Then and Now – The Payphone Project

Unexpected Payphone Find on Atlantic Avenue in Queens

the payphone project — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:01:07 +0000

An unexpected payphone find in Ozone Park, Queens, led to a trip through its Streetview then-and-now history from 2007, when the phone probably still worked, through 2022. My video shows what this forgotten Verizon relic looks like today. This is also a test to see if I can get video to play from the top page, not just on the story page.

Payphones of Elizabeth, NJ: Where Are They Now? (Video)

the payphone project — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 14:02:39 +0000

When last I passed through Elizabeth I remember being surprised not just by the quantity but by the fact that most of the payphones there worked. The latter is not true today but I did find one working public telephone in Elizabeth, along with a couple of unusually beefy Calstar phones.

Phone Booth Scene From “Witness” (1985)

the payphone project — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 15:59:39 +0000

A website visitor directed me to this phone booth scene from the 1985 film Witness, starring Harrison Ford. Ford is seen using a payphone in a phone booth at WL Zimmerman’s store (now Lestz Wholesale) in Lancaster County, PA. https://youtu.be/kiKTfMoNAOs What makes this scene different from most is that the phone booth was not a…

Payphone Archæology at Grand Central Terminal

the payphone project — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 19:23:23 +0000

Do any payphones remain in the Grand Central Terminal passages, closed since the pandemic struck? A map of the Terminal on the main level says there are. Let's see what remains of GCT's once abundant payphone population.

A Gas Station Payphone, Then and Now, Then and Gone.

the payphone project — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:27:11 +0000

The vestige of a payphone past lingers on at this spot, as much as 25 years after its removal. I don't know who owned this phone but it looks like it was dead as long ago as the 1990s.

Ravenswood Payphones Replaced With Dogpoop Receptacles.

the payphone project — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:07:29 +0000

The exact spots where payphones used to stand around the Ravenswood Houses are today all occupied by "DOG WASTE STATION" structures.

Rockefeller Center’s “Communications” Portal, Then and Now.

the payphone project — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:14:19 +0000

Unlike most phones from my "Payphones Then and Now" series I found one that not only physically survives in this year of 2021 but is fully functional and sounds great. I've used this phone many times for Payphone Radio calls.

A Best Buy Payphone, Then and Now. No, Not That Best Buy Payphone.

the payphone project — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 22:38:27 +0000

Where is he now? This payphone user, that is. Probably talking on a cell phone. I never see anyone use this LinkNYC kiosk today but it used to be a pretty popular spot from which to place a phone call when you didn't have to scream at the device just to be heard.

Steinway Street at 34th Avenue: Another Payphone Gone

the payphone project — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 23:18:47 +0000

All I remember about this one was that it had a Bell South logo on it. Bell South was the first big telco to exit payphones, but never had holdings in this part of the country. Bell South exited payphones by 2003. This photo is from 2011. It was not uncommon to see brands of…

Payphones of Yore at Steinway Street Near 31st Avenue

the payphone project — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 23:10:45 +0000

Some things changed, others did not at this Astoria intersection. One thing altogether gone is the set of three payphones, gone without a trace.

Mounting Backplate Where a Payphone Used To Be

the payphone project — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:02:16 +0000

This mounting backplate, which once held a payphone at a Queens laundromat, is still available for purchase at payphone.com. $23. What a bargain.

A Payphone Gem From Getty Images

the payphone project — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 21:34:13 +0000

A brief window into New York's payphone past in a 1-minute piece about a 30-second payphone at Penn Station. At least one remnant of the 30-second payphone survives today, not working, of course, and not at Penn Station.

An Astoria Payphone Near the Library: Gone

the payphone project — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 17:29:38 +0000

This payphone outside a library reminds me that I believe public libraries should have public telephone rooms where anyone could make a call. It would likely serve a very small niche of the public but it seems, to me at least, like a low-impact, low-maintenance service to offer, assuming there are limits on usage.

Payphone Gone From El Gallito Grocery in Astoria

the payphone project — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 23:24:48 +0000

A brief look at the life and times of a 33rd Street TCC Teleplex payphone in Astoria. I don't remember using this one but plenty of other people did, and likely still would, if only they could.

A Walgreen’s Payphone, 1999, Then and Now

the payphone project — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 00:48:38 +0000

One of my favorite payphone photos I ever got. A young woman takes a break from her job at Walgreen's to make a call at the payphone outside. Whose phone number is on the scrap of paper she holds in her left hand? Why does she appear to be so antsy?