Stadium Discussion

[Ulrich]

Julianas, next door, is actually the original owners of Grimaldis and in my opinion better.

Yep, this ^.

The "new" Grimaldi owners were delinquent on *years* of rent at the location where Julianas is now, and they claimed they couldn't pay it because they weren't making money, which probably is "accurate" with their tax returns showed almost nothing, but it's a cash business and there are lines down the street every day, so somebody was doing fancy accounting. Anyway, those fckers got evicted, and the building owners wanted the original G. owners to come back, which they agreed to do & this was before the new owners moved next door to their new location, but when the original G owners tried to buy the name back, the new G owners said no (and opened next door). So the original G owners opened and I believe the name Juliana is their daughter.

 

[Kjbert]

So when the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court*, ruled on the mall project a few weeks ago they reaffirmed the general principle that parkland can't just be used for non-park use without the state legislature approving whatever non-park use is being proposed. That meant that the mall plan wasn't technically dead, but that the state legislature could have retroactively blessed the development and let it move forward. The legislature usually only meets for the first six months of the year, however, so if nothing was approved by the end of the day yesterday the plan is 100% dead (until next year at the least). And what's more, the legislature approved other park alienations over the last week but didn't get around to this one, despite the fact that the Willet's West developer has plenty of lobbyists on retainer for this sort of thing.

Basically, the city's big plan to build a fancy new neighborhood on the old chop shops and pay for it with a snazzy mall is dead in the water, and CFG has a golden opportunity to swoop in and help save the bigger picture goal of affordable housing at Willet's Point (and get a stadium out of it). That's, of course, if they're actually up for being that ambitious. Are they? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

*Not the New York State Supreme Court, just to make it extra annoying and confusing

Awesome explanation. Thank you. Falastur - isn't this similar to what Man City did in Manchester?

 

[SoupInNYC]

Of these, the only one I haven't been to is Arturo's. When I first moved here, I went to Grimaldi's a lot (it was called Patsy's back then, before losing a court battle against some cousins who were opening the chain Patsy's that are now around town). I then went to Lombardi's once it opened. I've done John's once or twice. Before moving out of the city, my usual place was Totonno's on the Upper East Side (which is the one that gave me food poisoning, but we stuck with it). I've not been to the original Totonno's.

I loved them all - perhaps except for John's, which I think is very good, but not exceptional. My ranking.

Lombardi's
Grimaldi's
Totonno's
John's

Where is Totonno's on the UES at?

 

[Seth]

Anyway, on to the shitposting - Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, Arturo's, or John's? (I'd throw in Totonno's, but I've never been there tbh)

Gotta mention Sac's Place in Astoria (Broadway and 29th Street). Brick coal-fired oven, great pizza. Seriously. Very thin crust, just the tiniest bit of charring from the coal oven, sauce and cheese put on in the reverse-from-usual order, really good. Don't get delivery though, much better to go there.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Where is Totonno's on the UES at?

Gone, unfortunately. Was at 81st/2nd. Back when the original location had the fire and then Sandy, they retrenched and closed all or nearly all of the others. Nearly didn't make it from what I can recall.

 

[The Toe]

I'd seriously consider moving to Queens if we get a stadium there.

 

[Questionable8]

I'd seriously consider moving to Queens if we get a stadium there.

same

 

[FredMertz]

Of these, the only one I haven't been to is Arturo's. When I first moved here, I went to Grimaldi's a lot (it was called Patsy's back then, before losing a court battle against some cousins who were opening the chain Patsy's that are now around town). I then went to Lombardi's once it opened. I've done John's once or twice. Before moving out of the city, my usual place was Totonno's on the Upper East Side (which is the one that gave me food poisoning, but we stuck with it). I've not been to the original Totonno's.

I loved them all - perhaps except for John's, which I think is very good, but not exceptional. My ranking.

Lombardi's
Grimaldi's
Totonno's
John's

No love for DiFara in Midwood?

 

[Joseph Bianco]

No love for DiFara in Midwood?

I've yet to try DiFara but ive heard its the best of the best. I really need to get there before the old man dies/retires (i know thats terrible to say).

As of now my favorite slice is from Totonno's

 

[Questionable8]

anyone else wishes they play actual music at yankee stadium?

https://twitter.com/x/status/877709154638471168

 

[LeeNYCFC]

anyone else wishes they play actual music at yankee stadium?

https://twitter.com/x/status/877709154638471168

Actual/quieter/less/none

 

[LeeNYCFC]

I've yet to try DiFara but ive heard its the best of the best. I really need to get there before the old man dies/retires (i know thats terrible to say).

As of now my favorite slice is from Totonno's

DiFara is the best I've ever had, but that may be a part of the wait 1-2 hours for it experience. By the time it gets to you hunger spice and choice-supportive bias are immense. But despite that, yes the best.

 

[SanBartG]

Actual/quieter/less/none

To that point, I would like a song specifically for the Club. This has been discussed before and I'm hoping the front office takes a poll on City Voice with some options. It would be nice to have a rallying cry. Nothing against LL cool J, but the crowd can't sing along to the Intro.

 

[Falastur]

Awesome explanation. Thank you. Falastur - isn't this similar to what Man City did in Manchester?

Kind of yes and kind of no. In the case of Manchester, the stadium was built by the Council for the Commonwealth Games with the idea that building a stadium there (it wasn't even originally going to be converted into a football stadium) would itself act as a spur for development opportunities - that area was (and still is) run down with lots of empty commercial units and no one showing any interest in developing the area. In many ways it's a mirror image of what is now happening with West Ham and the Olympic Stadium. You have to then fast-forward a full decade before you get to the part where CFG started showing interest in working with the City Council to actually create a larger commercial development beyond the stadium itself though.

It shouldn't be overlooked that in Manchester's case there were simply more other offers for renovating the landscape, though, and without CFG there likely would've been few ventures beyond the odd social housing project for another generation. Honestly Manchester City Council got silly lucky, as if MCFC hadn't moved into the Etihad then the stadium would likely still be unused right now (or at best still just an athletics track). I can't see that being the case at Willetts Point.

 

[Dnigly13]

Fair point but in my opinion the dough is very different. Too different to be considered pizza dough and thus not pizza. But that's just my opinion and I am admittedly a complete snob when it comes to Italian food.

luzzos is the best... they own de mikkele, ovest pizzoteca, and luzzos bk.

I also like numero 28

 

[Gotham Gator]

All this pizza discussion caused me to break my diet and grab a pie from the Neopolitan truck downstairs. That is some fucking good pizza.

 

[JayH]

To that point, I would like a song specifically for the Club. This has been discussed before and I'm hoping the front office takes a poll on City Voice with some options. It would be nice to have a rallying cry. Nothing against LL cool J, but the crowd can't sing along to the Intro.

But why mess with perfection.

 

[SanBartG]

But why mess with perfection.

Yeah... NO. We need a dislike button.

 

[NickFromAstoria]

Gotta mention Sac's Place in Astoria (Broadway and 29th Street). Brick coal-fired oven, great pizza. Seriously. Very thin crust, just the tiniest bit of charring from the coal oven, sauce and cheese put on in the reverse-from-usual order, really good. Don't get delivery though, much better to go there.

Hey, as my name might suggest, I am very familiar with Sac's - totally agree that it deserves to be a part of the conversation too. (Don't think I'd put it above Arturo's or Lombardi's, but a top 10 contender for sure)

 

[LostAnvil]

Pizza was first mentioned on this thread over two years ago back on page 84:

http://nycfcforums.com/index.php?threads/stadium-discussion.21/page-84#post-59996