I have known Eshete, the "cat man" of Columbia St. for over three years, walking by almost daily,
and look forward to our chats. Despite having some serious issues, he has always been super sweet
and nice to me. He is obsessed with his cats, riding his bike from upper manhattan every day to spend
afternoons with them.
I don't know his full history, I am polite enough not to pry. I do know that he's had a rough life.
He was the only member of his family to survive the Ethiopian civil war and spent many years after as a refugee in Northern Sudan.
A geography nut, every one of his cats is named after a place: Congo, Damascus, Venice, Rico (Puerto that is), etc.
He was commuting from the shelter in Manhattan to his spot on Columbia St. in Cobble hill, where his cats are.
Photo and Story Chris Arnade
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