I must admit, one of my favorite ways to spend a warm afternoon is eating an ice cream cone and wandering around the streets of New York City. These New York City ice cream shops offer the city's best ice cream, gelato and sorbet, from basic chocolate, vanilla and strawberry to lychee, ginger and wine flavored variations.
1. Il Laboratorio del Gelato
Small batches prepared using top ingredients set apart the Italian style gelato and sorbet served at Il Laboratorio del Gelato. Each day, choose from 12 ever-changing flavors served up by lab coat garbed staff at this small shop.
- Address: 95 Orchard St.
- Telephone: 212-343-9922
- Hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily (6 p.m. Sun/Mon)
- Neighborhood: Lower East Side (Map)
- Subway: B, D to Grand St.; F, J, M, Z to Essex St.
- Price of Gelato: $3.25 for a small (2 scoops)
2. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Heather Cross
Since 1978, visitors to Chinatown have enjoyed the tasty flavors of ice cream and sorbet offered at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Favorite Chinese flavors include green tea, red bean, ginger and lychee.
3. Ronnybrook Farms
Ronnybrook Farms' super premium ice creams are rich and feature milk and cream from the upstate New York's dairy farm. Flavors are available by the scoop, and they also offer pints to take home. Toasted Hazelnut and Columbia County Coffee are popular favorites.- Address: 75 9th Avenue(15th/16th Sts)
- Telephone: 212-741-6455
- Neighborhood: Chelsea (Map)
- Subway: A/C/E to 14th St.
4. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
While the view alone is worth a visit to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, the delicious ice cream is worth a journey even without the skyline. Enjoy your ice cream while you watch ships in the harbor -- and you can even work off the calories with a sunset walk across the nearby Brooklyn Bridge.- Address: Fulton Ferry Landing Pier (Old Fulton and Water Sts.)
- Telephone: 718-246-3963
- Hours: noon - 10 p.m. daily (11 p.m. Thurs - Sun in summer)
- Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
- Subway: A, C to High St.
5. Blue Marble
This Brooklyn-based ice cream shop offers delicious flavors of ice cream, all prepared with New York state milk from family farms with a focus on sustainability throughout their shops and in their products. From May-October, you can also enjoy Blue Marble outdoors at their stands on Governors Island, Brooklyn Bridge Park and at the Brooklyn Flea.
Prospect Heights Location:
- Address: 186 Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn
- Telephone: 718-399-6926
- Subway: 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza or Q to 7th/Flatbush
Cobble Hill Location:
- Address: 196 Court Street, Brooklyn
- Telephone: 718-858-0408
- Subway: F/G to Bergen Street
6. Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
If you're looking for creamy, rich ice cream, look no further than Van Leeuwen. Their flavors lean classic, but everything is made to be as good (or better) than homemade. In addition to three locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, you can also enjoy their ice cream served from one of their three ice cream trucks by following them @VLAIC on Twitter.
East Village Location
- Address: 48 1/2 East 7th Street (2nd Ave)
- Subway: F/V to 2nd Avenue
Greenpoint, Brooklyn Location
- Address: 632 Manhattan Avenue (Bedford/Nassau)
- Subway: G to Nassau
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Location
- Address: 81 Bergen Street (at Smith)
- Telephone: 347-763-2979
- Subway: F/G to Bergen Street
7. La Maison du Chocolate
This classic French chocolatier serves up amazing ice cream at its two shops in Manhattan during summer months only. Caramel ice cream is a particular favorite.- Rockefeller Center Location
- Address: 30 Rockefeller Center
- Telephone: 212-265-9404
- Neighborhood: Midtown East (Map)
- Subway: B/D/F/V to 47-59th Sts/Rock Center
Upper East Side Location - Address: 1018 Madison Ave(78th/79th Sts.)
- Telephone: 212-744-7117
- Neighborhood: Upper East Side (Map)
- Subway: 6 to 77th St.
8. Ciao Bella Cafe
One of New York's original gelato makers, Ciao Bella has moved its plant to New Jersey, but continues to offer impressive sorbets and gelatos.Grand Central Station Location (Map)
- Address: Lower Level Food Court
- Telephone: 212-867-5311
- Subway: 7, 4/5/6 to Grand Central
- Address: 27 East 92nd St
- Telephone: 212-831-5555
- Subway: 6 to 96th St.
- Address: 285 Mott Street
- Telephone: 212-505-7100
- Subway: 6 to 96th St.
9. Emack and Bolio's
Creative flavor combinations, like purple cow & caramel moose prints, make this a popular choice around town.Upper East Side Map
- Address: 81st St at 1st Ave
- Phone: 212-734-0105
- Subway: 6 to 77th; 4/5/6 to 86th
- Address: 389 Amsterdam Ave.(78th/79th)
- Phone: 212-362-2747
- Subway: 1/9 to 79th
- Address: 56 7th Avenue(13th/14th)
- Phone: 212-727-1198
- Subway: 1/9 to 14th
- Address: 54 Cooper Square(6th/7th)
- Phone: 212-253-0539
- Subway: 6 to Astor Place
