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Rat Rock is an outcrop of Manhattan schist between 600 and 604 West 114th Street in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The boulder measures approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) high and 100 feet (30 m) long; it is notable as one of the only remaining such rocks remaining in Manhattan's street grid. It was named Rat Rock for the large number of rats nesting in it, similar to the other Rat Rock in Central Park. The row houses around it were built in the 1890s, when land in Manhattan was significantly less valuable. Though the land on which it sits has greatly appreciated in value, Columbia University, which owns Rat Rock along with most of West 114th Street, has no plans to remove it, as it has been estimated that removing the rock could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The fence around it was placed by the university in order to prevent vandalism. Columbia professor Andrew Dolkart described it as "an extraordinary survivor" of New York City's development, because it "hints at the geology of the city", and The New York Times labelled it one of New York's "most amazing natural wonders".

References

1. Young, Michelle (October 16, 2019). "A Giant Rock Sandwiched Between Two Buildings in Morningside Heights". Untapped New York. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
2. LoRe, Michael (November 30, 2018). "Rat Rock in Morningside Heights". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
3. Carlson, Jen (August 1, 2018). "This Gigantic Rock Jammed Between Two Buildings Is A Huge Part Of NYC History". Gothamist. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
4. Fairfield, Hannah (September 24, 2000). "CITY LORE; The Rock That Gives New York Its Face". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 13, 2021.

v t e Morningside Heights
Manhattan, New York City
Parks and recreation	Morningside Park Riverside Park Sakura Park
Education	Bank Street College of Education Barnard College Cathedral School Columbia University International House of New York Jewish Theological Seminary of America Manhattan School of Music St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's School Teachers College Union Theological Seminary Campus Broadway Hall Brooks and Hewitt Halls Casa Italiana Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter building Earl Hall East Campus Gottesman Libraries Low Memorial Library Milbank, Brinckerhoff, and Fiske Halls Philosophy Hall Pupin Hall Students' Hall
Religion	Cathedral of St. John the Divine Church of Notre Dame Corpus Christi Church Korean Methodist Church and Institute The Interchurch Center Riverside Church
Other buildings	Avalon Morningside Park The Colosseum Grant's Tomb The Hendrik Hudson Morningside Gardens Mount Sinai Morningside The Paterno Tom's Restaurant West End Bar
Transportation	Subway stations Cathedral Parkway–110th Street 116th Street–Columbia University Streets 110th Street 116th Street Amsterdam Avenue Broadway Morningside Drive Riverside Drive
See also: Manhattan Community Board 9

40°48′24.8″N 73°57′55.8″W / 40.806889°N 73.965500°W / 40.806889; -73.965500

• Columbia University campus
• Stones
• Morningside Heights, Manhattan