Anyone from the Deep South to the West Coast can now score the once-exclusive 212 area code.
New York wannabes from around the country can snag a Manhattan-esque number for prices ranging from $100 to $15,000 on the Web site 212areacode.com.
Buyers are instructed to consult their cellphone carrier companies to notify them of the change. They then pick from dozens of available 212 phone numbers, paying for it online via PayPal. Phone numbers boasting more zeros tend to cost more than harder-to-remember ones.
In March, the Internet phone provider Vonage launched a petition asking the FCC to free up unused 212 numbers for anyone nationwide.
That irked actual New Yorkers who were stuck with less-glamorous “646” or “347” codes.
The Web site now claims to be perfectly legal, noting it’s “the ultimate source for a 212 area code.”