By Amanda Woods

Some Upper West Siders don’t have a sweet tooth for Sugar and Plumm, a store and café set to open on Amsterdam Avenue near 78th Street later this summer. They are concerned that the shop’s sugary selection—similar to the offerings at several other shops in the area—is unhealthy for neighborhood children, and are frustrated that the eatery is taking over a space previously occupied by five small local businesses.

The eatery also offers sandwiches, salads and burgers, to name a few, but for some neighbors, its focus on sweets is alarming.
“Kids go out to lunch,” said Joey Ronga, an Upper West Side resident. “They will be able to buy a lot of candy. I feel sorry for the teachers who will have to deal with the sugar rush and the crash.”

Sugar and Plumm would be one of many sweets-selling establishments on the Upper West Side. Within walking distance, pedestrians can find Crumbs Bake Shop, Insomnia Cookies, Sixteen Handles, Momofuku Milk Bar and ChocoBolo. “I don’t think we need any more chocolates and cupcakes,” said one passerby who declined to give her name.

But Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, thinks Sugar and Plumm’s opening will not amplify dietary and obesity problems on the Upper West Side.

“It’s hard for me to believe that one store will make much of a difference at this point, especially if it’s expensive candy,” Nestle wrote in an email.

A Sugar and Plumm spokesman said that the store’s bistro offerings make it different from an ordinary candy store, and healthy options are available as well.

For other locals, the store’s sugary offerings aren’t the main problem. Five local small businesses that used to occupy the portion of the street now taken up by Sugar and Plumm’s single storefront closed down last year because they weren’t given renewal options once their leases expired.

David Schatsky, an Upper West Sider who created the website StopSugarandPlumm.com and a Facebook page by the same name that attracted a small following of 48 “likes,” said these closings are his biggest concern.

“I don’t have any problem that they’re opening up,” Schatsky said. “I was opposed to the loss of the neighborhood shops. The shops that used to be there were providing useful services to the neighborhood, and I was concerned about the consolidation of five different shops into one large business. I was concerned about negative impact on the character of the neighborhood.”

Schatsky added that he created the anti-Sugar and Plumm website because he was displeased with the management’s original design proposal.

“It was the direct result of the owners of Sugar and Plumm presenting their design at the community board meeting,” Schatsky said. “The neighborhood was shocked at the design and the arrogance of the company’s management.”

The Landmarks Preservation Commission originally turned down Sugar and Plumm’s storefront design proposal, but after some changes to the plan—toning down the “cutesy” look and considering the neighborhood’s landmark character—the commission approved.

Leslie Richmond, another resident, is disappointed in the store’s opening, relating it to a larger trend she sees in the neighborhood of big-box stores driving out smaller local businesses.

“I think it’s either another Duane Reade or some high-priced cupcake shop,” Richmond said. “I think, where have all the shoe repairs gone? I grew up in this neighborhood, and I miss that. It’s kind of changing into a neighborhood I don’t really recognize.”

Upper West Sider Akshay Kamath, though, enthusiastically approves the store’s opening.

“Why not?” he asked. “You can never have too much [sweets]. It’s better than a closed, empty space.”

Ice cream, in its many incarnations, has long served as an antidote to scorching summer temperatures. Ladies of the Persian Empire sucked on grape juice poured over ice in the summer capital. In the early 10th century, blends of ice, milk and sugar were widespread throughout the largest Arab capitals. And, of course, first lady Dolley Madison famously introduced the confection to U.S. palates at her husband’s inaugural ball in March of 1813. It seems that wherever there is heat and hunger, ice cream will follow.

With the millionth heat wave of the season upon us, what better time to cool off with the finest frozen treats Downtown has to offer? We’ve scoped out the best in our neck of the woods and rated them accordingly on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest.

Check out our reviews, then tell us what you think at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-downtown. The winner of our readers’ poll will be featured in our Best of Manhattan issue this fall. In the meantime, we encourage you to embark on your own taste test.

