Gaetana's Pizzeria Moving From Christopher Street After 17 Years

WEST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN — A family-style Italian restaurant that has been at the corner of Christopher Street and Greenwich Street for 17 years will soon close its doors — but it won't be going far.

Gaetana's at 143 Christopher St. is getting ready to move to a new storefront about a mile away from the corner spot it's called home for nearly two decades, owners told Community Board 2's Licensing Committee.

Owners decided to move to the new space because their Christopher Street building needed significant repairs, owners said. The building was built in 1933 and once operated as a longshoreman's bar, according to Gaetana's website.

"We started Gaetana's with two things in mind: timeless recipes and an unpretentious atmosphere," owners say online. "Our menu of homemade bread and pizza, cheese, and pastas will warm your soul."

Gaetana's is named for Gaetana DeMartino, who moved to New York in 1931 from Italy and lived on MacDougal Street. The restaurant is inspired by her and her husband, Frank Jr, who worked at Jilly's on West 52nd Street, according to the website.

The new Gaetana's space will be in a 1,300-square-foot storefront at 549 Greenwich St., which sits on the corner of Charlton Street.

The eatery will continue to offer lunch and dinner similar to its Christopher Street outpost, owners said. The new space will include a stand-up bar with 13 seats, 12 tables and a 900-square-foot basement that will just be for staff.

Outside, they plan to set up a 120-square-foot sidewalk cafe with five tables and 10 seats.

The community board committee unanimously agreed to approve the license, if the owners agree to certain conditions. Owners told the committee that they will not operate as a sports bar, will not have a backyard garden, will only play quiet ambient background music and will close its sidewalk cafe by 10 p.m.

The regular hours of the restaurant will be from 4 to 10:30 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and 12 to 10:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, owners said. The kitchen and full menu will be available until closing every night.