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Dot couple brings ice cream to Field’s Corner

Chill on Park carves out cool gathering spot

Matt Robinson
Dot couple brings ice cream to Field’s Corner
Mayor Martin Walsh cuts the ceremonial ribbon on the Chill on Park ice cream parlor. (Photo: Matt Robinson)

As the third generation of his family to live and/or work in the neighborhood, Alan Issokson knows Fields Corner.

“My family has been here since 1923,” he says, recalling his great-grandfather’s clothing store and the H. Levenbaum Insurance Agency that he now runs and his grandfather founded. “We made our business out of being here.”

Having sold pants and policies to generations of neighbors, Issokson has a strong sense of community and of what his community needs. So when the barber shop on the ground floor of his family’s office building moved out, Issokson and his wife Wendy decided to make a move of their own.

“We had a vision of a young and fresh, but homey and classy place,” Alan explains. “Like a renovated Victorian home in the neighborhood.”

The result is Chill on Park (Twitter handle: @ChillonPark), a new ice cream store and community gathering spot at 142 Park Street, just steps from the Fields Corner T stop and the heart of the neighborhood.

“Our mission is to have a really comfortable place in the neighborhood where people can come hang out, meet friends and treat themselves” says Wendy.

With its combination of reclaimed woods and chalkboard walls, Chill offers just enough old school to appeal to long-time residents and just enough flair to attract younger customers. As the shop is near many schools, a senior center and the MBTA, it attracts a wide range of customers, many of whom just drop by or make a special trip to taste another of the 32 homemade flavors.

“We want to be part of the fabric of the community,” Alan adds. “We want people to feel that this is their place.”

In addition to giving their neighbors a place to meet, eat, and — as the name suggests — chill, the Issoksons also hope to give their community support in other ways. While they have plans to sponsor sports teams (as they have for years through the insurance agency), one of the most profound examples of their community commitment is the fact that all of their staff are from the neighborhood, including many from the local Boys and Girls Club and the Louis Brown Peace Institute.

“For many of the kids, this is their first job,” Alan notes. “You cannot minimize the impact of having a first successful job.”

Jenn Nesmith is a 21-year-old neighbor who now serves as an assistant manager at Chill.

“Many people are happy to have an ice cream shop in the neighborhood,” Nesmith observes. “It’s nice to see customers becoming regulars.”

The ability to support area youth is especially gratifying for Wendy, who has a background in sociology and criminal justice and who was looking for a new positive way to support teens and others after years of working in halfway houses and prisons.

“It has given her a chance to mentor these kids in unexpected ways,” Alan says of his wife, “and to set the foundation for future employment and hopefully college.”

While youth are certainly being served at Chill, the shop is also a great place for older neighbors and has already hosted a number of business meetings and other community events. This summer, Chill on Park has been expanding an enticing invitation to families through a series of “Family Night Tuesdays” in July and August, at which guests can enjoy specially-priced ice cream and toppings, as well as balloons and gifts, and a pair of special “Ice Cream Socials.” Guests can have their smiling, ice cream-covered faces painted while enjoying special discounts and even back-to-school-themed gifts.

“We love seeing families come together,” Alan says.

In addition to supporting the customers and their community, the Issoksons are also working to support other food purveyors in the area.

“Our Coffee comes from Sudbury, our tea from Watertown, ice cream from Roslindale and bakery items from Roxbury,” Alan explains, noting that customer requests have encouraged new offerings ranging from chocolate chips as a topping to vegan muffins. “We will do our best to make our customers happy!”