by Sarah McCully
Even on a cold and dreary afternoon, Trudy’s Ice Cream shop is like a burst of sunshine on Columbus Avenue. It’s quickly become a fixture of this pocket of the Upper West Side, though it only opened on the corner of 108th Street two years ago. I’ve been coming here since then, where it’s not unusual to see throngs of students streaming in from Booker T. Washington Middle School, which sits just across the street. Rain or shine, ice cream can brighten your day. Today, I’ve come to meet the owner, and get to bask in the huge windows and delectable scents as I wait for him to arrive.
Owner Steve Hlay is no stranger to the joy and chaos that is owning a small business on the Upper West Side. He opened Crepes on Columbus in 2004, a charming breakfast and brunch spot between 108th and 109th Street. Back then, this part of Manhattan Valley looked very different. It wasn’t uncommon to see rows of empty stores along Columbus Avenue.
“When [Crepes on Columbus first opened], it was the only storefront in that main stretch,” Hlay says. “And so I’m thinking, oh my gosh, what did I do?” In the end, his risk paid off; over the years, the restaurant has become well known in the neighborhood for its brunch menu, including a wide array of both sweet and savory crepes.
But in the back of his mind, Hlay always had another ambition. “My family business was Trudy’s Ice Cream,” he says. “So I always, always wanted to open up an ice cream shop in the area.”
Trudy’s Ice Cream truly is a family business down to its bones. Hlay fondly recalls the story of its founding, which dates all the way back to 1949. His father served at Pearl Harbor during World War II, and came back after the war searching for some purpose. “He was looking to figure out what he wanted to do, and [started spending time at] Dorney Park, just to hang out, you know?” It was at that amusement park in Allentown, PA that he encountered a most auspicious man.
“There was a guy selling soft serve ice cream out of a truck. And the guy was older, he needed help…and [there was] my dad, looking around [and thinking], ‘what am I going to do?’” Hlay explains. It wasn’t long before his father made that fateful decision. “He goes, yeah, I’ll help you!” Hlay smiles as he describes the journey his father soon embarked on, joining the vendor on a whirlwind of theme parks, county fairs, and frozen dessert. “He realized there’s a whole circuit- fair after fair after festival that you can go to,” he recalls. Eventually, he took over the business from the aging owner, and added several more vehicles to a growing fleet of traveling ice cream trucks.
During the winters, after the festival season had ended, Hlay’s father settled in Florida. That’s where he met Trudy.
“That’s where the name came from,” Hlay says with a smile. “My mother liked [the business, even though] it was a little bit weird, because of all the traveling and the setting up.” His parents continued to run and grow the business across the East Coast, all while growing their family at the same time. When it came time to pass the business down once again, Hlay stepped up to continue the tradition.
Back on the Upper West Side, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this corner store for a bakery, with its wafting scents of sugar and spices. All of their ice cream is homemade here in the store. They make their own waffle cones too, gorgeous golden brown confections with hints of cinnamon that pair beautifully with the creamy ice creams on display. Hlay notes that many of their offerings are original Trudy’s flavors stretching back decades; peanut butter, maple walnut, and strawberry in particular have stood the test of time. “I’ve kept the recipes unchanged!” Hlay proudly shares.
Making all of their ice cream in house also gives them enormous creative freedom in creating and rotating through flavors. Maple bacon was a fun recent experiment, inspired by the scrumptious breakfasts that Hlay serves across the street.
Trudy’s enjoys creating new flavors to suit the changing seasons and holidays. In the spring and summer, confections like lavender, coconut, and fruit sorbets dominate the shelves. But now, with the holidays around the corner, Trudy’s leans into the festive season with peppermint cookie, banana pudding, German chocolate, and pumpkin pecan. Truly, a flavor to suit every mood.
As we wrap up our interview, Hlay greets some regulars coming in for an after school treat. Kids and families on this block all seem to know him, chatting happily with him as they file inside. I can’t bring myself to leave without a treat of my own, happily enjoying a generous scoop of banana pudding in one of their famous waffle cones. It’s a perfect endnote for the afternoon, a bright sweet spot in these darkening days.
