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Early Sunday morning, Little Italy at 2047 Broadway and West 71st Street got a little bigger.
Taking over the space previously occupied by Lincoln Convenience—a 24-hour convenience store and grey market cannabis shop that was also the site of troubling incidents, including two robberies within days in 2022, one of which left a clerk with a gunshot wound to the foot—Little Italy has expanded. In a neighborhood that has faced ongoing safety concerns, including a Halloween 2024 shooting near the McDonald’s on the corner that left two young males injured, the closure of Lincoln Convenience was seen as a positive development. But until Sunday morning, May 11, the space had remained vacant for nearly two years.
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They’ve also added five TVs around the space, which were showing playoff hockey and the Yankees game when we stopped by.
ALSO READ: Start Spreading the News: Yankees–Themed Sports Bar Coming to Upper West Side
There’s now space for more than 50 people to sit inside Little Italy, which still has its black metal tables set up outside. New to the menu is wine and beer on tap, promoted by a neon sign in the window boasting the “coldest draft beer in NYC.” Guests can choose between 20 oz. and 32 oz. pours of Stella Artois ($9/$12.95), Kona Big Wave ($9/$12.95), 60 Minute Dogfish Head IPA ($9.50/$13.50), Samuel Adams Seasonal ($9/$12.95), or Modelo Especial ($9/$12.95), to name a few. There’s also bottled beer, ranging from $6 Budweiser to $7 White Claw, Dos Equis, or Heineken. Wine comes in two humble options: Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio, both priced at $8. A new sign adorning the expanded layout is also now on display.
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While we wouldn’t call Little Italy our favorite pizza in the neighborhood, it’s definitely the most reliable, staying open until 5 a.m. from Thursday to Saturday, 4 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 3 a.m. on Sunday. There’s always action around here, and it’s more than suitable when you’re hungry and looking for something quick. Little Italy keeps a large selection of pies in their case to choose from; some might sit around longer than others, but variety is a great thing.
With 14 total locations in NYC, Little Italy Pizza’s prices are quite competitive, with a large cheese pizza priced at $25, or a pepperoni slice—like the one we got and enjoyed—for $5.18. Their garlic knots come five to an order for $4.50, and they also offer some Italian specialties, such as a $9.45 cheese calzone, a $9.49 stromboli roll, or a Caesar salad for $9.50.
In March, ILTUWS covered the expansion of the new Mama’s Too!, which—similar to Little Italy—also took over the space next door. Currently our favorite pizza on the Upper West Side, with no clear number two behind it, ILTUWS spoke with owner Frank Tuttolomondo, who also opened a shop downtown in the West Village in March 2024, about his success in the business and what’s in store moving forward. He’s always tinkering and introducing new menu items—most recently, gelato.
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Yay for this expansion! Little Italy is MY favorite on the UWS.
RS,
There’s a lot of better pizza on the UWS, including Pizza Collective across Broadway.
This is gonna be one of those businesses that longtime UWSers talk about in before-and-after terms, e.g., walking by Little Italy 10 years from now and saying, “Y’know it used to be this tiny slice joint; a little chaotic, only closed for like four hours each day — still good now, but I do miss the old vibe.”
P.S. Lol a 32-ounce pour is pretty huge.
so is a 20 ounce. 32 ounces is about a litre
I’ve always loved Little Italy from my days living nearby and now I always stop by when I’m back in the neighborhood. Congrats to them….I hope the expansion is a huge hit!
Little Italy is good . . .for a chain.
I’ve eaten at every pizza place that’s quoted as being the best in NYC and Little Italy remains my favorite.
Little Italy Pizza is some people’s favorite pizza on the UWS? LOL… non-foodies are simply ADORABLE.
AND ILTUWS, Made in NY on 80th and Amsterdam IS your clear second choice (if not the first).
Little Italy is the BEST pizza in NYC. Our favorite!!!
Surprised at all of the positive comments.
One of my least favorite pizzas ever.
The last report I saw about this pizza place, I believe from Council Member Gale Brewer’s office, is that they do not have a permit for outdoor dining. Yet, they still have those crappy tables and portable fences, and it is primarily a hangout place for delivery guys when they are not busy, along with their motorized bikes, all day and all night. If they have not gotten a permit, please tell me why they continue with impunity to make a nuisance out of the public space outside their place of business? An expansion, with a liquor license, doesn’t sound like something that will improve the public space. Why don’t they be good neighbors and remove the unsightly outdoor tables and chairs and move delivery guys and their bikes elsewhere, away from the pedestrian walkway? They are leasing those spaces. Where is their landlord and property owner–why are they not requiring them to remove that illegal outdoor “dining” space?!
Little Italy is our absolute go to Pizza – our favorite not only on the UWS but all of the city. AND….the new staff are nice and not crazy
There’s a lot of better pizza, just in the west 70s, which is not known for excellent pizza.