as dead voters were allowed to cast ballots on Election Day. [New York Post]

- Mr. de Blasio vowed to move quickly to outlaw horse carriages, saying, “They are not humane, they are not appropriate for the year 2014. It’s over.” [Daily News]

- Plans by Mr. de Blasio and his schools chancellor to de-emphasize standardized testing may be harder to pull off. [New York Times]

- Assemblyman Micah Kellner of the Upper East Side was stripped of leadership positions for sexually harassing staff members. He can’t have interns anymore, either. [New York Times]

- The city sued FedEx, saying it illegally delivered more than 50,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes to residents even though it had agreed to stop doing so in 2006. [Reuters]

- Mayor Bloomberg’s official portrait was unveiled at City Hall. [New York Times]

Andy Newman, Annie Correal and Joseph Burgess contributed reporting.

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