Greenwich Village Pizza Tour (New York, NY)
Greenwich village is known for its artistic vibe, as the home of New York University, and the birthplace of the LGBT+ and 1960s counterculture movements. It also happens to have some of the city’s best pizza spots. I recommend doing this tour in the evening so you can finish it with a night of comedy or live music, in one of the many neighbourhood spots- luckily for you, many of these pizza spots are open until the wee hours of the morning.
Manhattan is located on the traditional territory of the Lenape (Lenapehoking) Peoples.
Tour Map
Starting Point (Options)
To start, either take the 1 or 2 train to Christopher Street station or the A/C/E/B/D/F or M trains to West 4th-Washington Square station.
From Christopher Street station: Head SW on 7th Ave S (towards Grove St.). Side note: If you’re a Friends fan, you can make a quick side trip by taking a right onto Grove St. and walk two blocks to the corner of Grove and Bedford (90 Bedford St) to see the building used as the exterior of the Friends’ apartment.
From W 4th St. Station: Head southwest on 6th Ave. towards Minetta Lane. Turn right onto Carmine St. and then right onto Bleecker St.
Bleecker Street Pizza
69th 7th Ave. South (corner of Bleecker St.)
10am-midnight, until 4am Thursday-Saturday
Nonna Maria and other cheesy goodness at Bleecker St.One of the newer pizza kids on the block, Bleecker opened in 2004 and has won numerous awards including ‘Best Pizza’ by the Food Network. It is most famous for its Nonna Maria slice – an old family recipe.
Head south on Bleecker St.
John’s Pizza of Bleecker
278 Bleecker St. (corner of Jones St.)
NO SLICES
11:30am-10pm, until 11pm Friday-Saturday
John’s was founded in 1929 by Giovanni “John” Sasso, an Italian immigrant from Naples, which is known as the birthplace of pizza. It originally operated on nearby Sullivan but later moved to its current Bleecker Street location. John sold the business to the Vesce brothers in 1954, and is still family-owned to this day. Note: John’s does not offer slices, the smallest size is a medium that comes with 6 slices, so if you’re solo or a smaller group you may want to skip this one.
Continue south on Bleecker St.
Turn left onto Carmine St.
Joe’s Pizza
7 Carmine Street (off corner of Bleecker St.)
10am-4am
Another classic Village pizza joint, Joe’s Pizza was founded by another Neapolitan immigrant, Joe Pozzuoli. Now in his 70s, Joe has owned and operated at this site since 1975. Joe’s is often featured in ‘best pizza’ listings and has expanded to four other locations across NYC.
Cross 6th Avenue and continue onto Minetta Lane
Turn right onto MacDougal St.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
111 MacDougal St.
11am-4am
Crowds pack in for a NY Classic - Artichoke Pizza (December 2016)Cousins and fourth-generation restauranteurs opened their first shop in 2008 and have since expanded to a dozen locations across the U.S. As it’s name suggests, it’s famous for their artichoke pizza featuring artichoke hearts, spinach and cream sauce.
After you’ve tried out some of the neighbourhood’s best pizza, here are a few options to continue exploring the Village.
Post-tour Options in the Village
Options abound in ‘The Village’ beyond pizza. Here are a few options to consider:
Arturo’s Coal Oven Pizza
106 W Houston St.
4pm-11pm Monday to Friday, noon-11pm Saturday-Sunday
Can’t get enough pizza?! You’re in NYC - can’t blame you! Yet another Village institution, Arturo’s serves pizza (no slices) and other Italian fare. Grab a seat and relax to the sound of live jazz.
Caffe Reggio
119 MacDougal St.
9am to 11pm
Opened in 1927, Reggio was the first café in the US to serve cappuccino.
Cones Artisanal Ice Cream
272 Bleecker St.
1-10pm
Small but popular ice cream spot with unique flavours, including corn.
Comedy Cellar
117 MacDougal St.
Various shows generally beginning at 6pm until the early a.m.
Founded in 1982, the Comedy Cellar is one of the top rated comedy clubs in the USA - top comedians regularly stop by.
Village Underground
130 W 3rd St.
9am-2am
A sister club to the Comedy Cellar, at the Village Underground you’ll find everything from blues to hip-hop to folk.
Blue Note Jazz Club
131 W 3rd St.
6pm-midnight
An intimate club hosting legendary jazz musicians.
Washington Square Park
One of NYC’s best known public parks and a hub for political action and culture. The park often features street performers, and contains a fountain, and a large marble arch.
Stonewall National Monument
38-64 Christopher St.
This was the site of the Stonewall Uprising, a spontaneous act of resistance following the raid of the Stonewall Inn, in 1969. The uprising was a major step in the fight for LGBT+ civil rights in the United States. It is the first National Monument dedicated to LGBT+ rights and history.
Route Information
Take the 1 or 2 train to Christopher Street station or the A/C/E/B/D/F or M trains to West 4th-Washington Square station.
From Christopher Street station: Head SW on 7th Ave S (towards Grove St.).
From W 4th St. Station: Head southwest on 6th Ave. towards Minetta Lane. Turn right onto Carmine St. and then right onto Bleecker.
Bleecker Street Pizza (69 7th Ave. S, corner of Bleecker St.)
Head south on Bleecker St.
John’s Pizza of Bleecker (278 Bleeker, corner of Jones St.)
Continue south on Bleecker St.
Turn left onto Carmine St.Joe’s Pizza (7 Carmine, corner of Bleecker St.)
Cross 6th Avenue and continue onto Minetta Lane
Turn right onto MacDougal St.Artichoke Basille’s Pizza (111 MacDougal St.)
Return to the subway or continue exploring the Village at one or more of the places listed above.