Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Oh God Look At All These Rats Trying To Squeeze Inside A Packed Rat Subway Nightclub
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 1, 2019
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 .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 1, 2019
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
This club has everything...well, technically, we have no idea what exactly is inside the club. Because the club, in this case, is hidden behind a closed door on a nondescript subway platform. And while we don't know what the password is for this hot new squeakeasy, we do know that there are at least a half dozen rats clamoring to get inside the party, so it must be pretty good. And by "pretty good," we mean, "something so horrible that it will make you scream like Nicolas Cage in Mandy."
The rats were spotted by Kate L. earlier this month around 9 p.m. at the Jay Street-MetroTech station in Brooklyn. She was standing on the downtown A/C/F platform when she spotted the rats scurrying on the uptown platform across the way. "It started with about five rats and got up to like 10 or more. They just kept showing up," she told Gothamist. "From what we could see, none of them were actually successful in getting into the door/grate."
"I've seen rats on the subway platform plenty of times, but have literally never seen anything like this before," she said. "If I was on that side of the platform I definitely would have run away. They were incessant, just jumping on each other...easily one of the most horrifying subway rat encounters I've seen."
So what's behind the mysterious door? Our best guess and the obvious, and most likely, answer is that it's a closet where the MTA stores trash, since the only thing rats love more than the smell of trash is a mountain of trash that is just out of the reach of their tiny little claw hands.
Apropos of nothing in particular...whatever happened to those revolting rat traps?
Tagged
MTA
subway
rats
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 arts-entertainment
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
We went fall-maxxing at edge of town.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 1:08 p.m. ET
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
Horror fans, get ready to be horrified.
By
Emma Stefansky
Arts & Entertainment
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
Horror fans, get ready to be horrified.
By
Emma Stefansky
At the Museum at FIT, an argument for dolls as the ultimate fashion influencers
By
Quinn Moreland
Immanuel Wilkins is upholding NYC's jazz history. He's also dreaming up its future.
By
Sonia Rao
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
By
Sonia Rao
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 .