Posted By: AvaRaleigh

I'm visiting NYC in late January and there are two things I'm a connoisseur of your city is known for doing well: literature and pizza. I'm aware of the Strand but are there any other cool independent and/or used bookstores I should hit up? Pizza wise I love everything from well done greasy to gourmet, but I'm especially fond of eggplant and goat cheese or really good pepperoni as topping choices and a good crust. I'm staying in Manhattan but don't mind venturing out a bit for something worth it, or having a tour guide  
   
 Thanks everyone, Happy New Year!  
   
 -Ava

The great thing about pizza is how easy it is to avoid the junk.   Ignore anyplace that tries to have more than just pizza on their menu.   Pizza places right in front of tourist areas are likely traps.   Anyone that claims to be "Ray's" original is a trap.  If you walk into a Sbarros..  Well there's no hope for you.

Same goes for bookshops -- there are still great ones scattered here and there.  

Good luck!

They only have 3-4 different types on the menu, but they're delicious.

..nothing comes even close.

John's Pizza at 6th and Bleeker is off the charts good. Best in the city. Not a far cab ride from you at all.

It's perfect if you are going downtown i.e. doing the Statue of Liberty thing or going to the 9/11 memorial. But I'd dont need a reason to venture down there as it's incredible.  

Try and go off peak as there can be a good line at times.

I usually go between 2 and 4. Joes pizza is a block away but not nearly as good, but still a decent pie.

Mange!

On 112 between Amsterdam and Bway. It doubles as the Columbia book store, so they have a lot of really cool not so common authors. Not a pizza rec but the Hungarian pastry shop on Amsterdam (a block or two away) has amazing pastries and coffee. Highly recommend!!

Right by Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which is ultra beautiful

Some of the 99-cent / dollar-a-slice pizza places are decent. Some are way too salty, some are too doughy, some are too not good. But if you're a tourist without the time to experiment, you might want to stick to the fancier high-priced places.  

One way or another, it'll be a memorable experience:
"I was in NYC and I paid $6 for one piece of 'za and it wasn't all that good."
"I had the best 'za for 99 cents - in Manhattan!

I've seen a few people selling their personal books on the street, one suitcase or box at a time. (I'm not referring to the Mass Market books and calendars being sold from street tables all over the place.)  

I have seen some incredible academic and professional books being offered for sale from time to time. The internet has rendered the books almost worthless and the cost of real estate ("shelf space") has rendered them almost impossible to keep. A $250 book from 1999 is now out of date, the info is available on the web for free anyway and you can find another 20 used copies on the web for less than $5 each.  

There are a bunch of rare and antiquarian book stores scattered around. Bring your wallet for the leather bindings and gilded edges.

Bookstores --  

Check out Crawford Doyle, Madison Avenue in about the 80's I think, sorry short of time to Google right now but you should be able to find it pretty easily.  Nice selection of collectible and out-of-print books, prolly more expensive than the Strand but less than places like Bauman, several blocks down on Madison and Ursus Books in the Carlyle Hotel.  

There's also the Argosy Bookstore on E. 59th Street, near Bloomingdale's, sort of similar to the Strand.

Pizza --  

A great value in the by-the-slice scene is NY Pizza Suprema, 413 8th Ave bet. 30/31st Streets.  Come out of Penn Station on the 8th Avenue side and it's just across the Avenue.  

But IMO the very best pizza in NYC isn't in Manhattan -- it's called Forno Sciliano and is in Astoria, Queens. If you don't need instant gratification, take the N train to the last stop, Ditmars Boulevard, and walk about 10-15 minutes.  Again, Google it and you'll see the website.  If you go, the Quatro Staggione isn't to be missed.  Their food that tastes more like what I had in Italy than almost anywhere I know of, and their wine list isn't too shabby either.  Not trendy at all, caters to regulars, but worth seeking out.

Enjoy your trip.

Some places sell what I consider to be "regular" pizza with red tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, but still visibly red. Some places sell "white" pizza with cheeses, veggies, herbs and, sometimes, non-red sauces or dressings (olive oil) but no red tomato sauce. So I looked at Ava's pics and I see a topping of hair in black, brown and red. What color is the current Ava topping?

I've seen books bound in every color and I've also seen proofs and galleys with no covers that would be naked, so to speak. Her pics show Ava bound in garments of almost every color and even the no (naked) bindings, as well.  

Have a great time in The City and Have a Happy New Year

Four Cheese Pizza with Pepperoni - awesome! If you are looking for "alternative" style pizzas that are amazing, this is the place to go