Mariya Sudarska and Brian Lambert believe “Ratatouille,” a film about a rat who dreams of being a chef, is a “cinematic masterpiece.” They admire the movie’s message about how an “underdog” such as its rodent star, Remy, can overcome odds to pursue his culinary dreams.
But Thursday night, the couple didn’t watch animated rats chef it up on the silver screen — they were on the hunt for some real rodents.
Each wore a headband topped with a little plush Remy and joined around 60 brave souls who embarked on a “rat safari” in Allston. Led by volunteer “rat rangers” in floppy safari hats, the group scoured residential streets and dumpsters for whiskers, tails, and tiny beady eyes.
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“When nighttime falls, we have to close up shop and not be in the backyard anymore, because the rats kind of take over,” Sudarska, who lives in Brighton, said.
The free Rat Walk was organized by the Rat City Arts Festival, a local group that hosts a music festival and events celebrating Allston-Brighton. The Rat Walk, which happens once in August and once in October, seeks to raise awareness about the rat problem long plaguing Allston-Brighton, which residents dub Rat City.
Reports of rats have surged in recent years, affecting Allston-Brighton and other neighborhoods. Last year, the city established the Boston Rodent Action Plan, which outlines strategies to reduce rodent infestation, and now, the city is advancing an ordinance to create a “rat czar” after one was appointed in New York City, a metropolitan area that also struggles with the critters.
The walk shines a literal flashlight on the rodent problem — in a way that fits the area’s “punk, anti-establishment, against-the-grain” reputation, according to Ricky Meinke, the organizer of the walk and festival.
“There’s always this phrase: Keep Allston weird,” he said.
Rat rangers leaned into their roles, waving giant nets and wearing safari-inspired outfits. Qualifications for the job? “You need to be courageous, knowledgeable, brave,” said rat ranger Alex Hartgrove.
As the crowd gathered at the designated meeting point, a parking lot behind a liquor store, at 8 p.m., one passerby exclaimed, “There’s a city rat walk? Are you serious?”
Yes, they were serious.
During the walk, someone called out, “It’s in the bush!” A hush promptly fell over the group as flashlights lit up a shrub in hopes of catching a glimpse of a rat. A blue graffitied dumpster behind apartment buildings proved more promising. Rats scurried aplenty.
There, Isa Contessi, 25, from Brighton, said one rat almost attacked the group. “It came out of nowhere and then disappeared into nowhere,” Contessi said.
Contessi said the neighborhood of Brighton is “punk” and “grungy,” just like a rat. “The punkness of the rats is the punkness of the people.”
Rob Glynn, 36, from Quincy, showed up to the Rat Walk with his skateboard. He frequents Allston for its skate spots and sees rats “everywhere.”
He wore a bright yellow T-shirt with a cartoon rat that read “Rats off to ya!” The shirt had been waiting in his closet for a day like this, he said.
“It’s definitely Rat City for a reason,” he said, with a relaxed smile. “It’s a way of life out here.”
Between sightings, rat rangers and Boston Inspectional Services Department representatives spoke about rat mitigation. They encouraged taking out trash in a timely manner, and limiting the amount of time trash bags sit on the sidewalk.
“The most effective way is sanitation,” said John Ulrich, assistant commissioner of environmental services. “It’s all trash. If there’s no food, there’ll be no rats.”
He said pet owners should pick up after their dogs, as rats can live off their waste. “It’s like their cake,” one representative added.
The Boston Rodent Action Plan, the city’s roadmap to reducing the rodent infestation, includes recommendations on the handling of trash. The Boston City Council has also moved forward with ordinances on installing rat-resistant trash cans and creating an official office to tackle the rodent problem.
The city’s rat problem poses health risks to impacted communities. Tufts University researchers discovered most rat populations in Boston carry a potentially deadly disease called leptospirosis, according to a study published in April. In humans, symptoms include an upset stomach, and in some rare cases, multiorgan failure and death.
Residents in Allston-Brighton have long been frustrated by the rat problem. Absentee landlords and a lack of management lead to rats coming in, which needs to change, said Meinke, the festival organizer.
When Meinke moved to Allston in 2016, he had unwanted roommates who weren’t paying rent: rats living in his walls. He struggled to get his landlord to arrange for an exterminator.
“Our neighborhood has seen such an increase in absentee landlords,” Meinke said. “Tenants can’t do everything to solve the rat problem.”
On a positive note, the nickname Rat City builds “camaraderie” among the Allston-Brighton community, as neighbors exchange “war stories” about rats, Meinke said.
The nickname was coined off “Rock City,” a nod to the area’s vibrant music scene, including the founding of Aerosmith in an Allston apartment. Allston-Brighton is known for its lower rents and draws young artists, Meinke said.
“We live with the rats. We just deal with it, because we’re working two jobs. We’re getting to the gig,” Meinke said.
The Rat City Arts Festival hosts many events spotlighting the neighborhood’s arts scene. The week culminated in a music festival on Saturday at the Charles River Speedway, featuring 16 local artists.
“Despite all the challenges that we, as neighbors, face, we’re going to overcome them. We’re still going to be our authentic selves, find joy in our neighborhood,” Meinke said.