Monday, January 29, 2007

Mid-Century Telephone Numbers

Early readers of Brooklyn Ramblings may remember my post about old telephone numbers from the 1910s to the 1970s that used two letters and five numbers instead of the seven numbers we're familiar with today. Legacies of the old 2L-5N system are still here, mostly in neighborhoods of the outer boroughs that haven't undergone many changes in the last few generations.

First we go to Bath Beach. At 1707 Bath Ave is Sta-Brite Decorators. If you're looking to get your furniture re-upholstered, this is the place. If it was 1950, you'd have dialed the operator and asked for CLarkson 9-0868.

In nearby Dyker Heights, we find Terrace Meats, at 7317 13th Ave and 74th St. You would have reached your local butcher by dialing BE-2-2003. BE probably stood for Bensonhurst, but possibly Beachview.
Next up, Golden Gate Fancy Fruits and Vegetables, at ES-7-2581. This one-story produce mart is out on Flatbush, in an outer Brooklyn neighborhood called Flatlands. Rounding out our survey of outer Brooklyn retro-gasm is the Avenue U Seafood Market, at DEcatur 2-6363. Built around 1930, maybe those were the days that you could actually eat the fish you caught off the Brooklyn piers?

78 comments:

bigmissfrenchie said...

New York was one of the last places to get rid of exchange names, maybe because we had the coolest ones. My first office job, in 1979, was at an ad agency that still used its PL(aza) number. To find out more about exchanges, check out the Telephone Exhange Name Project at http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

Anonymous said...

My aunt and uncle's phone number at their house in Mahopac starts with MA8 and is listed that way on their phone list. I always think of it that way.

Anonymous said...

I grew up with a lettered phone number exchange and many are still listed that way in the local phone books. This was outside of Philadelphia, but I still love the old exchanges.

Anonymous said...

The CL exchange was actually Cloverdale

Lydia Theys said...

What fun! I lived in Brooklyn in the 50s and 60s.
CL = Cloverdale
ES = Esplanade
DE = Dewey
SP = Spruce
I think there was a BR = Brighton and CI = Coney Island, but I;m not 100% sure...

Liz said...

I lived in Williamsburg in New York during the 1960's. Our telephone exchange was EV for Evergreen.

Anonymous said...

COney Island 6
HIckory 9

Anonymous said...

It was rather interesting for me to read this post. Thank you for it. I like such themes and anything connected to them. I definitely want to read more soon.
Alex
Cell jammers

Chris said...

Terrace Meats was my Dad's store and I always will remember
BE(Bensonhurst)2-2003

Anonymous said...

My number was Navarre 8-7223

Anonymous said...

tatcemso wasMy wifes number was Sterling...and bed

Anonymous said...

The DI exchange in East New York (Snyder around the east 50s streets was for Dickens. My Grandparents lived at East 55th and Snyder Ave their number began with DI-2-

Anonymous said...

At Bedford and Kings Highway the exchange was NAvarre 8.

Anonymous said...

CLoverdale exchange at Flatbush Ave at Avenue "I" started CL 2.

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Park Slope, and our exchange was ST which stood for STERLING. My friend's exchange was UL which stood for ULSTER. I also recall NE which stood for NEVINS. Thanks for this blast from the past!

Anonymous said...

I grew up in East Flatbush. Our exchange was INgersoll 7. The phone number IN 7 5544. I wonder who has that number now?

Raymond Ingersoll (1875–1940) was borough president of Brooklyn from 1934 to 1940. Ingersoll Hall, one of the first buildings on the Brooklyn College campus, was named for him.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what MA stood for? I found a taxi card that my dad had in his belongings from 1959. Day and Night Service Star Private Taxi MA 4-9867 UL 8-7551
349 Brunt St. Brooklyn 31, N.Y.

Thanks,

GP

Anonymous said...

ma rble..... ul ster

http://phone.net46.net/nyc/latealpha.html

Anonymous said...

BU - BUckminster

Unknown said...

Hi, I grew up in Canarsie Brooklyn! I remember CL for Cloverdale & HI for Hickory. Anyone know what "RN" was for?

Unknown said...

RN stood for nothing at all. When Ma Bell ran out of legitimate easily spelled names to use, they started using arbitrary two-letter codes before going to all-digit dialing. So 763 was RN3, 487 was HT7 and, one of the first was in the Bronx - 994 was XX4. Non-dialable billing numbers for TWX and pre-cell mobile radio telephones had numbers beginning with letter codes such as YK and YL (both 95). Due to the impossibility of finding spellable names, prefixes such as 95X, 97X and possibly 57X were unused. Ma Bell did not approve of using KR for 57.

Anonymous said...

One friend lived in Crown Heights and her number started with PR for President, and another friend lived in East New York and her number started with TA for Tapscott. Fun remembering!

TeleFan said...

BE 2 and 8 were BEachview. BE 6 was BEnsonhurst. The TA exchange in East New York was TAylor, not Tapscott. BR was Browning, not Brighton.

