Area codes 212, 646, and 332

The blue area is New York State; the red area is area code 212 and overlays 646 and 332; it is overlaid by 917

Area codes 212, 646 and 332 are the area codes for most of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. By area, it is one of the smallest numbering plan areas in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP).[1] These area codes are overlaid by area code 917, which covers the entirety of New York City.

History

The main area code, 212, is one of the original 86 area codes assigned by AT&T in 1947. It originally served the entire five boroughs of New York City.

On September 1, 1984, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were split off as a new numbering plan area (NPA) with area code 718, while 212 was reduced to cover only Manhattan and the Bronx. In 1992, the 718 territory was expanded to include the Bronx and the Marble Hill neighborhood of Manhattan (see below), while reducing 212 to most of Manhattan. In 1992, the entire city was overlaid with area code 917, which was initially planned for only mobile service.

Area code 646 overlaid area code 212 in Manhattan on July 1, 1999, when new 917 mobile numbers became scarce.[2]

In November 2015, area code 332 was assigned as an additional overlay area code for Manhattan's numbering plan area 212 and 646,[3][4] the fourth serving the area and the seventh serving New York City. Area code 332 is expected to be installed on June 10, 2017,[5] as area code 212 is expected to run out of numbers in the third quarter of 2017,[6][7] and 646 will run out of numbers by 2018.[8] This effectively allocates 23.4 million numbers to a borough of 1.6 million people.

Marble Hill

One Manhattan neighborhood, Marble Hill, is part of the 718/347/929 codes, rather than the 212/646/332 area codes.

Marble Hill, although officially a part of Manhattan to this day, was geographically severed from Manhattan by the construction of the Harlem River Ship Canal in 1895. It was physically connected to the Bronx in 1914 when the by-passed segment of the Harlem River was filled in. When the Bronx shifted to 718 in 1992, Marble Hill residents fought to stay in 212, but lost. Marble Hill's trunk is wired into the Bronx line, and it would have been too expensive for New York Telephone to rewire it.

Market reputation

A business with a 212 area code is often perceived as having stability and roots in Manhattan,[9][10] particularly if a number has been in service for many decades. One example is PEnnsylvania 6-5000 (today (212) 736-5000)), the number for the Hotel Pennsylvania in Midtown. The hotel claims that it is the oldest continuously used number in New York City. This claim is in dispute, but PEnnsylvania 6-5000 did appear in a 1940 Glenn Miller Orchestra song title.

The scarcity of available telephone numbers in area code 212, combined with it being the city's original area code, result in the 212 area code having a prestigious cachet in the eyes of some Manhattan residents.[11][12] Businesses now sell phone numbers with 212 area codes.[13]

In August 2010, AT&T reported that there are no new numbers available in the 212 area code.[14] For several years before then, new landlines in Manhattan have been assigned numbers in 917 (or 646). In addition, the Inwood section in far northern Manhattan is overlaid with area code 347, which also began as a cell phone area code.[15] Those who are determined to have a 212 area code now must rely on luck of the draw when they establish their service or on websites where they can purchase the highly coveted area code to port to their land line or cell phone service.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Doll, Jen (August 12, 2011). "A Guy Bought a Hundred 212 Numbers for $3,000". Village Voice. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ Hu, Winnie (June 30, 1999). "In Manhattan, the 646 Area Code Is Correct, but Somehow Wrong". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Planned NPAs Not Yet in Service". North American Numbering Plan Administration.Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  4. ↑ MacMillan, Thomas. "Manhattan Is Getting Another Area Code: 332". Wall Street Journal. December 1, 2015.
  5. ↑ Slattery, Denis. "Manhattan to see new area code 332 next month". New York Daily News. May 3, 2017.
  6. ↑ "2015-1 NRUF and NPA Exhaust Analysis". North American Numbering Plan Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ "New Manhattan Area Code Needed to Meet Demand". TWC News. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Mcgeehan, Patrick (March 24, 2015). "Manhattan Area Codes Multiply, but the Original, 212, Is Still Coveted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  9. ↑ Nelson, Katie (May 25, 2011). "New Jersey man hawks his (212) phone number on eBay: Wants $1 million for swanky area code". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Manhattan mobile misery: coveted 212 area code becomes rarer". Reuters. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  11. ↑ Span, Paula (July 6, 1999). "Six-What? New Area Code Lacks the Status of 212". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  12. ↑ Kugel, Seth (March 20, 2005). "The 212 Cachet: Now Available on Cellphones". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  13. ↑ McGeehan, Patrick (March 24, 2015). "Manhattan Area Codes Multiply, but the Original, 212, Is Still Coveted". New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  14. ↑ Waxler, Caroline (August 10, 2010). "212 Lust: Old Phone Numbers Are New Thing in Tech Scene". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Additional Area Code Planned for New York City". Neustar, Inc. PR Newswire. June 10, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
New York area codes: 212, 315, 332, 347, 516, 518, 585, 607, 631, 646, 680, 716, 718, 838, 845, 914, 917, 929, 934
North: 347/718/917, 914, 845, 203/475
West: 201/551, 908, 973/862 area code 212/646/332 partially covered and surrounded by 917 East: 347/718/917, 516, 631/934
South: 347/718/917/929/732/848
New Jersey area codes: 201, 551, 609, 732, 848, 856, 862, 908, 973
Connecticut area codes: 203, 475, 860, 959

Coordinates: 40°43′42″N 73°59′39″W / 40.72833°N 73.99417°W / 40.72833; -73.99417

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