CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- On Nov. 2, Herrell's Ice Cream in Harvard Square served its last scoops of sweet cream and mixed up its last coffee frappe (the New England name for milk shakes).

Open for 25 years, the slightly dingy shop with pastel murals of the jungle and wooden picnic-style tables had been a gathering spot for thousands of local high school and college students, local families, tourists and anybody else who wondered down Dunster Street away from Massachusetts Avenue.

Ice cream and Cambridge are not the most obvious pairing, but their compatibility has long since been established. According to Mo Lotman's "Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950," Massachusetts is the ice cream capital of America, and greater Cambridge might be the capital of the capital.

At one time Harvard Square had nine ice cream shops, and soft-serve ice cream was "launched" from Brattle Street. At Steve's in neighboring Sommerville, owner Steve Herrell (who would go on to found the Herrell's franchise) decided to offer a wide array of cookies and candy bars that could be mixed into his premium ice cream any way the customer requested, thereby inventing the "smoosh-in," or "mix in," style of ice cream.

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How to find ice cream in Cambridge

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The closing of the Harvard Square Herrell's -- the original store in Northampton and another in Huntington, Long Island remain open -- was certainly a sad day for Cambridge's ice cream lovers, but even the most devoted fans won't have to go far to nurse their sorrows over some great ice cream. Harvard Square alone has five other ice cream shops.

There still is no better city to take an ice cream tour.

The history-minded might start with J.P. Licks, located on Mass Ave directly across from Harvard Yard. It's a recent addition to the square, although the original location was founded by Vince Petryk in the Boston neighborhood Jamaica Plain in 1981.

In the Harvard Square outpost, astroturf covers the walls and students line up for local favorites such as sweet cream, black raspberry and cow trax (vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and miniature peanut butter cups), along with seasonal specialties, such as el diablo (chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne) and orange cranberry sorbet.

A few blocks away you'll find Lizzy's, another newcomer, which has the quaint feel of a soda fountain. There are make-your-own-sundae kits, lots of bright pastels and a rooftop statue of a reclining cow holding a double-scoop ice cream cone. Though there are a few unusual flavors on offer, save your sense of adventure for later and stick to the classics.

Toscanini's Ice Cream & Coffee in Central Square is an easy mile-and-a-half walk from Lizzy's, just far enough to work up an appetite for more ice cream. Founder Gus Rancatore got his start at the original Steve's, then went on to open Toscanini's in 1986. He's often asked why there's so much great ice cream in the Boston area, and he thinks a lot of it has to do with the large number of college students. "Ice cream is a perfect date for somewhat serious students who don't drink with the enthusiasm of other collegetown residents," he wrote in an e-mail.

When the shop opened, it served 16 kinds of ice cream, none of them really exotic. But Mr. Rancatore looked at the diversity of his clientele and decided that he wanted to offer more than just the usual chocolate, sweet cream and pistachio. He still carries superb versions of classics , but this is a place where it's worth trying something new. Among the specialities are burnt caramel or khulfee (an Indian flavor with cardamom and pistachio), but Toscanini's is always experimenting with new ingredients and combinations. Some recent options have included miso ice cream, salty saffron and pineapple red chile sorbet -- perfect for hot or cold weather.

Christina's in nearby Inman Square is another spot that offers a range of flavors. The original ice cream shop opened in 1983, but the current owner, Ray Ford, has been working at the shop since 1988 and bought it in 1993. Although it has few other frills, there is an astonishing range of ice creams. "In the late spring, summer, I love the fresh herb ice creams, the fresh mint, the fresh rose petal," said Mr. Ford. "This time of year, the pumpkin ice cream is great, I love the apple pie ice cream we're making right now, the concord grape sorbet."

Last summer, one of his favorites was burnt toast. Mr. Ford's love of food and different cuisines is also evident in the spice shop he opened next door seven or eight years ago. Packed with plastic bags of everything from Szechuan peppercorns to dried porcini mushrooms to authentic Tarbais beans, this store is worth a special trip in its own right.

Like Mr. Rancatore, he believes that Cambridge's diversity has a lot to do with why they can sell such uncommon flavors of ice cream. As for the sheer amount of ice cream? "I don't think there are as many cities that have as many good ice cream places."

An unquenchable desire for ice cream or a bevy of incredible shops -- who knows or cares what came first. Try a couple of scoops and you, too, may find yourself hunched over a cup, the sun beating down on your head, frantically spooning up ice cream before it melts, or shivering on a snowy evening, blissfully savoring every frozen bite.

In Cambridge, it's always a good time for ice cream.

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