There is no better way to cool down from the grueling New York summer heat than indulging in some delicious ice cream. The city offers countless opportunities to devour soft ice cones or bars from street vendors and ice trucks, and is home to just as many ice cream shops. As you can imagine, this adds up to a huge number, making it close to impossible to actually consider all options around town. This list is based on personal favorites and recommendations of friends and colleagues.
1. Grom Gelato
Grom might be the best blind date you have ever had: Unlike other ice cream shops, Grom keeps its products sealed with a lid to keep the gelato fresh until late at night (during summer, the Bleeker Street store is open until midnight and even during late hours you will see people line up outside the shop). The house brand recipes rely on organic milk and seasonal ingredients and boast amazingly rich flavors. Highly recommended: Crema di Grom, Chocolata, and Raspberry Sorbet.
233 Bleecker Street & 1796 Broadway
Victory Garden is a small shop in the West Village and uses local ingredients to produce their tasty ice cream in house. What is special about this place is the use of goat milk, which besides its unique taste also provides a yummy alternative for those who are lactose-intolerant. Everything served at Victory Garden is within a Mediterranean taste pallet, with ice cream flavors ranging from Chocolate Lavender, Basil Minty to Saffron Vanilla. A must-try is definitely the Salted Caramel.
31 Carmine Street
Conveniently located inside Chelsea Market, this is the ideal place to take a short break and enjoy some L’Arte del Gelato. Sorbets and gelato are produced fresh every day, based on traditional Italian recipes, and include delicious creations such as Ciocco Peperoncino, Nocciola delle Langhe, and Ciocco Arancia. Lost in translation? No problem, the friendly staff will gladly help out.
75 9th Avenue, inside Chelsea Market
A local business with three locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Van Leeuwen proudly serves ice cream made from local ingredients (they also have their own pastries, milkshakes, and locally roasted coffee, if you’re not in the mood for ice). Besides everyone’s favorites Vanilla and Chocolate, Van Leeuwen offers tasty creations such as Ceylon Cinnamon and Palm Sugar. Another big plus: The skyline view from their Greenpoint Location.
632 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn
With the tremendous amount of 5,000 different flavors, this small shop literally holds a lot in store. The all natural ice cream is created by their in house chef with different variations being available every day – so don’t settle on a favorite too soon! Screme has four branches in the city, be sure to stop by and – if available at that day – try the Nutella ice cream or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
317 Madison Ave, on 42nd St
Fun fact: The famous Lemon Ice King of Corona from the King of Queens TV show is located near Corona Park in Queens at 52-02 108th Street.
Cordula Schaefer is a photography enthusiast who loves to venture out to explore new places and hardly ever leaves the house without a camera. A New Yorker at heart, she is especially fond of city trips and has a soft spot for beautiful beachscapes. She currently bases herself in Berlin and keeps the visual documents of her travels at Cordugram.
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