- Tourists visiting New York City are now indulging in rat tours to fully experience the essence of the Big Apple, as reported by The New York Post. Read more.
- Inspired by “RatTok” videos on TikTok, many tourists find themselves drawn to these tours.
- The number of reported rat sightings has doubled to 60,000 in 2022 compared to the previous year.
Tourists exploring New York City now have the unique opportunity to embark on rat tours, providing them with an authentic experience of the bustling city, as reported by The New York Post.
Kenny Bollwerk leads late-night walking tours that navigate through rat-infested areas near iconic locations like Rockefeller Center, Flushing, and Sunnyside, Queens.
“Rats have become a beloved mascot of New York City,” Bollwerk shared with the outlet. “People are eager to witness it firsthand.”
He even livestreams his tours on TikTok, attracting up to 10,000 viewers at a time as he explores parts of the city overrun by rats.
Bollwerk is not the only entrepreneur capitalizing on this fascination with rodents. Luke Miller, the owner of Real New York Tours, also includes stops near Chinatown for tourists to observe these creatures scurrying about.
“These rats have become the new celebrities of New York City, receiving immense media attention,” Miller explained to The Post.
The publication interviewed several rat tour customers, some of whom specifically visited the city in hopes of catching a glimpse of these rodents.
“It’s one of those things you have to witness,” shared Aaron Lidwell and his wife from Altoona, PA, who traveled to the city with the sole purpose of observing rats, according to The Post.
Lidwell was so enthralled when he spotted rat tails poking out of a construction site that he couldn’t resist gently pinching them—an action that caused Bollwek’s TikTok livestream to go “viral,” Lidwell recounted.
Patrick Norris from St. Louis found himself drawn to New York City due to his newfound fascination with “RatTok” videos on TikTok.
“It made me want to experience the environment and uncover what lies beyond each corner,” Norris expressed during the interview.
It’s not just tourists who are enchanted by the presence of rats. David Fraticelli and his 12-year-old daughter Noelia from the Bronx frequently attend the tours, with Noelia becoming a regular feature in Bollwek’s TikTok videos, as detailed by The Post.
Rats have long been an iconic symbol of the city, but their population surged during the pandemic.
In 2022, reported rat sightings doubled, with health inspectors documenting approximately 60,000 instances of rodent activity, compared to around 30,000 the previous year.
Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed a “rat czar” to spearhead efforts in reducing the rat population within the city.
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