A mighty reminder of the simple tastes of home

Drive toward the railroad tracks that intersect 42nd Street and you'll see a little white shoebox of a building just before you reach the overpass. This small ice cream shop, Parlor City, has been a popular favorite of local Cedar Rapidians since it's opening in 1962.

I myself have made many memories under the blue and red umbrellas, where my family and friends would congregate after tennis meets, soccer tournaments, and football games under Friday night lights. But I couldn't help but wonder how this picturesque little ice cream shop had managed to survive in today's world of Coldstone's all-you-can-eat topping bar, Dairy Queen's movie themed blizzards, and the frozen yogurt trend. I couldn't understand why someone would choose to forgo places with so many more options to come to Parlor City, so I spent some time this past summer under the barbershop-colored umbrellas of the shop, interviewing anyone who would talk to me and devouring copious amounts of banana split.

My question was: Why Parlor City? According to Christine Hamilton, a student at Iowa State University, Parlor City is the first place she goes in order to feel like she's really 'back home”. Hanna Krivit, who studies at Denver University, chimed in, 'I came here straight from the airport when I got back from college.” Both agreed that what draws them most to the place is the quaint ambiance that simply can't be found in the stainless steel freezers of other ice cream shops. Long-time Cedar Rapids resident and self-proclaimed 'ice-cream enthusiast” Brenda H. told me Parlor City feels 'like a family”. Lisa D., a mother whose two toddlers were covered in rainbow sprinkles, said the place reminds her of her own childhood days.

Listening to the stories of so many people who consider Parlor City an essential component of their lives surprised and delighted me. I learned that people didn't go there just for the ice cream, but also for the feeling of belonging to something wholesome and sentimental. Coming to Parlor City is like coming home, returning to a place that you once carved your name into, only to find 20 other names next to it.

I never would have imagined the nostalgia that I feel for this place has also touched so many of my neighbors. So much has changed in my life, and I'm sure will keep changing. But this ice cream shop has been steadfast. Simply seeing 'See You Next Spring!” on the sign outside is sometimes just enough to get one through a long winter day.

There aren't many things that stay constant in life. Maybe that's why Parlor City is so important to so many people. There's excitement in the unknown but also a comfort in familiarity - an instinct that brings us back to simpler, sprinkle-covered times. When we get lost in the fast pace of life, Parlor City stands as a small but mighty reminder of all that is sweet, cold and crunchy in this world. I asked a simple question, Why Parlor City? I suppose it makes sense then, that the answer turned out to be delightfully simple, too.

' Ananya Munjal is a sophomore at the University of Iowa studying human physiology and creative writing. Comments: ananya-munjal@uiowa.edu; (319) 491-4153