Residents of a prestigious Upper West Side block are facing a severe rat infestation, leading to heightened fear and a sense of loss in their community. Locals fear venturing outside at night due to the sizeable rat population that wreaks havoc on their environment, damaging vehicles and invading public spaces. Despite lodging numerous complaints, the situation remains unchanged, prompting the formation of the West 109th Street Block Association to regain control over their neighborhood. The rising number of rat sightings and decomposing carcasses underscores the severity of the issue, greatly affecting the residents' quality of life.
'I need to move out, because I can't live in fear,' said Ankita Brahmaroutu, 31, a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who has lived on the block for about a year.
It's embarrassing when you bring visitors over,' she added. 'And you have to go through what I call 'The Valley of the Rats.''
'I don't like to go out at night,' added Emily Horowitz, a 20-year block veteran, 'because it's not one or two rats once in a while: it's a siege of rats.'
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