Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Approaching from a distance by land or by water you see a narrow wooden building watchtower rising high in the air above the old Fulton Ferry Landing.
Visual storytelling by Lucas Compan
This retired 1920s fireboat house was converted in 2001 and became one of the Brooklyn's favorite ice cream parlors. Its spectacular location–in DUMBO– offers a unique view of New York: a sweeping panorama highlighted by the proud Statue of Liberty in the harbor, the majestic Manhattan skyline, and the famed Brooklyn Bridge, so close you can almost touch it.
The store opened shortly after 9/11 by owner and ice cream specialist Mark Thompson, who produces his tasty treats small batches at a time–eight flavors in all– with no added preservatives.
The New York Times rhapsodized that the frozen treats are "creamy, ethereally light and perfectly balanced. They practically float into your mouth."
The homemade taste of pure and simple ice cream wins the day. Yes, not to mention the generous portions. The toppings, syrups, and other all-natural ingredients are of the highest quality–whether your favor cones, sundaes, milk shakes, banana splits or any other imaginative creamy adventure.
The texture is old-fashioned and slightly grainy, with sweetness kept to a palate-teasing minimum.
Long lines of patiently-waiting local patrons and visiting tourists flanked by impatient children, spill out of the Factory's doors and reach out across the plaza area, where people can take the beautiful view and hear the distant strains of the nearby Jane's Carousel.
Or course, you can get to the Ice Cream Factory by public transit, including the East River Ferry which disembarks practically at its door. But who can resist the temptation to walk across the historic Brooklyn Bridge.
This visual story was inspired by the book "111 Shops in New York That You Must Not Miss," by Susan Lusk and Mark Gabor