New York - New York City, renowned for its iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square, now features an unexpected attraction: a horde of rats dashing between an underground nest and a restaurant, while tourists cheer them on.
Amidst a growing rat problem in the city, with sightings doubling last year, the mayor's call for a "somewhat bloodthirsty" head rat-catcher in December, and an increasing demand for rat-related experiences, some of the city's tour guides have begun incorporating stops at notoriously infested sites into their itineraries, as reported by the New York Post.
This phenomenon has given rise to the thriving industry of rat tourism. One individual who inadvertently became a rodent guide is Kenny Bollwerk, who gained TikTok fame by sharing videos from various New York locations. Bollwerk stumbled upon this unique vocation while live-streaming rats scurrying around a construction site in Sunnyside, Queens.
"I was like: 'Damn, this is bad,'" he recalled. "People are walking by, there's rats running across people's feet, there's piles of trash on the sidewalk."
The response from his viewers was overwhelming. More than 10,000 people tuned in live to watch the rats. Although Bollwerk himself dislikes rats, his goal was to urge the city to take action against the rodent infestations. He encouraged viewers to file complaints with the city's 311 service, designed for reporting rat problems. His efforts paid off when the city promptly addressed the rat issue at the construction site after receiving around 100 complaints in one night.
In the process, Bollwerk, originally from Missouri and a New York resident since 2019, inadvertently built an audience of rat enthusiasts. He received numerous requests to film rats at various locations across the city. He began going out to film rats, always maintaining a safe distance, three to five times a week and soon found himself accommodating requests from curious tourists eager to join the unique experience.