From the city that works to the city of rats? That’s where Chicago is headed.
“The ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ Is The City’s Hottest New Tourist Attraction,” Block Club Chicago declares in a recent headline
More Top Picks Task Initiation Strategies For Adhd Adults
. It further clarifies: “People are flocking to a sidewalk hole in Roscoe Village thanks to a viral tweet, an unlucky rodent and some wet cement.”The tale has spread ’round the world. A local artist, Winslow Dumaine, was recently strolling through the Roscoe Village neighborhood on the North Side when he spied the imprint of what appears to have been a dead rat embedded in concrete.
Dumaine took a photo of the sad remains, posted it on X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote, “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole.”
The post morphed into a media sensation. The saga of the rat hole went viral and was reported by The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS News, CNN, Daily Mail and Outlook India, among others.
Even during Chicago’s subzero cold snap, locals and tourists alike were making “pilgrimages” to the now-famous rodent hole of Roscoe Street. They “make offerings to it, such as coins, flowers, candles, cheese, cigarettes, alcohol, children’s toys, foodstuffs, and hormone pills,” according to Wikipedia. (Yes, our very own rat hole has an entry in Wikipedia.)
No matter that the rat’s impression has been there for at least a decade, according to the social media observations of those in the know. Those East Coast, highfalutin’ media types love to turn their noses up at our metropolis on the prairie. Our rat tale was an irresistible opportunity. Outsiders are also gleefully jumping on Chicago’s designation as the “rattiest” city in the United States, for the ninth year in a row.
Orkin, America’s exterminator in chief, declared this “rattiest” distinction based on “the number of new rodent treatments performed from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023,” WLS-Ch. 7 reported in October.
The company was “celebrating” our most dubious distinction by pitching a limited-edition T-shirt “made available for free while supplies last,” the company announced. “The shirt will feature a Top Rattiest City design made specifically for Chicago, commemorating the dedication of the city as it perseveres in the battle against rodents.”
So, Chicago is rat-infested. A rat grave has become a high-profile tourist attraction. “Rat hole” is our new brand.
My niece lives a block from the rat hole, so I had to call to inquire what she thought about the fuss. Not much. “I have noticed people hanging around taking pictures,” said Anna, who is in her early 30s. “It’s been there since I moved to the neighborhood 10 years ago.”
It’s a biggie, I said, and updated her on the extensive media attention.
“It was in The New York Times?” she exclaimed. “On CNN? Why? I don’t understand. I don’t know why people make a big deal out of it.”
Is a rat’s last resting place really Chicago’s new calling card?
The city has struggled with dubious monikers in the past. Once upon a time, if a Chicagoan traveling overseas said, “I’m from Chicago,” the reply would come: “Oh, Al Capone, rat-a-tat-tat.” For decades, our international reputation was that of a haven for mobsters and organized crime. Then, in the 1990s, Chicago’s uber phenomenon, Michael Jordan, changed all that. Chicago became known, worldwide, for His Airness. The Bulls star became the city’s most exalted citizen. Jordan and his No. 23 jersey have been retired from the once-famed Bulls for 25 years. The Jordan connection is frayed, distant.
Chicago’s brand is in flux. We are at a crossroads, hanging on a cliff. The city is in danger of becoming just one more Midwestern city. We are no longer the “city that works.” Gone is Carl Sandburg’s “Tool Maker” or the “City of the Big Shoulders.”
Chicago once aspired to become an international city but has lost its way. Our downtown is emptying out, thanks to “work from home.” Longtime residents are moving to sunnier climes, escaping a city plagued by crime and economic turmoil.
Our great city should be touting its strong business and corporate environment, conventions, tourism and vibrant neighborhoods. In my view, Chicago hits those measures at the top of the scale. Yet the world is talking about our rats.
On Friday morning came a late-breaking reprieve, with media reports that the rat hole had been mysteriously covered up with a “concrete-like material.” Now, that’s progress.
Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Her columns appear in the Tribune each Monday. Write to her at [email protected].
More Top Picks Best Kyusu Teapots
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].