A Quiet Day To Enjoy Some Ice Cream – February 2016

There are 2,800 Baskin-Robbins locations in the United States. Why an image of an ice cream store?

This one is special for a few reasons. Katie picked this as her image of Williamsburg because she worked on the line and managed this store while she was in high school and the first few years of college. It brings back all kinds of memories for her. Working there allowed her freedom, tested her ability to problem solve, gave her a chance to work with the public, and afforded her responsibilities that she did not have at school or home. She learned how amazingly crowded a place could get on a hot Fourth of July day, and how slowly time passes on a freezing cold January night.

On regular days, standing behind the counter and when she was not concentrating on the bins of ice cream, serving up scoops, making milk shakes, decorating cakes, or creating all sorts of desserts; she could see the world through the large window facing Prince George Street. Just out of her view to the left, she could hear the percussive sound of children running and stomping on the cellar doors. She could watch vacationers, grandparents, parents and children congregate around the circular bench, enjoying their treats while they tried to cool off and re-energize. Dogs would dutifully sit at their owners’ side, panting a little, hoping for a cool bite or some water. Those who wanted a little space from the activity around the tree would sit over on seats in the wooden box on the right. The faces constantly changed, but the behavior remained largely the same.

On a relatively cold February day, the activity is pretty slow at the ice cream store. The space out front might be empty now, but that soon will change. Even though there are 2,800 Baskin-Robbins in the United States, none of them look like this, especially to Kate.