So long to the days of yore when you needed to have a dime or a quarter to contact your friends and family when you were on the road.
Now you couldn't pay for a phone call even if you wanted to as New York City bids a fond farewell to its last remaining payphone booth.
It was the end of an era in New York City today: the city's last remaining payphone was removed. With the advent of cellphones, pay phones across the world have vanished – but one still remained on 7th Avenue, until its removal Monday by LinkNYC.
The removal of pay phones in New York City began in 2015, and LinkNYC is the technology that essentially replaced them. CityBridge developed LinkNYC, which look like digital billboards that offer free high-speed WiFi to the streets of New York.
Since LinkNYC was installed, it has facilitated over 3 billion WiFi sessions with more than 10 million subscribers. The digital billboards also display PSAs, art and other local information. LinkNYC will soon be providing 5G coverage to New York City.
Yes, New York has officially replaced all of the payphones in the city.
And honestly, I'm surprised it took this long.
The old payphone that once stood outside 745 7th Avenue will be brought to the Museum of the City of New York as part of its new "Analog City" exhibit. The exhibit looks back at life in the city before computers.
It's truly the end of an era.
Let's all take a step back in time and remember our fondest payphone memories.
I'm a millennial so, of course, I've never personally used a payphone. But I have seen them in movies and on TV.
The frantic phone calls George made to Jerry from a payphone.
"Who is this?"
How are Bill and Ted supposed to travel through time?
And, most sadly, Clark Kent will have to find another place to make a quick change into Superman.
So much fictional history made with the payphone. And real history too, I'm sure.
For anyone feeling nostalgic, there are still a few relics left in the city.
While there are no more freestanding, public pay phones left in New York City, LinkNYC says they could still exist – on private property. There are also four "Superman booths," or full-length phonebooths left in the city, but it is unclear if their phones are in service.
Alas, all good things must come to an end!
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