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Dear New Yorkers,

As the pinkening sun slipped behind the Manhattan skyline, a group of citizen scientists in waders paced along a scruffy rim of shoreline overlooking Jamaica Bay, attempting to tally some of the first-ever New Yorkers.

During the months of May and June, the prehistoric horseshoe crab — whose ancestors predate dinosaurs — make their annual pilgrimage to the banks of the mid-Atlantic, including coastal areas across New York City. There, they lay clutches of thousands of eggs in sandy holes before returning to the ocean.

Though you wouldn’t know it by the squirming masses writhing along the shoreline, the American horseshoe crab is considered a vulnerable species. Their eggs are an invaluable food source for migratory birds. Humans rely on the horseshoe crabs, too: They’re used as bait by commercial fisheries, and their unique blood is prized by pharmaceutical companies.

After measuring their steps at appropriate intervals, teams of volunteers count the number of crabs in a given square meter area then jot down the number of male and females in those sections of beach.

“I’m standing on a beach holding a prehistoric crab, when three hours ago I was sitting at a computer,” said volunteer Sabine Frid-Bernards, 35, who lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant. “Feels like a good reminder that there’s still nature in this city.”

Read more about the horseshoe crabs and the volunteers counting them here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 6/10. We'll sacrifice today for an amazing weekend. Steady rain clears out this morning, but scattered showers are possible again this afternoon before we clear out again tonight. High temps reach the lower 70s. The vibes are a bit unsettled … for now!

Our Other Top Stories

The Department of Buildings has about 17 inspectors who spend the warm-weather season checking rides at festivals and fairs. THE CITY spoke to three of the inspectors who make sure your favorite NYC carnival rides stay safe, all summer long. (By the way: This story is part of Summer & THE CITY, our new weekly newsletter made to help you enjoy — and survive — the hottest time in the five boroughs. Sign up here.) On Wednesday, a Massachusetts port authority tapped New York City Transit President Richard Davey to be its chief executive,.That leaves the MTA once again searching for a new leader of a sprawling transit system that’s struggled to keep a president for more than two years. Davey will take on a similar position at the Massachusetts Port Authority in his hometown of Boston. The MTA has had 11 full time, acting or interim presidents since 2013. The Health + Hospitals Corporation, which operates the city’s 11 public hospitals, and the union representing about 2,300 of its resident physicians have reached a tentative six-year agreement — after more than nine months of negotiations. The deal, which is still pending ratification from members, gives raises that would put their salaries on par with peers at private safety-net hospitals.

Reporter’s Notebook

Flooding Home Sales

In 2023, 7,344 one- to three-family homes sold across New York City — over $3.6 billion in sales  — occurred in places that face likely flooding before the end of a 30-year mortgage, according to a new report  from the nonprofit Rebuild by Design.

Those properties are located within or right near zones projected to be flooded by stormwater from heavy rain or coastal storm surges by 2050. That represents about a fifth (22%) of all one- to three-family homes sold across the boroughs in 2023.

Brooklyn saw the highest number of sales of these properties in 2023, with over 25% of the 2,591 homes sold in the borough located in the flood zones, while Staten Island had the highest percentage of its sales — 31% — in the flood zones.

Climate change is expected to raise sea levels, bring more rain, more frequent and more severe storms, increasing the likelihood of flooding and expanding flood zones. FEMA estimates that an inch of floodwater can result in $25,000 worth of damage for a homeowner.

The Rebuild by Design report recommended increased education and financial assistance, as well as improvements to local resilience, among other actions, to help flood-vulnerable homeowners.

— Samantha Maldonado

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Friday, May 31: The 10th anniversary of Teens Take The Met!, featuring teen-only art-making activities, music and more. Free (middle school or high school ID required) from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Met Fifth Avenue. Saturday, June 1: The first day of Milk & Honey Month, which celebrates pollinators and dairy makers with activities including scavenger hunts, stories and milk-and-cookie hour. Free and fee-based programming runs through June 30 at the Queens County Farm Museum. Sunday, June 2: Drums Along the Hudson, a multicultural drumming celebration featuring dancers, food, arts and crafts, and more. Free from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan.

THE KICKER: The annual Miss Subways pageant returns to Coney Island this weekend.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday.

Love,

THE CITY

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