The Best 6 Slices on the LES

If thereโ€™s one thing thatโ€™s true about all New Yorkers, itโ€™s that weโ€™re busy. We dash around like crazy people. One day, weโ€™re trying to squeeze in work, a trip to the gym, and a catch-up happy hour with a friend, and still make it to a gallery opening. The next weโ€™re trying to get from Midtown to the Bronx to catch a Yankees game. To some this sounds awful. We New Yorkers wouldnโ€™t have it any other way. Thereโ€™s a feeling of vitality that comes from being very, very busy. It feels like weโ€™re living our lives to the fullest. All of that living comes at a price – itโ€™s hard to find time to eat. However, some pizza slices on the LES can provide a quick and tasty meal.

New York Pizza

Luckily, this problem is as old as the city, and there are solutions. Frequently, that solution is a slice of pizza. If you donโ€™t live here and have no idea what people are talking about when they say “New York slice,” Iโ€™ll explain it to you. Itโ€™s a really freaking big piece of pizza whose crust is thin enough to fold in half so you can eat it quickly. It is also delicious. Near the point of the piece it tends to be gooey and oily and satisfying and the closer you get to the crust the crispier it gets.

Everyone in the city has their favorite, so this may be a re-occurring piece.ย  But, I thought Iโ€™d start with some of the crowd favorites from the East Village/Lower East Side.ย  Why the East Village?ย  Well, mostly because there are a ton of restaurants and because itโ€™s historically been a neighborhood for young artists.ย  I figured lots of restaurants + young artists = cheap food. I was right. There are over 30 pizza parlors packed into this neighborhood. Here are my top six. If you disagree, drop a line at feedback@renthop.com and let us know!

1. ย  ย Artichoke Basilleโ€™s Pizza: 328 E. 14th St.

Thereโ€™s ALWAYS a line. Thatโ€™s how you know itโ€™s great.ย  Itโ€™s open insanely late – until 4am Mon-Thur, and 5:30am Fri-Sat. Itโ€™s salty, cheesy, and known for fancier pizzas, like Spinach and Artichoke.

The artichoke pizza is fantastic. But heavy!
The Artichoke pizza is fantastic. But heavy!

2. ย ย Vinny Vincenz Pizzeria: 231 1st Ave

Listen, sometimes you just want a slice of pizza. And you want it to be tasty. Vinny Vincenz never disappoints.

This one has both chairs *and* tables!
This one has both chairs *and* tables! ย It’s blurry in here though.

3. South Brooklyn Pizza: 122 1st Ave

Donโ€™t let the name fool you. South Brooklyn Pizza is in the East Village and is the hole-in-the-wall pizza joint youโ€™ve been looking for. The slices are cheap and incredibly good. Not to be missed.

"What do you mean, it's not in South Brooklyn?"
“What do you mean, it’s not in South Brooklyn?”

4. Stromboli Pizza: 83 St Marks Pl

This place defines quality, fast, inexpensive pizza.ย  Itโ€™s what you want when you want a slice on the go.ย  That is all.

Delicious free WiFi...and the pizza's good too!
Delicious free WiFi…and the pizza’s good too!

5. Joeyโ€™s Pepperoni:ย  222 1st Ave

When you want a dollar slice, you go to Joeyโ€™s.ย  Itโ€™s fast, delicious, and dirt cheap.

No chairs...just pizza
No chairs…just pizza

6. ย 2 Bros Pizza: 32 St. Marks Pl

Small storefront that serves a lot of people a lot of pizza. Itโ€™s a neighborhood go-to and never disappoints.

"Character", not "ambiance"
“Character”, not “ambiance”

Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.ย 

lawrence
lawrence
Lawrence part of the RentHop Data Science team with over a decade of experience in the real estate industry. In addition, he is a software developer and quantitative analyst with over 12 years of experience in software development and quantitative modeling. Lawrence merges two of his passions together to help renters across the nation with their home search.

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