Times Square

Watch: New York City Disconnects Last Street Payphone

Times Square has lost a piece of history

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

It's the end of an era.

New York City said goodbye to its last public street payphone on Monday after dominating city streets for years.

The final payphone was yanked from its home in Times Square -- West 49th Street and 7th Avenue -- in a public eviction.

"Just like we transitioned from the horse and buggy to the automobile and from the automobile to the airplane, the digital evolution has progressed from payphones to high-speed Wi-Fi kiosks to meet the demands of our rapidly changing daily communications needs," Commissioner Matthew Fraser said in a press release.

In a world where cell phones own the eyes and ears of many, the payphone's last call seemed inevitable.

New York City began "upgrading" payphones in 2015 with the introduction of LinkNYC kiosks, which replace the old-school phones with new hubs to access free calls, Wi-Fi and phone charging.

After its removal, the payphone will find a new home at the Museum of the City of New York where it will be on display as part of city history.

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