Local Legend: Chuck Schumer On Why It's 'Hard To Top Park Slope'

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN —U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer may spend most of his time wrangling and casting votes in Washington, D.C., but there is perhaps one of his voting records Brooklynites should care about the most — his ballot for the best pizza in New York City.

The top senate Democrat and Park Sloper has thrown his endorsement behind his favorite neighborhood spot, Roma Pizza, after extensive field research. Or, in other words, testing slices all around Brooklyn on his four sauce-, crust- and cheese-related criteria.

The all-important pizza battle is just one reason Schumer says it's "hard to top Park Slope," the neighborhood he calls home when he's not acting as senate minority leader in Washington.

Schumer grew up in Brooklyn and represented parts of the borough as a New York state assembly member and U.S. representative before becoming one of the state's two U.S. senators in 1998. He has been the minority leader since 2017.

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But the senator says his simple pleasures still include biking around the Brooklyn neighborhood, playing catch in Prospect Park and spending time in the borough with his grandson.

Schumer spoke with Patch as part of our Local Legends series, where people who make New York City great discuss the neighborhoods they call home.

Last week we talked to drag queen and musician Thorgy Thor about her legendary rooftop concerts in Greenpoint and next week we'll interview poet and Caffe Cino veteran Magie Dominic about how the birthplace of off-off-broadway changed her life.

Here's what Schumer had to say about Park Slope:

Describe Park Slope in three words.

Four—Great place to live.

What makes Park Slope New York's best neighborhood?

Park Slope is one of the best neighborhoods. There are many things I like about Park Slope. One —the Park, it’s one of the great treasures of Park Slope and the whole city. It is my backyard — one that I share with countless other Brooklynites. I used to love having baseball catches with my daughter, Alison, in the Long Meadow and walks with my other daughter, Jessica, in the Nethermead. Olmsted and Vaux did an even better job in Prospect Park than they did in Central Park. Two — the accessibility, there are a lot of subway lines so it’s easy to commute. Three —there are so many activities to do and groups to join, the energy in the community is fabulous. You put those three things together and it’s hard to top Park Slope.

What food does Park Slope do best? Where do you find it?

Pizza. Roma Pizza has the best pizza in NYC. I once did a pizza test where I went all around Brooklyn and rated the pizzas on four things: thin versus thick crust (I don’t like thick crust), malty-ness (I like malty), tomato sauce (I prefer spicy to sweet), and the amount and quality of cheese. Roma is No. 1, I recommend that everyone go to Roma Pizza, I’ve been going there for 20 years.

What's your best quintessential Park Slope story?

My best quintessential Park Slope story is part of the ecumenical nature of Park Slope. When my daughter was going to Andries Hudde Junior High School, the basketball program was cut. We were playing in the park one day and a guy tapped me on the shoulder and complimented my daughter’s basketball skills. I thanked him and he asked if my daughter could play for our local parish team, Saint Saviors. He explained that to play CYO, Catholic Youth Organization, basketball you just have to live in the parish. So she played for 2 years and was one of the top scorers for CYO ball.

What spot do you wish still existed in Park Slope?

Snooky’s! Snooky’s Pub had the best hamburgers in New York, everyone went there and it was a great place to have a drink and a burger and watch sports. It was an institution. Because the rent was going up so high, Snooky’s had to go out of business. One of the only bad things about Park Slope is that the rent on 5th and 7th Avenues is so high that its chasing out longtime local businesses that we’ve grown to know and love.

Describe your perfect day in Park Slope.

Biking around the neighborhood and spending time with my grandson, Noah!

Want to read up on past Local Legends? Here's where to look:

• Thorgy Thor Plays Violin On Her Greenpoint Rooftop
• 'Diner Man' Michael Perlman Is A Queens Superhero
• Comedian Shalewa Sharpe Is Just Out Here In Bushwick
• Instagrammer Alessia Resta's Garden Grows On The UWS
• Susan Heyward Flies Broomsticks On Broadway

This interview was lightly edited for clarity and style.