Catched from the NYtimes

Postcards from the Lower East Side, a bodega cat takes a break and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.

To qualify for a job patrolling the city’s beaches and pools, candidates must swim 50 yards in 50 seconds or less.

The release of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein has sent ripples through the worlds of business, politics and academia, including at Columbia, where he helped his girlfriend gain entry.

Astoria, first spotted in Queens last spring, is now a resident of Lower Manhattan, where three devoted women watch over her.

The medical examiner’s office is investigating the cause of death of Michelle Montgomery, 39, whose remains were found two weeks ago in a public housing building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

As head of the Federal Transit Administration, Marc Molinaro controls billions of dollars in federal grants. He plans to give it all up to run for a seat in the New York Legislature.

Payments for the $16 billion rail tunnel between New York City and New Jersey had been suspended for more than four months.

More women who have accused the three brothers of sexual assault testified, and the judge replaced a juror who said he had already made his mind up about the case.

Dynamic SRG repeatedly, and apparently unsuccessfully, asked the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to donate to House races, Justice Department records show.

Police have said that Jabez Chakraborty wielded a knife as they responded to a 911 call. His family has disputed parts of the account, insisting their son was not a threat and needed help.