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Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlors

Read more articles on Life's Nuances and Let Me Share With You.

February 4, 2008

About This Editor: Karen has enjoyed her many varied experiences in corporate business management, dance education, and preschool assistance. She hopes to write about these past lives-and more-from her home in Pittsburgh, PA, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and 3 cats.

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A few days ago, I decided to take my daughter to an old fashioned ice cream parlor, and it was a genuinely nice experience.

The place we visited is the only one of its kind of which I’m aware. Perhaps it’s because it was decorated in pinks, reds, hearts and cupids for Valentine’s day, or perhaps it was due to my overall impression of warmth, my the first impression was simply, “Ooooh.”

I found out later that the warm wood paneled booths, glass fronted display cases, and old fashioned high stools at the marble counters were obtained from an even older parlor that was demolished across town. That makes the décor authentically classic, and not reproductions. Three wooden telephone booths were still operational, as was a large white scale and antique green milkshake machines. Signs from the 50’s still showed smokers and marketed egg creams, while twinkle lights atop the candy counter would attract even the most self-disciplined kid-at-heart. Huge fake ice cream cones and Hershey Kiss displays added whimsy, along with a pair of gigantic Wizard of Oz red sequined slippers (which protruded from above the telephone booths).

It was the first time my daughter had even been in such a place, and I think we’ll return. I guess it’s hard for today’s kids to relate to anything that looks different from the mall food courts or Starbucks. It must be hard for them to imagine that, years ago this is where teens hung out, and where a person could get a shake before the concept of drive through, fast food restaurants. They really don’t even see counter service in some of the older television shows, because, for most of them, those shows aren’t interesting enough.

Thank goodness there are a few still left. We need to keep a bit of our history alive through individually owned small businesses, especially the kind where, in all likelihood, everybody does “know your name.” Progress is fine, but in some ways, old is also good-and in this case, tasty as well.