Boston Ice Cream Bike Ride: “Like Vanilla and Hot Fudge”
City Tour, 14 miles
+ Overview (click to expand)
Good biking weather and good ice cream go together like vanilla and hot
fudge. Boston and Cambridge have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to good ice cream. Every neighborhood has its own excellent place for a scoop, and is a bastion of local pride. Pro-tip #1: go with friends and split your orders because we're talking about a lot of ice cream on this ride. Pro-tip #2: always sit outside if you can help it. Think of this less as a Top 10 for the area, and more as different way to soak in different communities in the city, using ice cream as an excuse.
ABOUT THE CURATOR Cris Concepcion is an avid cyclist who loves the varied neighborhoods of Boston, as well as the green spaces that are near the city. He enjoys going on day-long or weekend forays into New England, hunting for good apple orchards, swimming holes, or sunsets. Cris also loves watching how seasons change his daily commute to his job at Safari Books.
Google Map
ride with gps
+ Map & Logistics (click to expand)
To download printable PDF or JPEG of the map, click "Free Map" button above.
VOICE NAVIGATION
Download the RideWithGPS app to experience this route with voice navigation.
BIKE SHARE Hubway - $6/day and trips under 30 minutes are free. Bikes are upright city style with lights, front basket, fender and chain guard
BIKE RENTALS
Cambridge Bicycle - $30 daily for Raleigh Classic Roadster with front basket, u-lock and helmet
Urban AdvenTours - $35+ daily for hybrid, road, mountain, tandem and kids bikes with Kryptonite lock and helmet
Pedego Electric Bikes Boston - $60 daily, $15 hourly for a commuter, electric bike
WHAT TO BRING? An ice cream loving belly and maybe a hat or sunblock if you plan on sitting outside.
+ Highlights (click to expand)
A. CHRISTINA'S HOMEMADE ICECREAM 1255 Cambridge St, Cambridge | www.christinasicecream.com | 617-492-7021 A fantastic ice cream parlor that also has a sister store selling spices from all over the world, Christina's specializes in interesting and exotic flavors. I've long been a fan of their khulfi and rose ice creams, but the Gina's Mocha Explosion is also a chocolate lovers indulgence. 7 days, 11:30am-10:30pm
B. CAFFE PARADISO 255 Hanover St, Boston | www.caffeparadiso.com | 617-742-1768 If you're going to be in the North End, you should have gelato. Caffe Paradiso's a long running family institution, making their own gelato since they opened. 7 days, 7-2am
C. PICCO 513 Tremont St, Boston | www.piccorestaurant.com | 617-927-0066 To many, Picco is a fancy pizza parlor on the northern tip of the South End, but they also have some fantastic homemade ice cream that they happy to dish up as well. In good weather, there's also a patio outside for people watching, but I'm also a fan of walking a few blocks further down to hang out in the shade by the Cyclorama. Su-W 11am-10pm / Th-Sa 11am-11pm
D. JP Licks 659 Centre St, Jamaica Plain | www.jplicks.com | 617-524-6740
A local institution for several decades, JP Licks has a ton of branches all over Boston, and the Jamaica Plain branch is their mother. They're always experimenting and their menu is a continuously evolving tapestry of flavors, but JP Licks also gets special points for offering gluten-free, vegan, and lactose free options in addition to their excellent conventional choices. 7 days 6-12am
E. TOSCANINI'S 899 Main St, Cambridge | www.tosci.com | 617-491-5877 Another local institution, Tosci's has been an anchor of Central Square for decades. On warm summer evenings, I like to get an ice cream sandwich (made with cookies that they bake in the store) and sit out in Lafayette Square to watch the world go by. M-F 8am-11pm / Sa-Su 9am-11pm
