Binyamin Appelbaum, an anchor of the Washington Post‘s national business coverage for two years, is leaving the paper for the rival New York Times. Speaking of his soon-to-be employer, Appelbaum notes: “It’s a phenomenal paper and and incredible audience and I’m really excited about working there. It’s just a great opportunity.”

When asked if his decision was motivated solely by the pull of the Times, the 31-year-old Appelbaum responded, “I have loved working here. It’s been a tremendous place to work. It’s incredible in one journalism life to work at both places.”

Appelbaum got a plum of a job at the Times. He’ll be working an enterprise post on business and economics, from which he’ll be able to “dig in deeply” on lots of issues. Not that the Post didn’t afford him some enterprise moments as well: “I’ve had some enterprise opportunities here,” he said.

The departure is a tough blow for Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli, a biz-reporting veteran who has taken a personal interest in the reporting churned out by Appelbaum and his cohorts on the nat-biz beat. Brauchli didn’t respond instantaneously to an inquiry about what significance Appelbaum’s departure may hold for the Post.