This American life: One Last Thing Before I Go
This was one of the saddest episodes of This American Life that I can remember listening to. Act One in particular is what struck me most as fascinating. It's about a phone booth in rural Japan that attracts many people to it because it acts as a sort of comforting communication device to the dead. The phone isn't connected to anything at all, yet it offers relief to those who may be seeking answers from the afterlife (especially those who have lost loved ones in the 2011 tsunami).
The last 4 phone booths of Manhattan
It was my day off today so I decided to take some time to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time: Photograph the last 4 remaining proper phone booths in Manhattan. You might be thinking, But Herman, there are so many phone booths still left in the city! What are you talking about?!
No, what you're thinking about are payphones. These are phone booths. The last 4 remaining in Manhattan to be exact, all located on West End Avenue (101 St, 100 St, 90 St, and 66 St). Fully enclosed structures that offer a bit of real personal space in a city that is increasingly inching toward you...
As the years pass, more and more payphones are being dismantled in NYC and it's nice to know that for these 4, their years may not be as numbered as others. In fact, these 4 phone booths were recently replaced with brand-new exteriors complete with lighting! Fantastic! Go ahead, enjoy these 4 historical structures while they're here. Who knows how long they'll be around, right?
