Sexy Area Codes

In status obsessed New York, even your area code matters. For decades, this city had only two area codes: 212 for Manhattan, 718 for the other four boroughs. Having a 212 demarcated you from the “bridge-and-tunnel crowd,” and getting a 212 (i.e. moving to Manhattan) became something for people in the outer boroughs to aspire to.

The advent of cell phones and a surging population has made new area codes in NYC a requirement. About ten years ago a new Manhattan area code, 646, was introduced for all new Manhattan phone number so a 212 number became an even more valuable commodity. The same is now true for cell phones. As more and more New Yorkers sucked up cell phone numbers, numbers for the original 917 area code ran out. I recently saw the Sex and the City movie and Carrie gets very depressed when she gets a new cell phone and finds out that she’s no longer a “917 girl.” She clearly feels less chic and trendy and, dare I say, less sexy. Well I still have a 917 for my cell so I guess I’m still sorta trendy and sexy. And I guess all those Manhattan old timers with 212s are the sexiest of all ...