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Columbia Connection to East Village Evictions
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 2, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 2, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The Daily News reports that the daughter and son-in-law of a Columbia dean are eviciting tenants of the East 3rd Street building they own. Catherine and Alistair Economakis live in a landmark brownstone in Cobble Hill and own on the top floor of a 15 apartment building (photo at left, Daily News). Tenants, who pay $500-1000/month, believe that the couple is going to turn the rent stabilized building into condos or will sell it for market value, but the Economakises say they want a "five-bedroom, six-bathroom home for themselves and their child - with a gym, a two-story living room with a walkway overhanging it, and a bedroom suite for a nanny." Calling Curbed!
Catherine Economakis is the daughter of Columbia dean of students, Kathryn Yatrakis. Dean Yatrakis has nothing to do with the apartment situation, but given our history uptown, Gothamist had to comment. It seems that Dean Yatrakis's job involves persecuting students for fairly minor offenses, anywhere from starting a fight at the local bar and moving lounge furniture into a student dorm room to doing stencil graffiti or using pornography to advertise an art show. Thus, we can only conclude, either on by way of nature or nurture, that Catherine Economakis picked something up. The Daily News, however, makes the point that Dean Y "teaches an urban studies course that examines economic and social problems in cities." Ah, irony!
This Columbia Spectator editorial points out some Yatrakis-related issues. Plus, it mentions the couple's NY Times wedding announcement; we expect a real estate write up of some sort soon.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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