Has the NYC Slice Declined in Quality?

Thanks to the dollar slice, maybe:

Most of the dollar slice joints in Manhattan have ousted far superior places because people (including myself from time to time, I'm ashamed to admit) would rather pay $1 for a slice of something hot, filling, and decidedly low-quality than $2.50 for something made with better ingredients from a pizzaiolo who is skilled at their craft and puts care and attention into their pies. 

When I moved there in 1998 the only dollar slice place I knew was The Charleston (before they renovated and took out all the fucking charm.) And you could get an entire pizza (even after 14+ years in Brooklyn I can't pull off saying "pies") for just $7. It wasn't world class pizza, but it was very good and had a unique flavor and texture to it. IE, it had a shit-ton of cheese on it. Right after I moved there the fancy-pizza Anna Maria's moved in and everybody went (still, I think) crazy for their barely stopping from buckling under the weight of its 14 toppings slices, but I always preferred the simplicity of the Charleston dollar slice.

Oh, and a certain somebody rocked the house there throughout the summer of 2003. But whatevs.