—compiled by Alissa Fleck, Nick Gallinelli, Marissa Maier, Regan Hofmann and Adel Manoukian

Photo by Jonathan Springer.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
48 1/2 E. 7th St. (at 2nd Ave.), 718-701-1630,
vanleeuwenicecream.com

Flavor: 9
Inventiveness: 7
Value: 5
Brain Freeze Factor: 6
Melt Factor: 6
Presentation: 9

One of the many food-truck-to-shop conversions of the past few years, Van Leeuwen’s cafe in the East Village is a lovely place for a cup of coffee and a pastry. All cream walls and gold filigree, it’s reminiscent of an aristocratic sitting room—nothing like an ice cream parlor. But the ice cream is there, in all of its impeccably sourced, seasonal (hoping for the currants and cream flavor? Try again next year) glory. While big-ticket varieties like Maker’s Mark bourbon caramel and Ceylon cinnamon might steal the show, our favorite is the palm sugar, a luxuriously caramelized, almost molasses flavor that, somehow, isn’t too sweet. Top it with cacao nibs (unsweetened, roasted cacao beans) for a decidedly grown-up experience fit for a duke.

Photo by James Kelleher.

Grom Gelato
233 Bleecker St. (betw. Leroy & Carmine Sts.),
212-974-3444, grom.it

Flavor: 9
Inventiveness: 7
Value: 6
Brain Freeze Factor: 8
Melt Factor: 5
Presentation: 5

One NY Press reader recommended we try nocciola and tiramisu, which is what we ended up getting. We weren’t going to eat the whole thing, but then we couldn’t help ourselves. Grom’s gelato is understated and delicious, and the flavors blended well, though we wish they would have been a bit more distinct. The nocciola boasts Italian hazelnuts, while the tiramisu blends espresso, wheat biscuits and Colombian chocolate chips. A sign on the wall at Grom advertises “no preservatives, no colorants, no flavorings,” which comes across in the subtle flavor. We have nothing but praise for Grom’s gelato, even at $7.25 for two scoops.

Photo by Jonathan Springer.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St. (betw. Mott St. & Bowery), 212-608-4170,
chinatownicecreamfactory.com

Flavor: 10
Inventiveness: 9
Value: 8
Brain Freeze Factor: 7
Melt Factor: 8
Presentation: 5

The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory’s mascot is a dragon laughing gleefully over a dish of ice cream. He may be laughing at the number of tourists who come in there and stand, agape, trying to build up their courage to get the durian or taro ice cream—or maybe he’s just on a sugar high. The “exotic” flavors are the draw for a reason—if you want mint chip you can have it, but you really ought to go for the black sesame or the almond cookie. The place is covered with hand-written notes about new treats that are littered with exclamation marks; move fast and you might still be able to get Linsanity, blue and orange sprinkles and mochi balls, on your scoop.

Photo by Madeleine at Tiny Banquet Committee.

L’Arte del Gelato
75 7th Ave. (betw. S. 7th Ave. & Bleecker St.),
212-924-0803, lartedelgelato.com

Flavor: 8
Inventiveness: 9
Value: 8
Brain Freeze Factor: 6
Melt Factor: 9
Presentation: 5

With flavors like olive oil and frutti di bosco (forest fruit), this little artisan shop offers extremely creamy gelato that is surprisingly handmade in their store with whole milk instead of the usual cream. This doesn’t take away from the creaminess factor, however. The ice cream tastes fresh and may make customers wonder if actual ice was ever used at all in the recipe. The pistachio flavor offers a light, nutty aroma with few actual nuts. The interesting olive oil flavor seems rich with oil, making the gelato taste heavy. Two flavors will set you back $4.90—with all the traditionally Italian choices, make sure to stop by more than once.

Photo by Jonathan Springer.

Emack & Bolio’s
73 W. Houston St. (betw. Wooster St. & W. Broadway), 212- 533-5610, emackandbolios.com

Flavor: 9
Inventiveness: 10
Value: 7
Brain Freeze Factor: 2
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 10

A huge hub of different full-fat (yum), low-fat (kind of yum) and frozen yogurt (no yum), Emack & Bolio’s boasts an array of quirky-named flavors based on common oldies. We were recommended grasshopper pie by the shop’s well-informed employee, and the new variation on mint chip was satisfying and just creamy enough to taste rich but somewhat light. If you give it a try, its variety will keep you coming back for more. How could you doubt the people who were, supposedly, the first to mix Oreos into ice cream?

