What meanings/connotations do NYC area codes carry?

212? 347? 917? Etc. How are they perceived differently?



Thank you.What meanings/connotations do NYC area codes carry?
If we go back to history, all of New York City was "212". Back in the days of rotary phones, the area codes were given in terms of the population. Being that NYC has the largest population, "212" was very quick to dial for someone wanting to call long distance, which is also why Los Angeles got "213", Chicago "312", etc.



However, as fax machines and pagers started coming into the scene there was a need for more area codes since the "212" numbers were starting to run out, thus the "718" area code for Brooklyn. Manhattan and Queens (Bronx still kept "212"). More people had touch tone phones so it didn't matter about the quickness of calling a number.



As those numbers were running out, "917" was created specifically for faxes, pagers and cell phones. "718" was added onto the Bronx and "212" became solely Manhattan.



With the cellular phone boom growing in the 2000's the need to have more area codes happened. This was in part available since prior to this, the binary system (1's and 0's) was the only way phones could "read" area codes...thus "212", "917", "201", "203". But with digital, phones could read a variety of numbers. That's how "646" (Manhattan) and "347" (the outer boroughs) were assigned...not just for cell phone numbers but as regular landlines as well. Eventually, the "1" in front of the number was added so as not to confuse dialing an area code with a regular number. With that "917" also became available for landlines and "718" and "212" were allowed for cell phones.



In terms of "meanings", for people living here "212" is a prime number since it is associated with Manhattan and business. To have a "212" here meant that "you made it". "718" is more like the "second class, bridge and tunnel" person....you're in NYC but you're in the outerboroughs. "917" has become a prime cell number now since there are very few of these around. "347" and "646" are still taking some "getting used to" although having a "347" gives a bit of "street cred" being mainly a cell number out in the outer boroughs.What meanings/connotations do NYC area codes carry?
In order of appearance:



212 is only Manhattan land lines. (Since it's the oldest, generally only offices and businesses have it. If you're a resident with a 212 land line, you've been a proud New Yorker for a while.)



718 is the four outer boroughs (Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx). Today, 718 can be land line or cell. (Obviously, this isn't nearly as prestigious as a Manhattan cell number.)



917 appeared with pagers and cell phones, and today it is 99% Manhattan cell phones. (This is the cell number most New Yorkers covet.)



646 is a Manhattan catch-all. Basically, if you can't get a 212 land line or 917 cell, you get 646. (At first, people who couldn't get a 917 cell phone number got 646. So 917 was a source of pride. But now 646 is so common that it's harder to belittle.)



347 essentially overlays 718. Outer four boroughs, cell or land line. (If you're a Manhattan snob--and we all are!--then this is probably the lowest of the low.)



Suburban area codes (you are not a New Yorker!):

201 is New Jersey

516 is Long Island

914 is Westchester



Hope that helps!What meanings/connotations do NYC area codes carry?
My friend,. the area code for Manhattan is 212. Area code 917 is for cell phones and 347 is the area code for The Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens.



Good luck

Native New Yorker