End of an era, New York separated the last phone booth

On Monday, May 23, New York City shut down its last coin-operated phone booth, which is “public phone boothIt was replaced a few years ago by free WiFi hotspots. But let Superman fans rest assured: Manhattan will keep four phone booths closed, the one in which journalist Clark Kent transforms into a superhero.

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New York, Monday morning, put an end to a myth perpetuated in popular culture for decades by comics, photography, film and television. In front of the press, it was the last “boothIt houses two telephones, located on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 50th Street in the center of New York Island, and is marked with the blue bell logo of the telecommunications company Bell System.

“End of an era»

“I was there today for one last “farewell” to the famous – or infamous? Public telephone in New York City. I wouldn’t miss the lack of dial tone but I have to admit I felt a pain of nostalgia to see it go.Mark Levine wrote on Twitter. The Democrat-elect said he doesn’t really regret the days when those phones worked half the time, when you had to rummage in your pockets to find a quarter coin (25 cents) or a queue to call in the middle of the street in full view of pedestrians.

Wired payphones began disappearing from the streets of New York in the early 2000s when cell phones appeared, and then in the 2000s with the explosion of smartphones. Starting in 2015, Manhattan quickly installed thousands of LinkNYC hotspots that offer free WiFi and local calls. These new kiosks should be gradually connected to the 5G network. “It is truly the end of an era, but also hopefully the beginning of a new era with more equal access to technology.Mark Levine, referring to the areas north of Manhattan, Harlem in particular, praised, have the least coverage by telephone and Internet networks.

According to the local press, Manhattan will retain four vintage phone booths (with or without hinged doors) on the more upscale Upper West Side, on the West End Street at 66, 90, 100, and 101st Streets.