8. Farrell’s

Farrell’s phone booth has stayed operational to this day.

This Brooklyn landmark of Irish drinking––and a site of controversy in the 70s, when Shirley MacLaine insisted on being the first unchaperoned woman in the bar––actually has a phone booth in working order. Go use it while you still can. Located at 215 Prospect Park West.

O’Connor’s in Park Slope also has vintage phone booths but has been closed for renovation. Elsewhere on the internet, Marchi’s Restaurant on east 31st Street in Manhattan is said to have vintage phone booths too, but they told us they were removed at least a decade ago.

Payphones in general––not just the booths––have a long, strange history in New York City. Read more about the payphone graveyard under the West End Highway, problematic payphones in Hell’s Kitchen, and the NYC Department of Information Technology’s collaboration with City24/7 to replace payphones with free touchscreens.

Additional reporting by @untappedmich.