The Manhattan Duck Trend

Something unique is happening in Manhattan.

A dog walker named JJ Celillo has unintentionally sparked a trend in her neighborhood by decorating it with vibrant plastic ducks. Children are now actively collecting and trading these toys.

What began as “a fun duck venture” has gained incredible popularity lately after Celillo set up two small homes for these colorful waterfowl. Her goal? To simply spread joy in her community.

“This is kind of why I wake up in the morning,” Celillo, who is 53, remarked about her project.

“I see kids wandering the sidewalks searching for ducks, and it makes my day. Their excitement is infectious; they genuinely want to find those hidden toys,” she added.

Celillo started placing ducks around neighborhoods like Chelsea and Inwood towards the end of 2023. These colorful toys can be found in all sorts of places—on magnetic posts, fences, you name it. Over the years, she estimates she has accumulated thousands of ducks, spending quite a bit to bring her idea to life.

Initially, her endeavor was aimed more towards adults, but it quickly became a hit with younger audiences.

Last December, she took things a step further by installing a metal “duck library,” allowing people to leave ducks for others to discover.

The arrival of the library has drawn kids in droves, creating a scene of excitement whenever they visit.

“When the library opened, I saw kids rushing to it,” Celillo recalled, clearly delighted by the frenzy.

Her idea quickly caught on across social media platforms.

“When school groups come outside, it can get quite chaotic,” she mentioned, referring to the Inwood Duck Library. “There’s this swarm of kids around. They’re all in! I’m just trying to place ducks, and they’re all pushing in!”

The intent is to enjoy the experience of trading and sharing ducks, though many have taken ducks home from the library.

Celillo figures she’s probably hidden close to 500 ducks in a single day, even if she’s lost count over time.

She spends about $1,500 monthly on Amazon supplies to keep the project going, but believes it’s all worth it for the smiles it brings to her neighbors.

Two local girls, Beatrice, 11, and Milly, 9, joined in on the duck hunt after spotting the toys around the area last November.

At that time, “The Duck Woman” was a bit of a local legend, though her identity remained a mystery to them. The sisters took it upon themselves to discover her identity, which eventually led to a friendship with Celillo.

“Meeting her was like meeting Beyoncé!” Milly exclaimed with excitement.

They even wrote Celillo a thank-you card that was signed by their classmates.

In a show of appreciation, Celillo named the girls “duck ambassadors” and entrusted them with her duties while she took a break over the holidays.

“It was a blast! We got up early and placed ducks in different spots, just like her,” Beatrice explained, clearly relishing the experience.

Another young enthusiast, Alex Felder, 8, from West Village, believes he collected about “1,000” ducks last year during his father-son walks.

He keeps his collection on a flat radiator at home, dubbing it “Duck State.” It’s grown so much that they’ve even begun purchasing their own ducks to add to their stash, putting around 400 into the library in recent months.

“It’s all fun,” said Alex, who seems to take joy in the simple pleasure of it all.

For many parents, it’s a fantastic way to bond with their kids. “It’s just great walking around with him, talking. That’s a true blessing,” one dad shared.

Celillo’s project has become so popular that other artists are attempting to set up their own duck libraries beyond Manhattan.

One of these libraries has even been showcased in the Coffey Light Gallery at Chelsea Market this month.

This duck venture has significantly enriched Celillo’s life. Recently, she even got a tattoo of a yellow plastic duck to commemorate her initiative.

“I want to see this grow. Big things can happen. It really makes a difference,” she concluded.

“Who hates ducks?”