Van Leeuwen, the upscale ice cream chain that started in Brooklyn, is opening its second local shop on Monday at 253 Columbus Avenue between 71st and 72nd Street.
And the store is offering a special deal to customers who show up on day one: from 1 p.m.-3 p.m., they’ll be serving any vegan or classic scoop for just $1.
The store is also debuting a new flavor that’s special for the neighborhood — Oat Milk Strawberry Fields Ice Cream. It’s their first vegan strawberry ice cream “made with northwestern totem strawberries blended throughout our creamy oat milk base.”
The store will be open from noon to midnight seven days a week.
What day are they opening?
Monday
Better get on line now and camp out for the weekend
I’m not even going to work that day. The several hundred dollars I will lose will be offset by the five dollars I can save on the scoop of ice cream!
Pro tip: the vegan flavors are WAY better than the regular flavors (spoken as a non-vegan!). If it’s your first time trying VL, I’d go for a vegan scoop.
Respectfully disagree. I am also non vegan and I think both are good! I jus go for whatever flavor I’m interested in that day.
I do very much agree that vegan is good. I will also add that vegan absolutely does not mean healthier for you (not that it needs to, I know many like it for ethical reasons)
Can’t wait!
This place is so overrated. I really wanted to like it but it’s not even better than haagen daaz
I definitely don’t think it’s worth waiting in line for like many NYCers seem wont to do…but it is the best ice cream I’ve tried personally, so far.
the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had is “dark chocolate” by jeni’s. it’s $10 a pint at whole foods, but I was blown away.
I tend not to buy pints because that tends to become my day’s serving size 😆 but next I do I’ll have to check that out!
be careful, it’s very addicting. exact flavor name is “darkest chocolate”. I was shocked how incredible it was.
Is it organic ic oats?
You lost me at vegan ice cream
Be an idiot then. I’m enjoying a pint right now.
However, ….I will not wait on line outside on a hot sidewalk, or inside a tiny, closet-sized storefront, while indecisive people take multiple samples.
Also, I believe that is about to become illegal in NYC for a business to refuse to accept U.S. currency as tender (SweetGreen anyone?).
Until then, if you’re cashless, I’m ice cream-less.
LOL took the words right out of my mouth…
Seriously do not understand what people love about this place. Tried them first time when they were out of a truck (many years ago) and then when they opened first uws location. Tried regular and also the vegan chocolate. Not last meal worthy and not worth waiting on line for 15 mins.
Do you sell fat free yogurt?
“Grand opening next week” …. ..on Monday…which
Monday? Give us a date, please.
Monday August 5.
Their ice cream is delicious. If you don’t want to stand on the street then buy a pint in the freezer case at Garden of Eden.
Boy, there isn’t a balloon on the Upper West Side that someone does not have a pin ready to burst it with.
Hey, if standing outside on a New York sidewalk in August is your balloon? Blow it, buddy. You got life made and easy.
Over rated for sure but it beats going to Haagen Dazs. That place is nasty both inside and out. And can’t be more expensive than Grom.
Rode a Citibike down at 2:30p – super long line. Would have taken a picture but I wasn’t gonna be stopping for that!
The VL scoopers at the Amsterdam location did say the new one is much bigger, so that’s a plus
Will you have green tea/macha ice cream?
If you want really great ice cream, don’t waste your time or taste buds on these silly vegan concoctions! Go to your local grocery and ask for Talenti’s Dark Chocolate Gelato! Now, THAT is a real treat!
I am not ‘vegan’ per se, but I have eaten both the non-dairy and the dairy-laden versions, and at worst there is little discernible difference. At best? The vegan version was a little better. Not healthier, I think they both contain a ton of sugar, but I can’t wrap my mind around how other people can’t wrap THEIR minds around the concept of ‘vegan’, and how it isn’t bad, bland, or tasteless, but in fact very good and delicious.
Now if you wanna yap about vegetable ice cream, go down to the East Village, and try Dirt Candy’s veggie ice cream abominations, and you’ll have my ear.
10 bucks for ice cream?
I believe vegan food refers to vegetables
For dairy products it’s either organic or not
I love ice cream but 10 bucks? Whew!
Pretty sure that vegan means that, in addition to not having meat, it contains no dairy—no animal products at all.
Having tried VL several times I completely agree that the vegan choices are better because they have more flavor. I know it may seem hard to believe but the dairy choices lack flavor and are mainly just sweet. I literally could barely tell the difference between their vanilla and their chocolate. Overrated for sure.