Neighborhoods With the Best Pizza in NYC

Pizza has long been a fave of on-the-go New Yorkers. It’s divinely delicious and handheld. But when it comes to the best pizza in NYC, some neighborhoods are more delectable than others. Arthur Bovino, who runs foodie-favorite Instagram account @nycbestpizza, explains the key element to identifying a pizza neighborhood: “A pizza neighborhood’s a place that I wouldn’t need to leave for great pizza,” says the East Village resident. “That would mean at least one great spot, and then a couple other good or fun ones. I like the Williamsburg and Greenpoint area — I’d consider moving there to have L’Industrie as my local place. With a Joe’s outpost also nearby, plus Best and Paulie Gee’s, you’ve got good options.”

We followed our noses to neighborhoods with some of the best pizza in NYC. Here’s our list, complete with the median rental and sales prices for each area, and the best places to stop in for a slice.

Best Pizza in NYC: East Harlem in Manhattan, Patsy’s Pizzeria

They don’t call Patsy’s Pizzeria a “pizza dynasty” for nothing. Founded in 1933, this coal-oven joint was reportedly the first ever to start selling pizza by the slice, and New Yorkers couldn’t be more grateful. (Proof it’s old-school good: Frank Sinatra was a fan of this place). A few blocks west, Sam’s Famous Pizzeria specializes in surprising toppings. This is the place to try a gyro pie or even a Nutella pie! In addition, the brick apartment buildings on the surrounding blocks are home to a plethora of affordable apartments in NYC. Many are super-convenient to Central Park and Museum Mile if historic pizza isn’t enough culture for you.

• Median Asking Rent: $2,275 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $720K as of November 2021.
• Subway Info: The 4, 5, and 6 trains can deposit you in Midtown in 30 minutes (or less, if you catch the express).

Best Pizza in NYC: Nolita in Manhattan, Lombardi’s

New York’s obsession with pizza makes perfect sense. After all, the first pizzeria in the nation was reportedly born here — at Lombardi’s, founded by Naples expat Gennaro Lombardi back in 1905. The place is still thoroughly old school, with a whisper of char on their coal-oven-baked crusts. There are just a handful of truly unforgettable topping options, including their worth-the-wait famous clam pie. (It boasts Romano cheese, parsley, garlic, and some three dozen fresh-shucked clams — lemon on the side.) Nolita itself is just as palatable, with cinematic streets and jaw-dropping architecture. You may recognize the 1885 Puck Building — built in Romanesque Revival style, complete with a golden Puck statue — from the sitcom “Will & Grace.” And the nearby beaux-arts Police Building had a star turn in Martin Scorsese’s film “Gangs of New York.”

• Median Asking Rent: $3,695 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $7.2M as of November 2021.
• Subway Info: The Broadway–Lafayette Street station is home to four lines: B, D, F and M. Hop on the D here and you’ll be in Times Square in 11 minutes.

Astoria, Queens: Basil Brick Oven Pizza

That’s right, Astoria! “No matter where in Astoria you live, you’re bound to have a favorite neighborhood pizzeria,” says Mevy F. Rim, a broker with Modern Spaces. “My personal favorite is Alba’s on Ditmars Boulevard. Aside from being just a delicious slice of pizza, it brings back so many fun childhood memories.” Other area faves? Rose & Joe’s Italian Bakery, where broker George Halvatzis of Halvatzis Realty often stops in for a Sicilian slice. (Heads up: They also stuff their cannoli fresh upon your order!) At Basil Brick Oven Pizza, the addictive pies emerge from a 900-degree wood-burning oven. Try the Pizzucca, with herbed pumpkin-walnut sauce, pancetta, basil, mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Astoria locals love that they can walk off their pizza indulgences in the 60-acre Astoria Park, where you’ll find an Olympic-size pool and one of the most postcard-worthy panoramas in the outer boroughs.

• Median Asking Rent: $2,200 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $817,200 as of November 2021.
• Subway Info: The N and W trains beeline to this part of Queens and can take you to the East side of Manhattan in 15 minutes. (As the saying goes here, “Fifteen minutes to Bloomingdale’s.”) The M60 bus also stops here — and then heads to Laguardia Airport.

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn: L&B Spumoni Gardens

In 1938, an Italian immigrant with six kids to support sold pizza most unexpectedly: hawking it from a horse-drawn wagon. The horse, Babe, carried the pizza wagon through the streets of Bensonhurst and Gravesend, Brooklyn. Now, the L&B Spumoni Gardens family’s fourth generation is running its brick-and-mortar empire. Don’t miss their “World Famous L&B Sicilian Pie,” with the crispy crust of your dreams. And end your meal with a scoop of spumoni, an Italian ice cream made using the founder’s own recipe. It’s so delish they named the place after it! You’ll find great and relatively affordable NYC apartments throughout Bensonhurst, including 1920s brick buildings with leafy inner courtyards.

• Median Rent: $1,699 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $1.4M for the same time period.
• Subway Info: The D train will get you to midtown in about 55 minutes.

Staten Island: Joe & Pat’s

Often the “forgotten borough,” Staten Island boasts a unique housing stock, and lots of great restaurants to boot. There’s a 1,778-acre Greenbelt with myriad hiking trails, and most of the island offers great value with a small-town feel. And, of course, drool-inducing pizza options. Joe & Pat’s Pizzeria & Restaurant serves an ultra-thin-crust pie that’s been downright legendary since 1960. Over at Lee’s Tavern, the Italian shredded pork pizza is beloved. (Another must: breadcrumb-stuffed marinated artichokes.)

