Bungalow Bar facts for kids

Bungalow Bar was a special kind of ice cream that many kids enjoyed in New York City and nearby areas. It was sold from unique ice cream trucks and small shops during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. Imagine a hot summer day, and suddenly, a cool truck rolls by, selling tasty treats!

What Was Bungalow Bar?

Bungalow Bar was a popular ice cream brand. It was sold mainly in the New York City areas of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. You could also find it in Washington Heights in Manhattan. Beyond the city, it was available in Yonkers (Westchester County), Nassau County, and Deer Park (Suffolk County). Some trucks even served the Bushwick part of Brooklyn back in the 1940s.

The Unique Look of Bungalow Bar Trucks

The trucks that sold Bungalow Bar ice cream were very easy to spot. They were white and had rounded corners. What made them truly special was that they looked like tiny, moving bungalow houses. They even had a dark brown roof that looked like shingles. This unique design made them stand out from other ice cream trucks on the street.

Bungalow Bar vs. Good Humor

Bungalow Bar had a big competitor called Good Humor. Good Humor was a national company that also sold ice cream from trucks. One big difference between them was the price. A Good Humor ice cream on a stick usually cost 10 cents. But a Bungalow Bar treat was only 5 cents! This made Bungalow Bar a more affordable choice for many children.

Fun Songs and Rhymes

Bungalow Bar was so well-known that it even inspired fun songs and rhymes among kids. These were like playground chants or "folklorist songs" that children would make up and sing. They often had silly lyrics, like these examples:

• Bungalow Bar
• Tastes like tar
• Put it in a jar
• And throw it far

Another version went:

• Bungalow Bar
• Tastes like tar
• The more you eat
• The sicker you are

And in the Throggs Neck area, kids sang:

• Bungalow Bar
• Tastes like tar.
• They've got monkeys
• In their car.

These rhymes show how much Bungalow Bar was a part of childhood memories for many people growing up in New York City during those years.