Area code 212
Area code 212 is a New York City telephone area code for the borough of Manhattan. By area, it is one of the smallest area codes in North America.
New York City was given area code 212, one of the original area codes when they were assigned in 1947, because it is the area code that could be dialed fastest with a rotary dial given the numbering plan. At the time, 0 and 1 were not allowed as the first digit, the second digit was either 0 or 1, and the third digit could not be the same as the second digit.
Until September 1, 1984, area 212 covered all of New York City. Today, only the borough of Manhattan retains the 212 area code, which is overlaid with area codes 646 and 917. The area codes for the remaining four boroughs of New York City (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx) are now 718, 347, and 929.[1]
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[edit] Marble Hill
One Manhattan neighborhood, Marble Hill, is not in the 212 area code but the 718/347/929 codes. Marble Hill, although legally 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.
[edit] Perception
A business with a 212 area code is often perceived as having stability and roots in Manhattan.[2] This cachet was a minor plot point in the Seinfeld episode, "The Maid".
In August 2010, AT&T reported that they had no phone numbers available in the 212 area code.[3] Those who are determined to have a 212 area code now must rely on luck of the draw when they establish their service or rely on websites where they can purchase the highly coveted area code to port to their land line or cell phone service.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/additional-area-code-planned-for-new-york-city-82416587.html
- ^ Nelson, Katie (2011-03-25). "New Jersey man hawks his (212) phone number on eBay - wants $1 million for swanky area code". New York Daily News. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-03-25/local/29358649_1_area-code-number-verizon. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ Waxler, Caroline (2010-08-10). "212 Lust: Old Phone Numbers Are New Thing in Tech Scene". Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/08/18/212-lust-old-phone-numbers-are-new-thing-in-tech-scene. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
[edit] External links
- North American Numbering Plan Administration
- NANPA Area Code Map of New York
- List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload.com, 212 Area Code
- Interactive Map of Area Code 212
| New York area codes: 212, 315, 347, 516, 518, 585, 607, 631, 646, 716, 718, 845, 914, 917 | ||
|---|---|---|
| North: 347/718/917, 914, 845, 203/475 | ||
| West: 201/551, 908, 973/862 | area code 212/646 partially covered and surrounded by 917 | East: 347/718/917, 516, 631 |
| 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 | ||
Coordinates: 40°43′42″N 73°59′39″W / 40.72833°N 73.99417°W
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