Photo by Jonathan Springer.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar
299 Bowery (betw. Houston & E. 1st Sts.),
212-933-5300, danielnyc.com

Flavor: 9
Inventiveness: 10
Value: 7
Brain Freeze Factor: 8
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 9

DGBG Kitchen & Bar is maybe not the place you would expect to go for ice cream, as their menu boasts 14 varieties of sausage, jazzed-up burgers and other fancy, meaty French fare. Nonetheless, their ice cream did not disappoint. We ordered the Apricot-Honey Sundae (two scoops ice cream, cookie crumble, candied pine nuts, honey-roasted apricot, thyme sauce, whipped cream; $9), but because they accidentally brought out a miniature size, they brought us a sampler including miniature versions of all three of their sundaes. The Chocolate-Hazelnut was a favorite (praline gelato, chocolate truffles, hazelnut cookies, chocolate fudge, whipped cream), but only held a narrow margin over the Raspberry-Mascarpone (anise meringues, ladyfingers, raspberry compote, whipped cream). These sundaes scored a solid 10 for creativity, and the wait staff didn’t even seem to mind that we were mostly there for a sugary fix.

Photo by Jonathan Springer.

Lula’s Sweet Apothecary
516 E. 6th St. (betw. Aves. A & B), 646-481-5852,
lulassweetapothecary.com

Flavor: 8
Inventiveness: 10
Value: 6
Brain Freeze Factor: 7
Melt Factor: 5
Presentation: 9

Remember when a soda fountain was basically a pharmacy—those glory days when Coca-Cola was a wonder cure and ice cream was health food? OK…us neither. But Lula’s Sweet Apothecary does, and this tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shop in the East Village is kitted out with all the glass jars and tiny-drawered cabinets of an old-fashioned drugstore. And while we know now that ice cream isn’t exactly a superfood, the offerings at Lula’s come as close as you can get—everything there is vegan. The ice creams, which rotate often, are made with soy, nut or coconut milks, as flavor dictates; anything with coconut is your best bet for an unbelievably creamy, slightly tropical escape. Build it into a sundae, flurry or banana split with sauces to choose from like gluten-free marshmallow and peanut butter, and tell yourself it’s all for your health.

Photo by Arnold Gatilao.

Momofuku Milk Bar
251 E. 13th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.), 347-577-9504, milkbarstore.com

Flavor: 8
Inventiveness: 8
Value: 5
Brain Freeze Factor: 5
Melt Factor: 7
Presentation: 6

Hailed by some as a gamechanger on the dessert front, Momofuku Milk Bar—an offshoot of David Chang’s Momofuku empire—was the brainchild of pastry chef Christina Tosi. With Milk Bar, Tosi has refined her amazing knack for making the lowbrow high in a subtly delicious way. The two flavors of soft serve in their East Village location change regularly; of the Blueberry Miso and Cereal Milk we tried, the latter is truly the standout. While the Miso interestingly mixes sweet and sour, Cereal Milk can only be summed up as tasting like childhood—familiar, yet surprising. It recalls countless mornings as a kid slurping down the sugary milk in your breakfast bowl after the Frosted Flakes had been devoured. We suggested pairing your soft serve with the cornflakes topping, which is more salty than the cereal you are accustomed to. Our only caveat of this truly heavenly dessert experience: the slightly too-small-for-comfort cups the ice cream is served in.

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

125 E. 7th St. (betw. 1st Ave. & Ave. A), 212-533-9333,
biggayicecream.com

Flavor: 7
Inventiveness: 8
Value: 5
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 8
Presentation: 7

With the moniker Big Gay Ice Cream Shop and offerings called the Salty Pimp and the Bea Arthur, what’s not to love about this East Village sweet shop? The shop pairs a sense of humor with winning soft-serve combinations, giving each cone character. A citrus lover might opt for the Mermaid, vanilla ice cream, key lime curd, crushed graham crackers and whipped cream, while a chocolate connoisseur will reach for the Monday Sundae, twist ice cream, nutella lined cone, dulce de leche, sea salt and whipped cream. We went for one of the shop’s most popular flavors: The Salty Pimp. On a hot day, a melting sugar cone of soft serve is usually an unwelcome byproduct of the heat. With the Pimp, however, the hard chocolate exterior perfectly mixed with ravines of caramel and vanilla ice cream.  While the ingredients are fairly standard, the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop has found its strong suit in unique flavor pairings.

