From an office in Midtown and my home in Queens, I write about how the pandemic has changed the way the city works — the job market, the changing business landscape and the people who make it all run.
I covered real estate, the linchpin of the city’s economy, for more than a decade. I wrote about fraudsters who stole houses from elderly homeowners; the billionaires fighting over the city’s new supertall skyline; and the many mistakes that led to the affordable housing crisis. Before joining The Times in 2017, I covered housing for five years at The Wall Street Journal.
I speak conversational Greek, with a Queens accent.
Like all Times journalists, I follow the standards outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. Only a fraction of my reporting makes it to the page, because so much of it involves the work of fact-checking claims, considering different viewpoints, and ensuring fairness in our coverage.
Email: stefanos.chen@nytimes.com
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips
Friends of Max Azzarello, who set himself on fire outside Donald J. Trump’s trial, said he was a caring person whose paranoia had led him down a dark path.
By Michael Wilson, Tracey Tully and Jan Ransom
Onlookers screamed as fire engulfed the man, who had thrown pamphlets in the air before he set himself aflame. He was taken to a hospital and died hours later.
By Nate Schweber and Matthew Haag
A dozen red roses is timeless. But its price tag is not. At Ditmars Flower Shop in Queens, where costs have soared in recent years, a bouquet is $72, up from $60 in 2019.
By Stefanos Chen and Adrienne Grunwald
A few New York City restaurants are experimenting with virtual staff members, who greet customers onscreen via Zoom from the Philippines.
By Stefanos Chen
Carlton McPherson, who was charged in the fatal shoving of a stranger in the subway, had stayed at shelters designed to help those with mental illness.
By Stefanos Chen
The demolition of a Manhattan jail complex to make way for a bigger one has damaged a neighboring building and raised concerns about years of dust and disruption.
By Stefanos Chen and Mable Chan
A federal judge who tossed out the state’s unique ballot design said his ruling would affect only the Democratic primary.
By Stefanos Chen
City officials said that the new census estimates did not fully account for the growing number of migrants, which would have resulted in a minimal drop being reported.
By Winnie Hu and Stefanos Chen
Home health care, among the fastest growing industries in New York and nationwide, is also one of the lowest paying, with often grueling hours.
By Stefanos Chen
The share of New York City residents who could not afford basic essentials jumped dramatically in 2022, with one in four children living in poverty, a new report found.
By Stefanos Chen