212 vs 646, 917 and 332: Manhattan's area codes compared

They all ring the same

All four codes are Manhattan numbers (917 covers all five boroughs). A call between them is a local call, and each one works on a mobile phone, a desk phone or an internet phone service. The difference is what the number says to the people who see it.

The codes side by side

• 212, since 1947: Manhattan's original code. Reads as established. Carriers rarely have new ones; you buy an existing number.
• 917, since 1992: citywide, and long associated with mobile phones. Familiar and widely trusted.
• 646, since 1999: added on top of 212 in Manhattan. For years the default for new Manhattan lines.
• 332, since 2017: the newest Manhattan code. What many new lines get today.
• 718, 347 and 929: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx.

When a 212 is worth it

A 212 number earns its price where the number is part of a first impression: a law firm's main line, a real estate sign, a restaurant menu, a practice's appointment card. It also helps a business based outside the city that wants a Manhattan presence, or one moving into Manhattan that wants to look like it has always been there.

When another code is fine

For a fax line, an internal extension or a second line nobody sees, any code will do. A mobile-first business may be happy with 917, which New Yorkers already read as a personal cell.