Candy Shops in the Big Apple
I love candy, and in college, I discovered that only two degrees of separation come between the heir of Just Born (maker of PEEPS) and myself. I envisioned a future career in PEEP research (which I was already conducting via microwave), but then all my friends started applying to grad school and "real" jobs, so I tossed my dreams aside and became a teacher instead. Such is life, but luckily New York feeds my sweet tooth with options ranging from the old-school mom-and-pop shops to the flashier, sugar-high venues that suck away my last shreds of sanity.
You will not find the well-known chocolate heavens like Jacques Torres or Hershey's Times Square location here, but rather, less obvious places that specialize in sugary sweets and confections. Even though the upcoming, ambivalently regarded Valentine's Day is known for boxes of chocolates, mix it up this year -- grab some Nerds for your techie boyfriend, vegetable-flavored candies for that girl you want to dump, or some "chocolate babies" to drop the "I'm pregnant" bomb on your love.
[Photo]
Williams Candy Shoppe
1318 Surf Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
Coney Island usually conjures up images of Nathan's hot dogs, the rickety Cyclone, and the incomparable "Shoot the Freak," but a candy-maker cranking out confections … since 1937 still stands nearby. Candy and caramel apples are the sugary treat of choice, rounding out a nice afternoon of edible guilty pleasures and sunstroke-induced dehydration. [link]
The Sweet Life
63 Hester St
New York, NY 10002
This mom-and-pop shop's motto is "anything can be dipped in chocolate" ... reason enough to pay it a visit. One can buy hard-to-find Halvah, Turkish Delight, mint malt … balls, and Vellies -- vegetable jelly candies that come in flavors such as Tomato Basil, Beet, Carrot Ginger, and more. [link]
The Soda Shop
125 Chambers St
New York, NY 10007
In addition to being a purveyor of candy, the Soda Shop is a (new) old-fashioned soda fountain with jars of sweets, malted milkshakes, a menu of comfort foods, and a slew … of nostalgia. The candy prices, however, have changed with the times, so expect to spend $7 on a Wonka bar, teaberry gum and Nik-L-Nip wax bottles. (photo) [link]
Philip's Candy Shop
Sadly, the original outpost of Philip's opened in Coney Island in 1916 and closed in 2001 to make room for the Stillwell Avenue subway station, then subsequently moved to … Staten Island. All of the candy is handmade, including candy apples, fudge, taffy, and pink-candied popcorn. [link]
Economy Candy Market
108 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
Fewer and fewer Lower East Side venues can claim over 70 years of operation, but thankfully Economy Candy is one of them and continues to stay true to its name. Stock up … on Chocolate Babies, Fruit Stripe gum, Pixi Stix, and Bubble Gum cigarettes. [link]
Dylan's Candy Bar
1011 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10065
Back when I was just a silly tourist, I concluded that the Dylan's Candy Bar's wide array of M&M colors that I had never imagined, let alone seen, made New York the … best city in the world. Now I know that Dylan's is not only full of silly tourists and their sticky-fingered children, but its products are overpriced and its decor overdone. And yet, you've got to go once. [link]
Aji Ichiban
188 Lafayette St
New York, NY 10013
Although Aji Ichiban failed me when it was supposed to be open one Tuesday afternoon a week before Christmas, this Asian chain store has unique candies like sugar plums … (yes, they exist outside of The Nutcracker song), fruit gummies, and S'creams, pictured here. With Chinatown steals and deals nearby, the prices will seem steep -- but hey, anything to avoid setting foot on Canal Street! [link]
