It was over 80 degrees (Farenheit) today, which means the Mr. Softee ice cream trucks were out, even in Manhattan, in full force. You can get their soft ice cream in a cone, or other brands, such as ice cream on a stick, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and something called “the rocket.” The tiny colored candy sprinkles always look very enticing.
They have a distinctive song they play to attract customers (hear it on their site), which some people associate with the sounds of summer and which drives other people crazy with its repetitiveness. If they park outside your apartment window and blast it for awhile, you might become one of those crazed people. Some have even tried to pass legislation against it. So you see that we have our traditions, which some might associate with the small town or suburb, here in the metropolitan center.
Vesuvio Bakery is at 160 Prince Street in SoHo. The green facade is one of the distinctive images and colors of downtown NYC which inhabitants would recognize immediately – the shade of blue-green is so striking that nearly everyone that sees the shop comments on the color. The bread is handmade daily and presented simply by being piled up in helplessly beautiful stacks in the windows. The shop is a fixture of the old Little Italy in NYC which has survived many generations, a tremendous feat in this city of constant change, and is still family-owned.
