What\'s an area code worth these days, anyway?
For most people, it\'s just three numbers you tap into your phone once and never think about again. 917 area code For Raphael Chejade-Bloom, though, it\'s worth $100. That\'s what he paid through an online auction two years ago to get a 212 phone number — the first (and, many would argue, the finest) Manhattan area code. For anyone doing business in New York, a 212 showing up on your phone instantly conjures images of a phone in a glass-towered Midtown building calling you to discuss serious things. Chejade-Bloom, a native of San Diego who moved to the city ten years ago, wanted that cachet. I looked at it as a piece of virtual real estate, says the 32-year-old West Village resident, a principal at hospitality firm Guest Minded who also works in real estate. "No matter where you go in the world when you tell someone you live in New York City, you get instant respect and credibility. That credibility will [come] with me in the form of my phone number forever."
That cred, however, is about to be further diluted
On Tuesday, the state Public Service Commission announced that in 917 area code the city would get its first new area code in six years: 332. It\'ll be the fourth in Manhattan and the seventh in the city overall, following in the footsteps of 212, one of the first batch of area codes issued in 1947; 718 (added for the outer boroughs in 1984); 917 (added originally for cellphones and pagers in 1992); 646 and 347 (both in 1999), and 929 (added in 2011).To anyone under 30, the news has probably been met with a collective sigh of, "Who cares?" The idea of a phone number being part of your identity seems technologically outdated — kind of like asking about your first AOL screen name. And for those in their 30s, a phone\'s area code probably corresponds to where one attended college. But not for New Yorkers. In this status-hungry city, those three new digits are already being looked down on, another way to delineate authenticity and argue about who gets to be a "real" New Yorker. Area code identities were the subject of a famous "Seinfeld" bit, where Elaine couldn\'t get a date after getting assigned a new 646 number.NYC has been battling with different area codes. Initially, the city had 212 numbers, then 718 which was added in the 80s, and then 347. However, in 1992, because of the exhaustion of phone numbers, 212 was limited to Manhattan while 718 was assigned to Marble Hill and the Bronx. And this made way for 917, which currently covers all boroughs of NYC. When established, all new cellphone numbers had a 917 area code. But because of a number shortage, 917 has also been assigned to landlines in Manhattan.
New Yorkers still take their phone numbers very seriously.
Like most cities on the eastern front of the United States, this New York area code observes Eastern Time (ET). ET is five hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time or the Greenwich Mean Time. And so, from November to March, the city follows UTC/GMT–5. However, the country switches to daylight savings from March to November. And so, during these months, the 917 area code functions under the Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is UTC/GMT–4. This information is useful when calling individuals or businesses in this area so that you follow the same time as them.
NYC is known for its diverse population and its acceptance of businesses in various industries.
Anyone can do business in the city and get a decent customer base. And because of its ethnic diversity, a company\'s potential to reach the right clientele can be tested well. Furthermore, this can give you insight as to which markets to target next. The best way to make use of this is by tapping into the NYC market without the costs of relocating. A 917 area code New York City Phone Number can help you do exactly that. Additionally, many businesses believe that numbers from certain areas can lend credibility to the brand. Having a phone number for a city with one of the biggest economies can have that effect on your brand. Seinfeld joked about area code anxiety in 1998.
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