Don't be afraid. There are NO images of rats in this essay.
*TO LISTEN TO THIS ESSAY CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW, NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR. OTHERWISE, KEEP READING!
Don't get me wrong, Cobble Hill is as fraught with rats as Williamsburg. Every neighborhood in every borough of this city—regardless of how polished or tarnished her exterior—teems with families of rats so massive they might as well be Mormons.
But the rats in Cobble Hill, *unlike* the rats in Williamsburg, live discreetly. You're aware of their presence intuitively, but your eyes rarely bear witness to them. Silently, they skitter in the shadows. They're like adolescent girls embarrassed that their bodies are developing faster than their peers—they don't want to be seen. I get it. I was a full C by thirteen.
