Midtown Payphone Survivors, Ten Years Later

Continuing my series of Payphones in New York City Then and Now, I present a set of payphone survivors in Midtown Manhattan. There are three payphones here, as seen first in May, 2000, and again in May, 2010.

In this case it seems more accurate to say that the payphone locations, not the payphones themselves, have survived. It looks like most if not all the parts of this three-payphone set have been replaced. The sidewalk itself looks different, suggesting these payphones were once temporarily removed to make way for road work.

The numbers for these three payphones are (212) 245-0023, (212) 245-8307, and (212) 245-7659.

The Astro Diner (an old favorite of mine) is still going strong, but the Schlotzky’s Deli seen on the right side of the first picture is gone, replaced by an always-too-crowded Starbucks.