Summer arrives suddenly in New York. One moment an icy wind blows down the Hudson; the next, temperatures soar and the city’s inhabitants emerge into the warm air. Some sightings are less welcome than others; the city’s notorious rat population also tends to rise with the temperature.
I’ve had my own encounters – including, memorably, when a rat ran into my leg as I walked home one evening. Last summer, my first in the city, I watched in horror as they darted beneath the outdoor dining platforms on which oblivious New Yorkers sat enjoying alfresco meals.
