Sandy Aftermath: Reliable Pay Phones You Can Use

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath, opponents of public pay phones on our city streets should definitely reconsider. For those who are stranded in the lower third of Manhattan without power or cell signal, these clunky bad boys became an invaluable resource. In our neck of the woods, Lower East Siders were seen queued beside the operational phones each subsequent day of the blackout. Which had us wondering about the number that actually worked. The results of our field test were astonishing.

Of the 20-odd pay phones we visited, nearly all had some sort of malfunction. Whether it was a lack of dial tone or gunk plugged in the coin slot, issues abounded.

Below are some of the reliable pay phones you can use:

• Northeast corner of Orchard and Delancey
• Outside Casa Mezcal on Orchard Street
• Bowery, just south of Delancey

Hit us up with other reliable pay phones you’ve used.

FULL HURRICANE SANDY COVERAGE