NYC Is Running Out Of Area Codes

Old numbers back in the 50s and 60s (and probably even later) had the first two numbers as letters, which were abbreviations for the area in which you lived. For example AS9-6080 was AStoria 9-6080.

I haven't called anyone manually (by entering a phone number) for years.

Who cares unless you have a 212, which will produce a minute moment of admiration that quickly dissipates, no one cares. Anyways there are too many transplants with odd area codes and what not. I don't see any differences between what sections of the number is what, it's simply a 10 digit number, for fuck's sake.

I've kept my area a code a secret from everybody for years.

When I grew up in Manhattan I don't think we had an area code. People had names for their numbers like, "Atwater, Butterfield" it was cool shit. Doesn't matter to me as long as the phone works... Kansas is nice too, drove through it once

I believe that was around the time we wore onions around our belts, that being the style of the times

brilliant, i lol'd

Though really does it matter what area code someone has? It seems like a way for someone to increase their ego. Like telling someone I live in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, while the other person lives in Queens or the suburbs.

Egos run rampant in New York and especially here on Gothamist. Think about all the people complaining about trust fund hipsters, recent arrivals from Kansas, tourists, etc. It's the mindset that having been born or lived in NYC for a while automatically makes one superior to anybody anywhere else.

Honestly, 95% of the people who would say "Go back to Kansas" came here from "Kansas" themselves maybe five years ago.

this is me not caring what fucking area code your number has... :|

Sooner or later someone's going to come up with an unused Area Code and assign it only to rich and famous. Then a market for this area code will cause the need for a lottery to assign them. The resale market will be even greater.

Is there a resale market? Haven't a couple of attempts to sell numbers like 867-5309 on eBay been quashed by the phone companies who own the numbers?

"No, it's just like 212 except they multiplied every number by 3… and added 1 to the middle number."

Well maybe some people think that way, but Brooklyn and Jersey ain't Manhattan.

Uh, OK. But 646 is a Manhattan area code, so that's not at all relevant.

when are you moving back to kansas little girl Jaycjay. You really don't belong in this city.

and neither do you

You must be a recent arrival. 212 is Manhattan. Everything after that is later.

All I gotta say is that i have a 212 cellphone bitches. eat that.

with a little finagling, you can still get a 212 area code for your cellphone. i just did and now i'm getting laid constantly. (ok, well the second part really isn't true. once in a while, sure, but not constantly. i still credit the area code though.)

Or you can transfer your 212 landline number (if you have one) to a cell phone. I did this the last time I moved since I couldn't take my old number to my new neighborhood. And I ultimately never got a new landline.

isn't 1 the country code in the United States?

It is if you're calling from outside the US or Canada.

I think it's weird that mobile numbers have area codes. Do they know what "mobile" means?

Ummm....because there are more than 9,999,999 mobile phones in the US? Many, many more. A 7-digit # does not give enough possible combinations - you need to have the 10-digit number that area codes give.

I don't care how many area codes NYC has, but someone tell me why do we have to dial "1" before every call? Why can't I just pick up the phone and dial 212-555-1212 or 917-555-1212 without the stupid "1" before EVERY phone call?

The '1' basically signifies a long distance call (technically, it's a "toll indicator"). Most states require the local exchange to include it, so one reason it remains is regulatory.

These days, equipment could be programmed to add it, detecting whether it's required through other techniques. And in some installations it is; that's not uncommon in automated dialing systems.

But the obstacle is the fact that there are still so many different providers, switches, and various equipment throughout the system . Much of it would have to be replaced before everyone could stop being required to dial that extra digit. And, it's just an extra digit. It's not worth it. I mean, how much more would you be willing to pay for phone service to cover the expense of that change being made?

The reason is they required everyone to dial the 11/10 digits because otherwise the people with the new 646 number would be discriminated against, so they forced 212 people to call other 212 people with all the digits.