I'm visiting NYC  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.

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.

Overpriced at 4.50 -5 a slice. Good pizza though, yes.

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!!

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.  

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.)  

A slice of Artichoke pretty much weighs at least twice as much as a dollar/cheap slice. So you're paying the same per pound.

Thanks for the wisdom, does Sabrros even exist in NYC? That's as tragic as the fact Starbucks exists in Miami.

Artichoke is another favorite topping, I love a good veggie pizza with a pesto base.

Happy New Year to you!

I don't discrimate based on price but on taste, if I see a street vendor that looks tasty I'll definitely try it!

Bookstores --  

PS -- Just FYI, Pizza Suprema on 8th Ave. doesn't serve alcohol, actually I don't think most places that serve slices do.

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?

Right next store to the Hungarian Pastry shop is (was?) V&T Pizza, which was for many years considered some of the best Pizza in  town. Not sure whether it still there or, if so, still great, but worth an inquiry.    

They have joints in Brooklyn, Coney Island and Hoboken. They accept Cash only.
The Best Pizza in Taste and content of all times according to me.

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