Area Code Pride

Manhattan residents are getting a new area code Saturday.
( Prayitno / Flickr )

Title: Area Code Pride.

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Amina Srna: It's The Brian Lehrer Show. I'm Amina Srna, a producer for the show, filling in for Brian today. Have you heard that New York City is getting a new area code? We know area codes are a point of personal pride for New Yorkers. We'll end this show with something a little bit lighter today. Call in and shout out your area code Pride. 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. You can also text that number.

You'll notice WNYC has a 212 area code. It's one of the original North American area codes assigned by AT&T in 1947, according to the site, Untapped New York. It originally served all five boroughs until about 1985 when it became exclusive to Manhattan and the Bronx. Wondering how many of you out there still have the original 212. If you've had it for a while, did you have to go through great lengths to keep it? Maybe you inherited the 212 area code. What did that feel like? Give us a call or text us at 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692.

Like almost everything else about life in New York City, 212 pride showed up in an episode of Seinfeld. Remember when Elaine had to change her number and found it affected her dating life?

Phone Guy: 646.

Elaine: It's a new area code.

Phone Guy: What area? New Jersey?

Elaine: No, no, it's right here in the city. It's the same as 212. They just multiplied it by three and then they added one to the middle. It's the same.

Phone Guy: Do I have to dial a one first? I'm really kind of seeing somebody.

Elaine: Yes? Well, so am I.

Amina Srna: [chuckles] Are you holding on to that 212? By the way, we can take calls from 718-917s, now maybe 646, 347, 929, any of those area codes. Even if you don't have the 212, maybe you want to rank the rest. For the uninitiated, maybe you want to explain where your area code comes from and how you got it. Anyone out there stay on a family plan to keep their area code, and you still have to send mom a little bit of money each month? Give us a call now at 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-43396.

Of course, area code Pride is certainly not limited to the New York City area. Any of you transplants tuning in, have you refused to get a New York City number? Holding on to your old area codes as you moved around the country? What does it mean to you? Maybe you exchange numbers with someone only to be pleasantly surprised they have the same area code as you or anything else you'd like to share. 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. We'll take your calls after the break.

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Amina Srna: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. I'm Amina Srna, keeping the seat warm for Brian today. Let's go to some of your calls. We have David in Montclair. Hi, David.

David: Hi. Thanks for taking my call. I just had a quick story to share. I guess my wife and I grew up when area codes could immediately mean geography and a sense of place. We're in Jersey now, but we thought it'd be nice if we bought a kept a 212 phone number for my daughter. When she turned 16, we gave her it to her as a cool birthday gift. We thought she'd be glad to have a New York number that she could use either professionally or personally. I think there was some generational tension there because it fell flat. 212 didn't really mean what 212 meant for us. I just want to share that we thought it'd be a cool thing for her.

Amina Srna: Thank you so much for sharing. That definitely came up in our office discussions as well. Let's go to Corey in Manhattan, who also has two 212 numbers. Hi, Corey. You're on WNYC.

Corey: I have two 212 numbers.

Amina Srna: An embarrassment of riches.

Corey: I gave up a third one.

Amina Srna: Oh, you gave up a third? Go ahead.

Corey: I gave up a third. I used to have one for voice, one for fax, and one for back in dial-up days for data. Fax became a thing for the dinosaurs. Of course, I got broadband. I ported one of the 212 numbers to my mobile phone, which is what I use on my mobile phone, and gave up the other one.

Amina Srna: Corey, thank you so much for sharing your story. Unsurprisingly, we got a bunch of 212 callers in right away. Let's go to Nick in Inwood. Hi, Nick. You're on WNYC.

Nick: Hey, thanks for having me. I'm in Inwood, but I'm from DC. My area code is actually 202, which when I moved to New York over a decade ago, learned pretty quickly that was misheard as 212, so I started saying 202 to avoid any mishaps. I do have 202 pride, but a little embarrassment because I was kicked off my parents' plan a couple years ago. Still have that 202 pride forever.

Amina Srna: I think 202 is still highly coveted in certain areas of the country, right? Thank you so much for sharing. Go ahead. Thank you so much, Nick. Call us again anytime. Let's go to Peter in Midtown Manhattan. Hi, Peter. You're on WNYC.

Peter: Thanks for taking my call. About 10 or 12 years ago, I took the landline that we had when we got rid of it and ported it over as my cell phone. Of course, that was a 212 number. I'm glad I did because, in that intervening time, I also started my own business. I feel that the 212 area code adds legitimacy well beyond anything like a 646 or 917 would ever bestowed upon somebody starting out their own business.

Amina Srna: Thank you so much for sharing, Peter. We actually got a text that is a little bit on the opposite end of that spectrum. A listener writes, "I finally got rid of my landline last year. I held out for about a decade longer than I should have because I didn't want to give up my 718 number. I have 917 for my cell, and they'll have to drag it out of my cold, dead hands." Let's take another caller. Ingrid in Mercer County, New Jersey. Hi, you're in WNYC.

Ingrid: Hi. I got my first cell phone in 1998 and it was a 718 number. I still have it today. I'm from Brooklyn, and I will never give it up.

Amina Srna: Thank you so much for sharing. Someone else who would never give up their number texts saying, "I've lived in NYC for 11 years, but will never give up my 406 Montana area code, a number I've had for 21 years. It's a calling card to home-state pride and a good conversation starter." Let's see. Do we have time for one more caller? Let's go to Latasha in New York. Hi, Latasha. You're on WNYC.

Latasha: Hi.

Amina Srna: We just have a few seconds for you.

Latasha: I've had my number, 212, for as long as I've existed. It was my mom's number from Harlem, and I'm not giving it up. It's connected to my cell phone. It's where old friends, old family know me.

Amina Srna: I love it.

Latasha: It is a great conversation piece.

Amina Srna: A family heirloom, in fact.

Latasha: Yes.

Amina Srna: Thank you so much for sharing, Latasha.

Latasha: Absolutely.

Amina Srna: Appreciate it. We'll leave it there for today. Thank you all for calling in from all of your area codes. The Brian Lehrer Show is produced by Lisa Allison, Mary Croke, me, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond, and Esperanza Rosenbaum. Our intern is Henry Scheringer. Megan Ryan is the head of live radio. Juliana Fonda and Milton Ruiz are at the audio controls. I'm Amina Srna. This is The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Stay tuned for All Of It.

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