Photo by Jonathan Springer.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato
188 Ludlow St. (betw. Houston & Stanton Sts.),
212-343-9922, laboratoriodelgelato.com

Flavor: 9
Inventiveness: 9
Value: 10
Brain Freeze Factor: 7
Melt Factor: 7
Presentation: 7

This “laboratory” offers unique flavors that change almost every week. The toasted almond is full of bits of nuts, making you crunch through every tasty bite. The mint is delicate, with flecks of mint leaves. Although the shop offers a wide variety, all their flavors have one thing in common: they’re not very strong or overwhelming. This isn’t your average Breyer’s, though—the gelato is chilly without the sting of ice and is good enough to cool you off without skimping on cream.

by Megan Bungeroth, Annie Denes, Whitney C. Harris, Jon Lentz, Adel Manoukian and Amanda Woods

In honor of the scorching heat and National Ice Cream month, we scouted out a half-dozen frozen treat purveyors on the Upper West Side to find out who’s got the best sweet and cold desserts. Going off the beaten path of national chains, our tasters sampled an array of types—ice cream as well as gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt—as well as flavors both classic and wacky to give our readers the inside scoop. But we want you to decide who’s got the very best frozen treats; vote for your favorite at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-uws.

Screme Gelato Bar
2030 Broadway, 212-362-2111,
screme.com
One scoop coconut gelato; $5
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 3
Value: 4
Brain Freeze: 5
Melt Factor: 1
Presentation: 2
Creaminess: 4

This gelateria uses whole milk instead of the usual cream gelato is made with, a good note for those conscious about their weight. The tiny café holds a minimal amount of flavors that occasionally change and are all unique. If you want a refreshing mojito, look no further: The place has a virgin mojito sorbet. It tastes identical to the drink, with flecks of spearmint leaves. Other interesting flavors include butter cookie, chocolate chip cookie, Snickers and Madagascar vanilla. Screme’s most popular flavor is the chocolate sorbet, probably because it tastes like ice cream but with fewer calories. Their coconut flavor had a nice hint of vanilla. Better save this place for a hot day, as the ice cream is very chilly—yet still creamy as it melts in your mouth. Take your gelato to go; the place has limited seating and no tables.

Emack and Bolio’s
389 Amsterdam Ave., 212-362-2747, emackandbolios.com
Small salted caramel chocolate pretzel ice cream; $4.50
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 5
Value: 5
Brain freeze factor: 3
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 4
Creaminess: 5

Emack and Bolio’s is a tiny shop, but that didn’t stop many customers, young and old, from stopping in on a Sunday afternoon to grab a few bites of their award-winning ice cream. Emack and Bolio’s has received a Best Dessert in New York City title and a Fruit Smoothie of the Week designation, among others. We tried the salted caramel chocolate pretzel ice cream—though it may seem unusual to combine the sweet and the salty, this is a must-try. The flavors of the chocolate-covered pretzel and the caramel swirl mix well together, and the creaminess of the ice cream doesn’t take away from the pretzel’s crunchiness. No need to worry about melting—this ice cream remained solid and cold, yet perfectly creamy, several minutes into eating it. Try the shop’s popular “Sundae in a Slice,” which looks like a pizza slice, made with a brownie crust, vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge and marshmallow. If you’re visiting with a group, be sure to try the Emack Attack, a gigantic 20-scoop sundae.

Grom.

Grom
2165 Broadway, 212-362-1837, grom.it/eng
One scoop each of dark chocolate, tiramisu and espresso bean gelato; one scoop of pink grapefruit sorbet; $8.25
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 4
Brain Freeze: 5
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 3
Creaminess: 5

The stark, clinical aesthetic of this Italian gelato emporium stands in odd contrast to the earth-hugger vibe the company brags about on the wall, proudly proclaiming their organic farm sourcing and recyclable and compostable materials. The flavors, too, belie the cold setting in their ingenuity and similarity to their namesakes. The dark chocolate gelato tastes exactly the way a premium chocolate bar would if it were somehow melted and frozen at the same time, with just a hint of bitterness. It’s best enjoyed along side a creamy, sweet flavor like tiramisu. The espresso gelato delivers a welcome jolt, and the egg-custard-based Crema di Grom flavor is delicious, if a bit too rich for a whole heaping cup. The sorbet selection is fantastic if only for its verisimilitude—the pink grapefruit is spot on and incredibly refreshing.

Épicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway, 212-595-0303,
danielnyc.com/epicerie
Pistachio-black cherry swirl, one scoop; $3. Dark chocolate and blue lemonade, one scoop of each; $6
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 3.5
Value: 4
Brain Freeze Factor: 5
Melt Factor: 4.5
Presentation: 3
Creaminess: 5

Start to finish, Épicerie Boulud is everything you would expect from Daniel Boulud. The décor is clean and modern, with the sleek gelato counter accessable from the sidewalk. The staff was friendly and, most importantly, the gelati were well-executed—creamy, flavorful and made with fresh ingredients. The pistachio-black cherry swirl, one of the most popular options, had the right balance of sweetness and nuttiness. Most surprising was the value. At $3 a scoop, you receive a sizeable portion of excellent gelato at the same price as an ice cream bar from a street vendor, making Épicerie Boulud well worth the trip.