Mass Watermark said...

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Anonymous said...

My family had a CLoverdale exchange before we were changed to RN3. I remember having a NIghtgale exchange when we lived near Marine Park.

Unknown said...

What did the letters GL stand for. This was Bleecker Street in Bushwick section.

Unknown said...

I lived in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, our number started with TWinning.

Anonymous said...

i grew up on union street in park slope 1960s phone was MAin; downtown was ULster PLaza SOuth; also in Flatbush was BUckingham NOstrand MIdwood DEwey NIghtingale in BAy Ridge;GEdney my favorite weird Manhattan one was UPlander...

Anonymous said...

grew up in Park Slope 60s-70s. we were MAin but nearby/downtown were PLaza SOuth ULster in BAy Ridge, Flatbush had BUckminster DEwey NIghtengale MIdwood NOstrand GEdney. favorite odd Manhattan one was RHinelander.

Anonymous said...

Although we live 3 blocks from Buckingham Road (it’s only on block long) I was always told the number on my dads business card was BUckminster4. This is in what we called Flatbush, more specifically Beverley Square west. Its been newly rebranded as “Ditmas Park”

Anonymous said...

My aunt and uncle had TWining (I only recall one “n”) in Rego Park, Queens

Anonymous said...

We lived on East 26th St. in Flatbush. Our number was BUckminster 4-8064.

Bonnie B. said...

I lived in east flatbush off foster and kings hwy and had a GL1 number. It was Glenmore 1

Bonnie B. said...

I lived in east flatbush off foster and kings hwy and had a GL1 number. It was Glenmore 1

Anonymous said...

GLenmore was for Bushwick around Hancock St and Evergreen Ave

Anonymous said...

Family on E 22nd, X and W, began RO9; other side was on Burnett off of Marine Park, SH3

Unknown said...

On my block in the Marine Park neighborhood there were two prefixes: NIghtingale and SHeepshead

Unknown said...

My dad had a gas station for a while on E Houston St and Elizabeth Street (a stone's throw away from Gotti's HQ) and the number began with CAnal 2. Our Gravesend area in Brooklyn had NIghtingale 2 and SHeepshead 3

Unknown said...

There was Applegate 7 in east New York and somewhere I remember Midwood .. maybe in the prospect park south association north of ditmas park.

TeleFan said...

The MI exchanges in Brooklyn were MIchigan 2&7 in the Liberty Avenue Central Office, along with APplegate 7, AXtel 6 and TAylor 7.

Unknown said...

My grandmother lived in Woodhaven, Queens and had an MI2 number. Interesting that the exchanges were not delineated by borough lines...

ryyple said...

Lived in Brooklyn in 1940s o Bristol St. between Pitkin and ENY Ave.-
Went to PS-175, JHS 66 -
Thos.Jefferson HS & graduated from Rutgers U. in New Jersey.

First phone we had in the 1940s was - DIckens - 51674.

Pitkin Ave. was great as was the Kishka King

Great Egg Creams - Charlotte Rouse - Italian Ices

Swimming at Betsy Head Park for a nickel & Coney Island

Anonymous said...

My telephone still has a Bell Telephone insert in the dial(yes, it's a rotary phone) which reads BU4. This stood for BUckminster It was used in Brooklyn and used the numbers 2, 4, or 7. In Manhattan the exchange BU stood for BUtterfield and used the numbers 3, 5. or 8(hence the Elizabeth Taylor movie title 'BUtterfield 8'). There are maps available indicating which area switchboard used which exchange. MA in Manhattan was actually used for MAdison Square(prior to there being a Madison Square Garden) and covered the area of Midtown Manhattan - West Side.

TeleFan said...

I have maps of every telephone boundary in the City of New York. The only MA exchanges are MAin 2,4,5 in Brooklyn. MAin 2 in Clinton Avenue CO. MAin 4&5 at Bridge Street CO. BUckminster 2,4,7 are in the Albemarle Road CO in Flatbush.

The only BU 8 was BUtterfield on the Upper East Side. Your BU 3 was AUdubon 3 in the Convent Avenue CO. BU 5 did not exist.
If you're are interested in locations of other exchanges, I'll be glad to look them up.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know what GE stood for? We live between Sunset Park & Bay Ridge

Unknown said...

I came across this post after finding a Brooklyn phone book from 1950 which had my mother's home phone number when they lived in Bed-Sty. I was confused by the numbering system, so this post is helpful. The exchange names are written in the phone book, so here are some of them:

- GEdny
- NEvins
- BUckmnstr
- CLoverdl
- ESpinad
- SLocum
- DEwy
- MAin
- BEachvw
- GLenmr
- APigate
- NIghtngl
- SOuth
- PResdnt
- TErace
- SHeepshd
- SHorRd
- HYcnth
- TRiangl

CoryG said...

DI please

CoryG said...

DI please

CoryG said...

DI please

TeleFan said...

