Soft serve is special. For one thing, it's a destination dessert: It can't just be picked up at the bodega and kept for later — someone has to pull a tall swirl into a cup or cone to be eaten immediately.

And then there's the flavor. While vanilla or the classic swirl are the gold standards, plenty of oddball contenders are now available for our enjoyment. Toppings have gotten intricate, too, and move beyond the traditional — but still popular! — sprinkles and a chocolate shell. Dipped, crumb coated, sandwiched, plain, or featured in a float, here are the top places to find soft serve in NYC.

— Amanda Kludt, David Yee, Nick Solares, and Sonia Chopra also contributed to this map