I last saw this row of payphones near the Time Inc. Ditto Center at Rockefeller Center in September, 2010. These payphones disappeared around the end of 2010, when Verizon sold off a bulk of its payphone business to Titan360.

These payphones were unusual. Most New York City payphones allow for 3 minutes of calling time for 25¢. These phones allowed for calls of unlimited duration within New York City, for 50¢.

The problem with this pricing model (originally intended by Verizon to revitalize its payphone business) was that a 1-minute call cost the same as a 3-hour call, whilst most payphone users had no need for conversations longer than a few minutes.

These Rockefeller Center 50¢/unlimited calling time payphones are gone, but within New York City I know that a few payphones of this pricing model still exist.