16 Handles.

16 Handles
325 Amsterdam Ave., 646-861-1281, 16handles.com
10.7 oz of a Chocolate Love Affair-Coffee Break-Cookies & Cream blend, topped with brownie bites, cheesecake bites, chocolate-covered pretzels, cookie crumbs, Reese’s Pieces and milk chocolate caramel chunks; $6.05
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 3
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 3
Presentation: 5
Creaminess: 2

If you’re a control freak when it comes to frozen treats, rest assured: 16 Handles allows you to be the master of your own dessert destiny. This self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce frozen yogurt paradise lets you decide what, how much and in what delicious design your cold concoction is prepared. Not one to normally mix and match, I flew “off the handle” and combined three froyo flavors with myriad toppings, creating a symphony of chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and beyond. If you’re a fruit fanatic, 16 Handles offers green apple tart and pomegranate raspberry, begging to be topped with blackberries, kiwi, mango and more. But the urge to indulge needn’t be tempered—nutrition info is displayed above each flavor. Plus, without having to wait for some college kid to muscle your scoops into a cup or cone, you’re in and out of the store faster than you can calculate the calories.

Momofuku Milk Bar.

Momofuku Milk Bar
561 Columbus Ave., 347-577-9504,
milkbarstore.com
Pink lemonade soft-serve; $4.50. Pretzel milk shake; $6.
Flavor: 2
Inventiveness: 4
Value: 2
Brain Freeze Factor: 4
Melt Factor: 4
Presentation: 4
Creaminess: 3

Momofuku Milk Bar, known for its inventive baked goods and addictive pastries, also serves a limited menu of soft-serve ice cream and milk shakes. Sadly, the Upper West Side outpost of the much-talked about East Village original did not live up to the hype. The pink lemonade soft-serve was far too sweet and tart, tasting more like a powdered mix than real lemons and sugar.
The pretzel milkshake, made with cereal milk soft serve, pretzels, salt and chocolate, was too thin and tasted like a melted fudge pop, with just a hint of the cereal milk flavor.

Don’t forget to vote at nypress.com/best-ice-cream-uws!

By Courtney M. Holbrook

A slim, pale woman puffs away on a cigarette. A cloud of smoke rises from perfect red lips beneath a sign—“Marlboro Menthols, $10.75.”

A bright window advertises candy, snack food and soda brands. Wrapped around the display in bright green foil, white block letters read “KOOLS, KOOLS, KOOLS.” In the corner, a mint-green box of KOOLS lies next to the Snickers bars.

A long white cigarette pops out against a black background. With a high-tech look and clean colors, it could pass as an advertisement for an Apple product. Beneath the cigarette, large block letters scream out the message “SMOKELESS CIGARETTES.”

These advertisements show up on bodegas across the street from a children’s playground on the Lower East Side. Head down the street, and a customer can walk past Emma Lazarus High School and MS 131.

Take a walk through Chinatown, and make an attempt to buy cigarettes. Although it may not apply to every bodega, it is still possible to purchase cigarettes without receiving an ID check from the man or woman behind the counter.

Despite the increasingly severe crackdown on smoking in New York City, anti-smoking activists are concerned that kids in Lower Manhattan neighborhoods are still lighting up and getting hooked.

“Young people want to fit in and feel cool,” said Adam Steiner, a SmokeFree Project counselor at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in the West Village. “At a young age, kids are extremely vulnerable to the messages all over the place. And when it comes to smoking, they’re seeing these messages in stores right near their schools.”

According to Steiner, approximately 17,000 high school students in New York City smoke. Steiner says this high figure is due to the alliance between convenience stores and tobacco companies.

“Go to a Rite Aid or a bodega, and you’ll see the massive power walls of cigarettes,” Steiner said. “These power walls are displayed right in front of the candy bars. Why are they not under the counter? Kids shouldn’t see these products as normal things on sale.”

Such ads and displays are meant to be highly visible, but they are not illegal, however. As long as cigarettes are kept behind the counter, bodegas and convenience stores have every right to display them as they choose, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

“I am not doing anything illegal by selling my cigarettes to customers who are over 18,” said one bodega owner in the Lower East Side, who would only give his first name, Mohammad. “I ask for ID, I give them what they want. I don’t do anything illegal.”

