anyone have any suggestions for best "new york style" pizza in NYC? we'll be staying at the essex. thanks.

I don't think you'll get a consensus on this one, but one of my favorites is John's Pizza (the one on 44th b/w 7th-8th Ave). Great thin pizza in one of the best atmospheres in NY... it's in an old renovated church. NO SLICES. They have a location in the village as well, but they're not as friendly down there.

For a "slice", THE Original Rays (they all clame they're the original) on 11th St and 6th Ave. Used to be better, but still a tradition.

You definitely will never get a consensus but John's is good if that location (44th Street) is convenient for you. If you try Ray's be sure to visit the one the first poster referred to - there are many "Ray's" pizza stands in the city, most of which have very undistinguished pizza (and are not affiliated with the one one which is supposed to be the original). Another good place for slices is Joe's - it's at the intersection of 6th Ave. and W. 4th Street where Father Demo Way cuts in to make a small triangular park. My personal favorite (also full pies no slices) is Totonno's on 2nd Ave (somewhere in the 70's or 80's if I recall correctly). Theirs is the best pie I've ever eaten and IMHO definitely superior to John's.

The best pizza in New York is actually in Brooklyn at Grimaldi's on Old Fulton Street, just over the Brooklyn Bridge. John's is excellent as well, but Grimaldi's is truly exceptional. Again, no slices. No reservations. Usually there's a line, but it moves pretty quickly. This pizza is simply fantastic. Not that Frank Sinatra's endorsement should mean more than mine, , but it was his favorite as well. Oh boy, am I getting hungry thinking about that pizza.

i agree that John's is quite good. i've only been to the one in the village. the other pizza that i think is good is Patsy's on 3rd ave between 34th and 35th.

thanks so much! we go labor day weekend so we'll let you know what we think!

The best pizza is definitely Lombardi's on Spring St. (around Mott or Elizabeth), in the trendy area now known as LoLita.

Owen, I respectfully disagree. I live a few blocks from Totonnos (good pizza) but I travel to John's on 64th and 1st. All a matter of taste and we are lucky enough to have good pizza in many locations.

I have to agree with other posters that John's on 44th is a great location. We ate there over the Easter break and the pizza as well as the atmosphere were fantastic.

i hate to be the dissenter in the group, but as excellent as John's is, is it REALLY new york style pizza? shouldn't we be sending them to a place like 'pronto pizza' on the north side of 55th b/w 5 & 6, where they can get a walk in, get a big slice of greasy pizza served by an italian guy with a dirty apron? now that's new york pizza.

pronto pizza will give you a darn good slice of real new york pizza for $1.75 and since you'll be at the essex, stop by for a slice.

but eat at john's too.

This is a bit of a silly question the best pizza is on every corner. What you should be looking for is the best Italian, French, Thai, and Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Indian etc... We do food better than most parts of the country, which obvious explains why someone staying the Essex is in pursuit of PIZZA!!! All in fun get a zagat's guide and discover real food you are not in meat and potato country any more.

Anyone who says that the best pizza is on every corner or that a gloppy Pronto Pizza slice is real NY pizza should not be giving advice on pizza! Yes, John's most certainly is real NY pizza (which, believe me, is very hard to find elsewhere), though I've not been impressed with the uptown versions vs. Bleecker St. I second the Lombardi's recommendation.

Caitlin:

When you were growing up and your parents ordered pizza, where did they order from, John's Pizza? Probably not. Your pizza probably came from a little neighborhood shop called something like Luigi's Pizza or Napoli Pizza run by a guy who came over from Italy in the 50s and opened his business with the little money he had. The places YOU probably went before you discovered John's Pizza and probably STILL go to when John's Pizza isn't around. (My family always ordered from "Scotto's Pizza".)

My point is this: John's makes an excellent brick oven pizza and any of their 3 locations is worth visiting, with the new one (been open what, 3 years?) being the most interesting since it's in the church. But to someone who's not from NY, they're most likely not thinking about brick oven pizza in an old church, they're thinking about the traditional corner pizza shop with the guy who flips the pizza dough in the air -- and there are literally thousands of those places in the city, although flipping pizza dough is a lost art.

I chose Pronto because it's a popular spot with the people who work in the 50s near Madison/5th Ave. They're very consistent and a good place to 'grab a slice' of "new york style" pizza, the same style pizza we all grew up with, a place like "Joe G." that everyone has seen on David Letterman.

I agree with George that the little neighborhood places should have pizza that represents the style of a city but in the last 5 -10 years (probably for cost reasons) many small independent pizzerias have changed to some cheaper grade of cheese, often a blend, rather than the high quality whole mik mozzarella that used to be a standard in so many pizza shops. No matter how good your crust is (although many shops now buy premade dough), using a lesser quality cheese makes a distinct change in the quality of the finished product. I can recall visiting NYC 20 years ago and finding nearly any greasy slice of pizza that I grabbed at any shop to be what I considered decent NYC pizza (meaning a Neopolitan style pie that was better than almost any pizz in my hometown). Now I find that good pizza at walk up joints in NYC is the exception rather than the rule.

I agree with previous poster about Grimaldi's at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Add Two Boots to the list, with various locations throughout the city (Brooklyn is my favroite).

Such passion about pizza!
John's is worth it if you want to sit in a restaurant for a regular meal.
Of the traditional neighborhood pizza spots in mid-town for a "slice and a coke", Pronto on 42nd and 6th has good pizza as well as Little Italy on Vanderbilt or 45th St& 6th.
Don't waste your time at anyplace named Ray's (except the original mentioned above) or where the pizza looks like it has been out of the over for awhile.
Mangia!

When the original poster asked for "New York style pizza" I assumed he or she was interested in classic NY-style pizza: brick ove, thin, crisp crust, made with fresh mozzarella and basil. Not gloppy corner pizza shop slices made with substandard ingredients. That Italian immigrant with his corner shop sold it and retired long ago. I wouldn't recommend a visitor to go to Pronto, they are *looking* for an experience. Unfortunately, corner-shop pizza that's even decent in my book is very hard to come by. As for where my parents got pizza when I was a kid--believe me, there was no NY-style pizza in California in the 70s.

There are tons of great places with varied atmosphere. If you r on the west side, I suggest Pizza Joint II on W.71st street off Columbus ave, towards central pk west. They also have great burgers at reasonable prices and other stuff you would expect to see on a diners menu.
Nice people work there too--PS it is greek so thats really ny pizza!

Just my 2 cents worth....

I would stay away from any "Pizza Place" that also has great burgers. A true NY Pizza place should be a place that you go to where the only appropriate thing to order is pizza! (OK, MAYBE a meatball or chix parm hero... but certainly not a burger!)

I agree about Pizza Joint II on West 7lst and Columbus, I live on the upper westside, the same owners have the original place Big Nick's on Broadway between 76th & 77th Sts. Also try Vinnie's on Amsterdam Avenue and 73rd St. All these places are within walking distance of the Essex House. But you know that pizza doesn't come from NY and it really no different from your hometown. Enjoy