Aside from my college years, I have lived in the same town and in the same house since day one. You see that shaded area in the top right? That’s Pelham. Ironically it is shaped like a pizza slice.
Within my town, which is 2.2 square miles "big," I can think of 8 pizzerias off the top of my head. I think we have more pizzerias than we do anything else. My town is primarily people with an italian or irish heritage, along with many others. Growing up I would eat pizza 2-3 times a week – something I wish I could still get away with. One particular pizzeria that has been around for 45 years, and has not changed one bit since even my Dad was kid in Pelham, is 4 Corners Pizzeria.
When walking home from school, my friends and I would stop by 4 Corners almost everyday to get a plain slice and a Coca-Cola from the fountain machine. With only 3 tables to eat at and a steady stream of people flowing in and out, one is bound to run into someone they know when stopping by for a slice. Amongst all the pizzerias in Pelham, 4 Corners is known for their plain slice.
Every time one would walk into 4 Corners, the same bunch of characters would be working there. The menu never once changed, offering strictly pizza and calzones – and Italian ices in the Summer. I remember when I was younger $3.00 would get me a plain slice and a soda. Then one day it went up 25 cents. Being a wise-guy middle schooler, I asked “why the increase?” I still remember that one of the guys explained that when subway fares increase, pizza prices increase. After looking into it this correlation, I found out that this is called "The Pizza Principle."
As years passed and I began attending college, each time coming home my first meal would be a slice of pizza. Being born and raised in Pelham, it just isn't worth having pizza outside of the NYC area – yes I am a pizza snob. Now having graduated college, news broke that Joe, the owner of 4 Corners, sold his beloved pizzeria. To many, myself included, it felt like times were changing and we were losing a slice of Pelham... literally and figuratively. Though many parts of 4 Corners remains the same, the change in ownership marks the end of an era. To the people of Pelham, it will always be a place of nostalgia.
Within my town, which is 2.2 square miles "big," I can think of 8 pizzerias off the top of my head. I think we have more pizzerias than we do anything else. My town is primarily people with an italian or irish heritage, along with many others. Growing up I would eat pizza 2-3 times a week – something I wish I could still get away with. One particular pizzeria that has been around for 45 years, and has not changed one bit since even my Dad was kid in Pelham, is 4 Corners Pizzeria.
When walking home from school, my friends and I would stop by 4 Corners almost everyday to get a plain slice and a Coca-Cola from the fountain machine. With only 3 tables to eat at and a steady stream of people flowing in and out, one is bound to run into someone they know when stopping by for a slice. Amongst all the pizzerias in Pelham, 4 Corners is known for their plain slice.
Every time one would walk into 4 Corners, the same bunch of characters would be working there. The menu never once changed, offering strictly pizza and calzones – and Italian ices in the Summer. I remember when I was younger $3.00 would get me a plain slice and a soda. Then one day it went up 25 cents. Being a wise-guy middle schooler, I asked “why the increase?” I still remember that one of the guys explained that when subway fares increase, pizza prices increase. After looking into it this correlation, I found out that this is called "The Pizza Principle."
As years passed and I began attending college, each time coming home my first meal would be a slice of pizza. Being born and raised in Pelham, it just isn't worth having pizza outside of the NYC area – yes I am a pizza snob. Now having graduated college, news broke that Joe, the owner of 4 Corners, sold his beloved pizzeria. To many, myself included, it felt like times were changing and we were losing a slice of Pelham... literally and figuratively. Though many parts of 4 Corners remains the same, the change in ownership marks the end of an era. To the people of Pelham, it will always be a place of nostalgia.