Chen to cover NYC economy for NY Times

In his relatively short time on loan to the New York Times metro desk, Stefanos Chen has covered the plight of street vendors, the spasms of the job market and New York’s uneven recovery. A skilled and nimble reporter, he has also proven to be a creative thinker and collaborative colleague.

Now, Chen is joining Metro permanently, covering the economy of the city as it recovers from the pandemic as part of the paper’s Future of New York team.

Chen joined The Times in 2017 as a reporter for real estate, where he broke the news of million-dollar floods, broken elevators and billionaire infighting at one of the city’s most exclusive supertall condo towers.

Nikita Stewart, real estate editor, said, “Stefanos’s exposé of the design flaws of one of New York City’s tallest buildings is the stuff of legend and raised the bar for the Real Estate desk. We will miss him, but we are thrilled to see Stefanos share his curiosity and investigative skills with Metro.”

Last year, his investigation into a network of real estate fraudsters led to new criminal charges against an alleged deed thief, and helped spur new legislation aimed at protecting vulnerable homeowners.