More is More

I've often heard the term "less is more," a claim that minimalism and simplicity make for better design. A perfunctory Google search found that the phrase is originally attributed to poet Robert Browning who, in 1855, wrote:

Who strive - you don't know how the others strive
To paint a little thing like that you smeared
Carelessly passing with your robes afloat,-
Yet do much less, so much less, Someone says,
(I know his name, no matter) - so much less!
Well, less is more, Lucrezia.

When it comes to New York City, though, more is more. Everything is bigger, brighter, noisier, busier. For the past two weeks I have sweat more, walked more and shopped more than I have all year. And apparently the city is embracing this concept and centering its marketing campaign around the word "more" - more to see, more to do. And perhaps it was the incredible East Coast heat and humidity, or the fact the I am currently dairy-free and more prone to notice, but I am fairly certain that NYC has more ice cream trucks than any other city in the nation.

When I first moved to Seattle it was still summertime and I remember the first ice cream "truck" I encountered. Since then I've seen all sorts of ice cream selling vehicles. Here are a few examples:



Ice cream for sale at the Fremont Solstice Parade








An ice cream van in Green Lake Park





While these sightings are relatively rare around Seattle (is it true that Molly Moon's has an ice cream truck this summer?), nearly every park, alley or street corner in New York has its own ice cream truck. In honor of National Ice Cream Month and Day I've compiled an album of NYC ice cream trucks. At first I took a picture of one to show to my friends in Seattle. Then each time I passed another I felt compelled to photograph it too. I couldn't help myself, but more is more, right?