• Median Asking Rent: $2,000 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $692,500 for the same time period.
• Subway Info: There are no subways to Manhattan from Staten Island. But the Staten Island Ferry can get you to Whitehall Terminal at the foot of Manhattan in 25 minutes. (And it’s famously free!)

Bushwick, Brooklyn: Roberta’s

Everyone from Bill and Hillary Clinton to Marnie on HBO’s “Girls” (also known as actress Allison Williams) has eaten at Roberta’s. It’s arguably home to the best pizza in NYC. Sam Sifton, Food Editor of the New York Times, deemed its pies “marvelous things.” We love their inventive combinations, like the Bee Sting, with mozzarella, tomato, soppressata, chile, basil, and drizzles of honey. And don’t forget dessert (try the geranium mascarpone gelato). The surrounding neighborhood, Bushwick, is an affordable place for renters with lofts built into former warehouses, plus sundry two-family clapboard and limestone homes.

• Median Rent: $2,800 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $1.1 million for the same time period.
• Subway Info: If you head to the L it will take you to Midtown in about 30 minutes, but buses may get you where you’re headed faster.

Lower East Side, Manhattan: Scarr’s Pizza

If you believe that beauty is in the details, Scarr’s Pizza may be your definition of the best pizza in NYC. Why? Scarr’s churns out pies with practically Michelin-level chef skills within their standard-issue storefront, complete with a neon beer sign. That includes stone-milling their own grains right on-site. Choices include everything from the Hotboi Original Pie, with beef pepperoni, jalapenos, and Mike’s Extra Hot Honey, to a vegan pie topped with NUMU vegan cheese. Their cocktails alone — like the guava margarita — are worth moving to the neighborhood for. The area is chockablock with history, too. Former tenement buildings still have their century-old architectural flourishes, like rounded windows and Italianate friezes and cornices.

• Median Rent: $3,595 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $1.1 million as of November 2021.
• Subway Info: Here, the F train is your friend. And the D will get you to Times Square in 25 minutes flat.

Greenwich Village, Manhattan: Arturo’s

Arturo’s opened in Greenwich Village in 1957, and we can’t help but imagine young Bob Dylan, Count Basie, and Jackson Pollock stopping in for a slice to fuel their artful endeavors. It certainly ranks among the best pizza in NYC, in part because of what it’s not: trying too hard. Neighbors are willing to wait in line for their simple coal-oven pies with traditional toppings (anchovies with mozzarella; a sauceless sausage-and-onion “bianca”) and a heaping portion of live jazz. Even better? Knowing the timeless romance of Greenwich Village is right outside your door. Where else do Federal-style townhomes from the 1700s mingle with night-owl haunts like the subterranean Comedy Cellar? (Big names like Dave Chappelle and Colin Quinn often pop in to do a set.)

• Median Asking Rent: $4,250 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $1.8M for the same time period.
• Subway Info: There’s a veritable alphabet of choices at West 4th Street: A, B, C, D, E, F, and M.

West Harlem, Manhattan: Harlem Pizza Co.

“Bono Trattoria’s wood-fired oven makes the perfect thin crust, with not too much sauce or too much cheese,” says Kimberly T. Hastie, a broker with Brown Harris Stevens. “One of the best restaurants Harlem has to offer, in my view!” But it’s not the only one. The neighborhood is home to multiple spots that lay claim to the best pizza in NYC, including the family-style offerings at Harlem Pizza Co. They use seasonal and local produce for their show-stopping pies. Try the Ooey Goey (with burrata, pecorino, and white truffle oil) and the Hangover (sweet fennel sausage, broccoli rabe, taleggio, pecorino, and basil). Bonus: this corner of Harlem has tons of great apartments, too. Many are tucked into the area’s trademark architecture: Italianate and Gothic-era brownstones and rowhouses. It’s no wonder history buffs love the neighborhood as well. You can pay your respects to General Ulysses S. Grant at his tomb in Riverside Park. And definitely stop in at Alexander Hamilton’s own 1802 house, Hamilton Grange, now a National Memorial with free admission. 

• Median Asking Rent: $2,400 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $489,500 in the same time period.
• Subway Info: Hop on the 1 train here and you’ll be at Columbus Circle in just 25 minutes. Ditto for the A and C trains.

Arthur Avenue, Bronx: Zero Otto Nove

Let the tourist throngs descend on Little Italy. Real New Yorkers know Italian delights galore await them in the Bronx on Arthur Avenue. Tuscany-inspired Zero Otto Nove has some of the best pizza in NYC, bar none. On the lineup here? The La Riccardo, topped with butternut squash puree, smoked mozzarella, pancetta, and basil, and the carbo-licious Patate Salsiccia e Provola, with potatoes, sausage, and smoked mozzarella. The surrounding Belmont neighborhood is home to plenty of great housing options, including Tudor-style apartment buildings and row houses. And it’s close to both the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden, which has a completely intact old-growth forest within its 250-acre grounds.

• Median Rent: $2,250 as of November 2021.
• Median Sales Asking Price: $405K in the greater Bronx for the same time period.
• Subway Info: Expect a 50 minutes trip via the D.

More of the Best Pizza in NYC

If none of these neighborhoods sate your cravings, don’t fret! New York City has some 334 pizzerias worthy of checking out, according to Bovino, from Midwood, a very affordable neighborhood for renters and buyers to Yonkers. Should we change our nickname from the Big Apple to the Big Pizza? Food for thought.