DIckens 2, 5, and 6 were in Brooklyn's Rockaway Avenue Central Office.

danigrl1123@gmail.com said...

It's sad we don't use neighborhood butchers anymore..,

TeleFan said...

GE Central Offices

GEdney 4 - 1421 Ocean Avenue
GEdney 5,6,8, - 4101 14th Avenue
GEdney 9 - 7701 Third Avenue

Dawn Martin said...

I’m so happy to see your comment ! I am the only one of my siblings who remember our number starting with “Esplanade”

TeleFan said...

I'd be glad to send a list of all exchanges in Brooklyn.
Send me an email ... Metropolitan99@msn.com

Anonymous said...

That is correct. I had my number for many years CL6 5109 lol

TeleFan said...

CLoverdale 6 is in the 16th Avenue Central Office with BEachview 2, BEnsonhurst 6, CLoverdale 9, DEwey 1,and TErrace 7.

Anonymous said...

Where was the buckminster exchange located?

TeleFan said...

BUckminster 2,4 & 7 are in the Albemarle Road Central Office near Flatbush Avenue, along with INgersoll 2&9, ULster 6 and new All-Number exchanges.

Rick said...

awesome site everyone, Yes, i was searching about any info about this, born few blocks between L&B and Lafayette HS then moved to Cropsey Ave across Mippies Gas station then to Gravesend by McDonald Ave off Ave W learning my number was NI 5, great memory here
thanks

Anonymous said...

My grandparents and parents phone numbers in Forest Hills started with an IL exchange which stood for Illinois

TeleFan said...

Along with ILlinois 9, the Forest Hills Queens Boulevard exchange has BOulevard 1,3,& 8, BRowning 5, LIggett 4 and TWining 6&7.

ILLinois 7&8 serve Jackson Heights and Elmhurst from exchange on Broadway.

Joe said...

Thanks for the website!

Anonymous said...

This worked better-- http://tenproject.cloudapp.net/tensearch.aspx

Anonymous said...

GE was GEdney, as I recall. I lived on 12th Ave in Borough Park.

BillF said...

These were great to read and visualize the various areas in Brooklyn with the phone exchanges. I lived on Ocean Ave between H and I with CL8-2633. A family member worked at the Brooklyn Army Terminal with the number ST8-9000 (Sterling).

Anonymous said...

I ALSO GREW UP IN CANARSIE , BROOKLYN. BORN IN 1943 A TROLLY CAR RODE PAST MY HOME ON ROCKAWAY PARKWAY. IT TOOK YOU STRAIGHT TO THE CANARSIE TRAIN STATION.
THE CANARSIE SHORE WAS A PLACE MY FRIENDS WOULD GO.TO SUNBATHE!THE SHORE WATER WAS MERKY & CERTAINLY NOT SWIMABLE!

Anonymous said...

We had BU and lived near Nostrand and Cortelyou.

TeleFan said...

Along with BUckminster 2,4 & 7, the office on Albemarle Road near Flatbush served INgersoll 2 & 9 and ULster 6.

TeleFan said...

These Brooklyn exchanges should bring back memories -

APplegate, BEachview, BEnsonhurst, BRowning, BUckminster, CLoverdale, COney Island, DEwey, DIckens, ESplanade, EXchange, EVergreen, GEdney, GLenmore, HEgeman, HIckory, HYacinth, INgersoll, JAckson, MAin, NAvarre, NEvins, NIghtingale, PResident, SHeepshead, SHore Road, SLocum, SOuth, STerling, TAylor, TErrace, TRiangle, ULster and WIndsor.

Anonymous said...

The list rotates, rings a constant bell, and reminds me so much of my youth in Flatbush.

Anonymous said...

My great grandfather’s number was SH3 I assumed was sheepshead bay, my grandparent in Madison or whatever they call it now was ES7. I’ve seen a couple of different ideas what this stands for. I still have the old phone with the number printed on it 😊

TeleFan said...

Your are correct, SHeepshead 3. ESplanade 2,3,5,6,& 7 served the borough.

Anonymous said...

Do you know what RN stands for?

TeleFan said...

Between Exchange Names and All-Number Calling, "Selected Letter" exchanges with no meaning were created. Another was XX in the Bronx.

BillF said...

Just imagine how futuristic The Bronx was having a double Twitter exchange of XX.

Anonymous said...

Lydia - need help !! I’m so glad I found this blog! My girlfriend and her mother have a running argument over the prefix of the phone number of their grandmother’s house. One says it’s DEWEY, the other says it’s NAVARRE. The address of the house is 1145 East 43rd St, in Brooklyn, Kings County. The person’s name was Benjamin Nechamkus. Can you solve this mystery!!😄

Anonymous said...

Dear Telefan - yes please! The address is 1145 East 43rd St. Was it Dewey or Navarre??? This will solve a long running debate in the house. 😂

TeleFan said...

NAvarre 9 subscribers were moved to DEwey 8. Don't know the date.