Crime around shelters is by no means a new concern raised by shelter opponents. In the context of the migrant crisis in New York, the NYPD crime data is examined around two shelters: the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, and the Sunset Park Recreation Center in Brooklyn. Even as residents raised concerns at local public safety meetings, the number shows no significant change in crime rates two blocks away.

Eviction numbers are down in New York City compared to pre-pandemic numbers. In census tracts where Hispanic and Black people are the majority race of renters and lower income levels, eviction rates returned fastest to the pre-pandemic levels. In marginalized communities with a higher concentration of Hispanic or Black renters, higher execution rates have been observed, even with free legal assistance.

Mel Grimes has almost given up hope. Twenty-one years ago, he says, police all but promised him that they were about to make an arrest in the case of his ex-girlfriend’s killing. Grimes says he remembers detectives telling him that there would be answers by the time Leah Tagliaferri was buried. But two decades later, the case remains cold. And Grimes thinks he knows why.

Fireworks are prohibited in New York City. I looked into the 311 firework complaint data and found that the complaint around 2024 Lunar New Year has a sudden jump, while the number of firework complaints on July 4 - the only unrivaled peak every year - has a decreasing trend. The complaints were mostly around Sunset Park in Brooklyn, a community where many Chinese immigrants live.

To get an early entry to Disney World or Universal Studios, visitors need to reserve in advance. Odd as it may seem, food delivery workers – not just diners securing a table – now have to do something similar. I talked with 12 delivery workers in NYC to understand how they struggle to keep their stats up to satisfy the apps.