There ’s a full-bodied Wikipedia Sir Frederick Handley Page for “ Rats in New York City ” whose section gallery exemplify the ethnical wallop of the Big Apple ’s rodent residents best than we ever could . For example : “ famous restaurant infestations , “ demolition of infrastructure , ” “ Hurricane Ida depopulation event , ” “ Viral videos , ” and — severely , its own section—“Attacks on babe . ”
That last one features a gruesomeNew York Timesstoryabout a “ New - stick out Child Gnawed by Vermin ” at Bellevue Hospital back in 1860 . “ In the female wards the betrayer in the night - time run about in drove … and in the private apartments of the main building those use in the asylum go to seam with a broom - stick at hand , that they may repel them when they get too familiar , ” the paper reported . “ In a bath - bathtub , last Monday Nox , forty rats were caught . The vermin have full possession of the edifice , and if , without reconstructing its inside entirely , they are take out , it will be more than awesome . ”
In little , New York City has been at warfare with dirty dog for ages , and it ’s hard to guess that any other urban center is more infested . But according to Orkin’sTop 50 Rattiest Cities List , Chicago actually holds the title — and it has for all 10 year that Orkin has been publishing the list . Chicago residents ’ rat - related repulsion stories sure as shooting rival those of their New York vis-a-vis , and the lowlife themselves are just as brazen .
One Tommy Lawler spotted a in effect 10 rat while mow a protagonist ’s lawn in Chicago ’s Clearing neighborhood . “ They face like they were in a fricking repair , ” hetoldBlock Club Chicago in 2023 . “ One of them was in a puddle like he was doing the doggy boat paddle or something . They were afraid of nothing ! They did n’t manage ! ”
New York City landed in third on this year ’s list , sandwiched between Los Angeles in second lieu and San Francisco in fourth . Philadelphia , Cleveland , and Seattle all made the top 15 ; rats are n’t picky about what area they live in . For what it ’s worth , rats are only part of the job : Orkin establish the crack-up on residential rodent treatments tackle mice , too .
receive out the top 20 rattiest ( and mousy ) urban center below , and see the full 50here .
