Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Upper West Side Is Most Rat-Infested Neighborhood In Manhattan


By

Ben Yakas

Published Sep 6, 2014

Modified Sep 6, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

zun lee's flickr

 


By

Ben Yakas

Published Sep 6, 2014

Modified Sep 6, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Manhattan's best scientists are still trying to figure out why rats love roaming through our streets, our baked goods, our legs and our faces. But there's no question as to where our rat overlords prefer to spend their time: the Upper West Side.

AddressReport has crunched the data and determined that over the last 365 days, the most number of rodent complaints (which includes sightings, bites, and "conditions") has come from the UWS. There have been 681 complaints in that span—for some comparison, there were just around 1,000 rat complaints on the UWS between 2010-2012, according to 311 data! Sure the cars are well maintained and the meatballs are delicious, but holy hell.

9614rats2.jpg

After the UWS, the next highest amount of sightings were in Harlem (545), on the Upper East Side (504), in Midtown (423), and in East Harlem (301). Oddly, the Meatpacking District had zero complaints during this span, which almost certainly means the rats have taken over.

[h/t Curbed]

Tagged

complaints

rat

rats

rodents

Upper West Side

uws


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month

The fallout from an electrical fire, among other safety and maintenance concerns, has sparked anger inside the 40-story tower known as The Greenpoint.

By

David Brand

Published Oct 12, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET


Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies

The announcement comes as Mamdani faces mounting criticism from the left for his approach to policing.

By

Michael Sol Warren

News

Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies

The announcement comes as Mamdani faces mounting criticism from the left for his approach to policing.

By

Michael Sol Warren


Company that won $23M NYPD building contract was investigated by LI watchdog

By

Ben Feuerherd

Plainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says

By

Michael Sol Warren

NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday

By

Giulia Heyward


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .