Neighbors are Sick of the Crowds, but Many Fight to Preserve the New Chicago Landmark

Chicagoans are reluctant to bid farewell to the rat hole, but residents around the viral sensation have had enough of the constant crowds. 

Money, candy, Pokemon cards and more flood the rat hole. Photo by Gia Clarke.

Despite the rat-shaped hole being in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for 20 years, it became viral through artist Winslow Dumaine’s post on X, formerly Twitter. Since then, people from all over have made their way to catch a glimpse of the hole.

 A tourist all the way from Seattle said she “needed a pilgrimage” and decided to visit the rat hole.

“This was something recent, something relevant and something that I could enjoy,” she said. 

The rat hole has become so popular, even Roscoe Village resident Raj Sarathy got married to his partner there, according to Violet Miller from the Chicago Sun-Times. Another couple all the way from Minneapolis had a proposal in front of the rat hole as well. 

With all of these crowds, however, residents around the viral sensation have complained, which elicited conversations about possibly removing the rat hole due to the public disturbances it has elicited. 

Reddit user rat-hole-neighbor (u/rat-hole-neighbor) posted on the r/Chicago subreddit pleading people to stop “congregating, partying, and getting married” in front of their house. Garbage, vandalism, vivacious partying and alcohol being poured on the street have all been listed as issues for the residents near the rat hole.

The disruptions got so bad, Alderman Scott Waguespack announced the city’s plans to possibly remove the rat hole. 

“I don’t want to, but we are considering it due to concerns of neighbors there,” Waguespack said to NBC Chicago’s Vi Nguyen. 

Many were disappointed upon hearing the possible plans to remove the beloved rat-shaped hole. Paul Cathey, a research assistant at DePaul University, was at the rat hole. He described the alderman’s plan as a “tragedy,” and he has not seen people sharing a collective experience since Pokemon GO came out. 

“I feel like if they [the city] came down here, they would have to have a heart and be like, ‘We can’t sell this, this belongs to everybody, this is a gift to the community,’” Cathey said.

People around the rat hole with a shopping cart. Photo by Gia Clarke.

While it may not have been the city who officially removed the rat hole, someone else who has yet to be identified tried to fill it in with concrete, according to Alexandria Fisher, Alex Shapiro and Francie Swidler from NBC5.

According to the article, however, a man named Jonathan Howell used his license plate to scrape out the concrete. 

“As a Chicagoan, I feel the preservation of history is important,” Jonathan Howell said to NBC5. “It has a plaque, so, you gotta dig it out.”

And he was not alone. Other rat hole enthusiasts came over to scrape out the concrete, according to NBC5. The rat hole has become so beloved and revered that people are adamant on preserving it as a true landmark of Chicago history.

Danialle Lewis, a mom from Des Plaines, Illinois, also traveled to the rat hole with her son, Milo. Because of the notable popularity, Milo was doing a newsreel for his school. She acknowledges how much the neighbors are annoyed with the crowds, but believes that humanity needs something that brings everyone collective joy. 

“I do feel bad for the people that live here. I’m sure they’re annoyed, but I think we all just needed some collective joy in something absolutely insane and ludicrous,” Lewis said. “And that’s the best part about being human.”

In response to the partying, trashing and other public disturbances surrounding the rat hole, Lewis said “there’s always going to be a—s,” and it’s “a really weird thing to get worked up about.” 

Regardless of what neighbors feel, Chicagoans and others are infatuated with the rat hole and want it to stay public. 

Ever since the viral post on X, it has become a common practice for people who visit to put money and other offerings into the rat hole, as if it is a spiritual or religious figure that brings good fortune. 

Someone putting an offering into the Rat Hole. Photo by Gia Clarke.

Cathey said the experience was very magical for him, and he thought it was a magical experience for everyone else who decided to give money to the rat hole. For him, the rat hole experience hit him “way harder” than he expected. 

“I don’t know why, but we’re all throwing money at it for some reason, and we can’t resist,” Cathey said, “I can’t not put a dollar into the rat hole. Something special, some magic is happening for sure.”

People were even seen cleaning and caring for the rat hole when it got too cluttered with money and other offerings, as if it were a sacred statue that needed care and preservation. 

Someone cleaning the rat hole. Photo by Gia Clarke.

Milo, Lewis’s child, said the rat hole brought community and happiness to everyone who passed by. He agreed that the rat was a semblance of Chicago as a community, saying the people who want the rat hole removed “don’t understand the joy of the rat.” 

“They just don’t understand what community means in regards to being brought together, and happiness, ‘cause I haven’t seen a single sad face here,” Milo said. 

In regards to the mass disturbances the rat hole has caused the city of Chicago, nobody really knows what is going to happen to it. But Raine believes people should be respectful, because the neighbors do have their own issues and concerns.

“Probably the best thing for the short term is for everyone to be respectful and be kind and be nice,” Raine said. 

Header by Sofi Martinez