With October 31st being just a few days away, I revisited an old blog post where I wrote about my favorite gourmet Halloween treats. Aside from making me seriously hungry (I mean, who doesn’t love indulging in brownies and sour gummies?), it inspired me to write about my go-to candy stores in NYC. These 10 places stand out for several reasons, a few of them being their vast selection of confections, the shop’s history and decor, and the warm and inviting vibe you feel upon entering. Below, I’ve written a small snippet on each shop and included a few relevant details like what they carry and where they’re located (some even offer shipping throughout the U.S). Next time you need a sugar fix, I highly suggest visiting one of these unique candy shops.
For more Halloween-related content, check out my list of Halloween movies to stream, read about my autumn traditions while I was living in Los Angeles, visit a haunted LA hotel, and here’s a DIY approach to throwing an elegant Halloween party.
As you step into The Sweet Shop of NYC, it feels like you’re stepping back in time. You can find retro candy (think Pop Rocks, Bubblelicious, candy necklaces, etc), along with handcrafted chocolates, artisanal bars, and jars filled with colorful gummies and licorice. They specialize in stocking their shelves with hard to find candy, so if you’re looking for something specific, they’ll go out of their way to track it down for you. The Sweet Shop of NYC is also known for their vast selection of freshly baked goods and freshly made ice cream and gelato. @thesweetshopnyc
Location: Upper East Side with local delivery available.
William’s Candy Shop has been a Coney Island staple for the last 80 years. As you enter, the aroma of chocolate, candy apples, and sweet nuts mixing together will certainly make you hungry. This vintage shop has such a feel good old school vibe that I can picture generations before me stopping in for sugary sweets. No matter when you visit, you’ll find carnival style favorites like fresh cotton candy, ice cream, candy apples, and popcorn. @williamscandy1
Location: Coney Island
Fferins is a family owned candy store that sells a variety of retro sweets like Whatchamacallits, Razzles, and Candy Cigarettes, mixed with everyday favorites like M&Ms, Jelly Belly, and Sugar Babies. They also have handcrafted sweets and chocolates, UK-imported goodies, DIY chocolate kits, gifts, and more. @fferins_bk
Location: South Slope, Brooklyn.
If you’re looking for authentic imported Swiss chocolates, visiting Teuscher is a must. In the heart of Midtown at Rockefeller Center this high end shop carries an array of luxurious confections. However, they’re most known for their truffles, which come in heavenly flavors like champagne (made with Dom Perignon), milk chocolate, buttercrunch, seasonal varieties, and others. They also have a vast selection of fruit and nut filled chocolates, pralines, marzipan, chocolate bars, chocolate cigars, cookies, nuts, jams, and gift boxes. @teuschernyc
Location: Upper East Side, Midtown, and various shops throughout the world. They also have online ordering available.
When it’s late at night and you’re craving something sweet or something savory head to Ray’s Candy Store, which is always open. Ray’s has been mentioned in several books, films, TV shows, and songs. During the 1970s and 1980s, it was heavily frequented by the East Village punk rock crowd (CBGBs was less than a mile away). While they don’t actually sell candy, they do serve up delicious items like Belgian fries, ice cream, milkshakes, mozzarella sticks, egg creams, hot dogs, deep fried Oreos, and beignets (just to name a few). @rayscandystore
Location: East Village
Before Billy and I moved to New York City, we vacationed here during the holidays each December. One of my highlights of our trip was shopping at Dylan’s Candy Bar on the Upper Eastside. In fact, last fall when we were apartment hunting, I made a point of visiting and purchasing chocolate covered Oreos and a bento box which I promptly ate in our hotel room later that night. I just found out that location has closed but luckily there are others in the city. The iconic shop has a little of everything (I should say “a lot” of everything). From their own brand of sweet confections and decadent chocolate to well-known brands, you can easily spend an hour or more looking around. They even have candy that was popular during each decade. @dylanscandybar
Locations: Hudson Yards, Soho, and storefronts throughout the U.S. Online ordering is also available.
A Staten Island staple since the 1930s, Phillip’s Candy makes mostly everything from scratch. You can find an assortment of taffy flavors, licorice, and gummies, and other sugary treats like popcorn, cotton candy, cake pops, caramel apples, and tons more. Aside from how good everything tastes, what stands out are the super affordable prices. @philipscandy
Location: Staten Island
Whenever a gift giving occasion arises and I’m not sure what to get the person Sugarfina is a safe bet. From their alcohol-infused chocolates to their colorful gummies, stopping in here for their luxurious sweets is also aesthetically pleasing. They have seasonal holiday candies, gifts for the coffee connoisseur, a cookie collection, brand collaborations (right now, The Simpsons x Sugarfina), and tons of clear boxes filled with brightly colored candy. I love how they keep their most popular flavors while rotating in new ones. Trust me, their bento boxes will make any recipient happy (even yourself)! @sugarfina
Locations: Midtown, Financial District, Soho, and Tribeca. You can also find Sugarfina at various retailers like Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Paper Source, Nordstrom, and Balducci’s. They also ship throughout the U.S.
What started in the 1930s as a small candy stand has grown into a shop that carries over 2,000 sugary items. They say if it exists you’ll be able to find it at Economy Candy (or on their website) and that’s not an understatement. There are tons of sweets you probably haven’t thought about in years, but as soon as you come across them, you’ll be transported back to your childhood. @economycandy
Location: Lower East Side. They also have online ordering and ship throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
I first became aware of Jacques Torres Chocolate on an episode of the original Gossip Girl. “Winter in New York, a Gossip Girl checklist to surviving the cold: cashmere stole for ice skating at Wollman Rink, Jacques Torres hot chocolate for window shopping the holiday displays and the perfect date to the senior Snowflake Charity Ball.” XOXO,—Gossip Girl.
Last December, the day after a historic snowstorm, Billy and I visited for the first time before continuing on to Bloomingdales and then Central Park. Aside from the seasonal chocolates and hot cocoa, you’ll find milk and dark chocolate, champagne truffles, bonbons, cookies, macaroons, and plenty of gift boxes filled with these delectable sweets. @jacquestorreschocolate
Locations: Midtown, Dumbo, and Upper Westside. Online ordering is available and they ship throughout the U.S.
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