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Ratdemic Grows on the UWS
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 25, 2010
Modified May 25, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published May 25, 2010
Modified May 25, 2010
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Once Gale Brewer takes care of those pesky Canadian Lennon fans, she's got an army of rats to deal with. According to My Upper West the peaceful 87th Street block between West End and Riverside has been overtaken with the vermin, just in time for sandal weather! A local tipster told the site, “it is not uncommon to see between 10 and 12 rats running all over the place” at night.
Just as with other neighborhoods that have been plagued by the ratdemic, these rodents have frightened locals and even eaten through car wires. Calls to 311 have allegedly gone ignored, and now residents live in fear. One says the rats can be heard “screaming and hissing” at night.
We've heard separate reports of rats lurking near the playground on West 70th, and in February nearby Verdi Park was overtaken by the four-legged fiends. At that time, West 74th Street Block Association president said, "Forget poison. Send someone out with a gun. They walk around like they own a condo here.''
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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