There is a lot of stuff going on the City, and we can't write about it all. Here are some interesting things some of our friends have written up lately.

• 6sqft ⇒ The Best Things to Do This Memorial Day Weekend in NYC
• Bedford + Bowery ⇒ The New Essex Market Celebrated Its Opening, 79 Years in the Making
• Bklyner ⇒ NYC Ferry Stop Opens at Brooklyn Navy Yard
• Bronx Mama ⇒ Watch: BronxNet Coverage of Bronx Moms Nite Out
• Curbed NY ⇒ NYC Students May Get Full-Fare MetroCards Under New MTA Proposal
• Daytonian in Manhattan ⇒ The 1889 John B. Gleason House - 34 West 88th Street
• EV Grieve ⇒ Behold These Murals Uncovered Behind the Bar at the Former Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place
• Forgotten NY ⇒ Myrtle Avenue at Jay Street, 1971
• Laughing Squid ⇒ A Look Inside the Reconstructed Eero Saarinen Mid-Century Modern TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport
• Pardon Me for Asking ⇒ Gowanus Canal CAG to Host Superfund Town Hall With Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
• RentHop ⇒ Which Brooklyn Neighborhood Is the Best Match for You?
• The City ⇒ Steep Descent for Subways’ Worst Escalator and Elevator
• The Lo-Down ⇒ The New Pier 35
• Thrillist ⇒ The Best Classic, Sweet, Simple, and Unique Ice Cream in NYC
• Tribeca Citizen ⇒ New Jean-Georges Restaurant Opens at Pier 17

There’s a reason no one has gone for a dip in New York City’s Newtown Creek in recent history. In Christopher Swain’s words, it’s like “swimming through a dirty diaper garnished with oil, gasoline and trash.” He’s a clean water activist who has swum over 3,000 miles in 25 different contaminated waterways across North America as a means of advocating for their cleanup. Taking a dip in these waterways does not come without its risks. Despite the precautions Christopher takes—wearing a puncture-resistant drysuit, goggles, ear plugs, etc.—he still gets sick from the various contaminants. It’s the hazards that come along with the cause, but Christopher continues to swim, all out of love for the water.

We sometimes forget how dense Manhattan is, and these maps remind us by showing how the populations of North and South Dakota can fit entirely into the borough with room to spare. However, the other map's comparison is interesting too, showing how tiny the land area of Manhattan is when placed inside the Dakotas. Check them out!