The oldest ice cream parlor in New York is Eddie’s Sweeet Shop (1925)

Eddie's Sweet Shop customers.

Eddie’s Sweet Shop, established in 1925, has been serving its iconic ice cream for nearly a century. Located in Forest Hills, Queens, at 105-29 Metropolitan Ave at 72nd Road, this parlor is accessible by the E, F, R, and M trains. Vito Citrano, one of the current owners of Eddie’s Sweet Shop, does not acknowledge his shop’s superlative, even though no one else has claimed it. He inherited the shop from his father Giuseppe Citrano, who purchased the venue in 1968. When Giuseppe purchased the shop, he wanted to save the vintage feel that the store already harbored in the late 1960s. The wooden and marble interior remains from when Eddie’s Sweet Shop first opened. The refrigerator used in the shop is around 80 years old.

Together, Citrano and his wife, Angelina, now ensure that they serve quality ice cream daily. Vito hand-whips each of the 18 flavors offered to customers using vintage equipment. Employees make their syrups — including flavors such as vanilla, root beer, and cherry — and whipped cream by hand. Other menu items include banana splits, milkshakes, ice cream sodas, and egg creams. Some even speak of a secret menu; however, one has to work to find it.