The problem of legality may restrict customer complaints about tobacco advertising. If parents or other concerned community members have problems with the way bodegas are promoting their products, they can contact their community boards. These boards, in turn, contact the Department of Consumer Affairs or the District Attorney’s Office.

Community Board No. 2 encompasses Greenwich Village, NoHo, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, Hudson Square and Gansevoort Market. Bob Gormley, the district manager for Community Board No. 2, said they would have a problem with any youth-targeted advertising— f they were receiving complaints.

“We have not had a single complaint from anyone about the tobacco products or the advertisements in bodegas in our area,” Gormley said. “Obviously, if we did, we could contact the appropriate agencies.”

Gormley said that although it is “clear that tobacco kills, we haven’t heard anything from families or teachers complaining about their kids being sold or pressured to buy tobacco products from convenience stores.”

Marie Myman, a 22-year-old barista at Momofuku Milk Bar, grew up on the Lower East Side and started smoking when she was 12. Myman does not see her old smoking habits as the result of advertisements at convenience stores.

“I started smoking because I wanted to fit in with my older friends,” Myman said. “I thought smoking was cool because the older kids were doing it. We definitely weren’t looking to the posters on bodegas for signs that it was OK.”

However, Danny McGoldrick, vice president of research for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, insists that the “unholy alliance” with convenience stores has allowed tobacco companies to continue targeting youth.

“Since tobacco advertising is banned in most major media outlets today, tobacco companies have stepped up their game in marketing through convenience stores,” McGoldrick said. “[Tobacco companies] spend almost $10 billion a year to push their products in convenience stores and other retail areas … that’s more than 90 percent of their budget.”

The alliance between convenience stores and tobacco companies comes together with printed advertisements and point-of-sale marketing. According to the 2012 Surgeon General’s report released by the federal government, children tend to be more price-sensitive than adults; through point-of-sale marketing, tobacco companies and convenience stores offer price discounts and coupons that may encourage new smokers. These incentives also tend to occur in lower-income areas, where prices may be more of a concern.

“We know point-of-sale is where the vast majority of tobacco advertisement occurs,” McGoldrick said. “By making tobacco more affordable and accessible, [tobacco companies] have made it normal.”

The sense of “normalcy” that surrounds tobacco advertisements in convenience stores is the primary risk for children. From the time “you can walk into a bodega, you’re exposed to cigarettes. They’re everyday, and that is insidious … you may not realize what’s driving a kid to try that first cigarette, because it’s just a part of everyday life,” Steiner noted.

According to McGoldrick and Steiner, tobacco companies use their money to pressure convenience stores to display cigarettes in an open, positive way. Concerned parents may not even notice these advertisements. When approached about this topic, most bodega owners refused to comment.

Right now, the way to fight back lies in two corner —politics and economics. In the same way children are drawn to cigarettes through discounts, various anti-smoking groups recommend even greater price increases for cigarettes in New York City. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids also recommends that steps be taken to force tobacco companies to advertise in black and white text; by taking away colorful images, they hope to reduce the appeal for children.

“On a statewide level, we need to invest more of our budget into anti-smoking programs in schools, where so many anti-smoking initiatives may stop after elementary school,” McGoldrick said. “Right now, tobacco companies outspend states. … If we can get states to dedicate 15 percent of their budget toward tobacco prevention, we could really see changes.”

Steiner noted the real fight must take place before children begin smoking. Once they have started, the difficulty moves beyond the first problem of addiction, and toward legal problems.

“It’s beyond the fact that quitting smoking is so difficult,” Steiner said. “As someone who helps people quit, I can’t work with those under 18. I can’t offer them nicotine replacements, because they’re under 18 and it’s illegal to smoke and illegal to use products with nicotine that help you quit. So, it becomes incredibly difficult to help.”

For now, the convenience stores of Lower Manhattan continue to plaster cigarette advertisements on glass walls and behind counters stacked with bright boxes of tobacco products. But those in the anti-smoking community hope that someday those power walls will cease to exist, and tobacco companies will lose their supply of new customers.

“Kids may want to be cool and, at that age, they also think they’re indestructible,” Steiner said. “For that reason, we need to spread the awareness of what is going on. People need to know that the advertisements they see in their local bodega can be extremely dangerous.”