How Sweet IT Is: Adventures at Dylan’s Candy Bar

Dylan Lauren (Designer Ralph’s little girl) is the equivalent of Willy Wonka for today’s generation.  Her three-story candy emporium located on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan is a treat for all your senses. My daughter and I spent the afternoon smelling freshly spun cotton candy, spotting gummy candies encased in the store’s Lucite staircases, and listening to a music soundtrack of classics about lollipops, candy and sugar babies. Even when crowded into the store with a tour bus of excited international visitors on a Sunday afternoon, it was impossible not to smile and sing along with the music.

The ground level of Dylan’s Candy Bar is packed full of bin candy options where one can purchase by the pound and an overwhelming variety of gummy, sugar and chocolate creations – gummy whales, sweet tarts shaped like Legos, chocolate covered everything you can imagine. On this particular day, there was also a chocolate fountain where you could order freshly dipped marshmallow treats. Additionally, Dylan’s Candy Bar special labels many of their own items, such as boxes of chocolate-dipped animal crackers, tee shirts, and huge Shirley Temple-sized lollipops.  Whether you choose to shop or not, the candy displays are a treat for the eyes. Lollipops grow out of tree displays mirroring the larger-than-life glass lollipop light fixtures that spring out of the ceiling.

Walk down the candy-filled staircase to the lower level and you enter a larger area separated into several zones – classic candies, baby shower gifts, apparel and bedding, make-your-own Pixie Sticks and a museum-like wall of the candies favored by celebrities that have been spotted at the Candy Bar. My little girl and I excitedly made our way through aisles of sugary options from both yesteryear and around the world. Great gift items include candy time capsules – with old faves like Pop Rocks, Bottle Caps, candy cigarettes, candy paper dots, candy necklaces and watches and bubble gum cigars. In the back we found an old-fashioned bathtub filled with gum balls, and oversized fortune cookies in pink and blue for new baby presents.  With Easter around the corner, there were large displays of assorted blue, yellow, pink and purple marshmallow Peeps. Unique gifts such as bags made out of folded candy labels, and a new line of toys by Alex Toys and Dylan’s Candy Bar feature color-in-your own candy adorned backpacks.

The third and uppermost level of the store is scheduled to open in the spring of 2011. Here Dylan will house her café and private party rooms.

Dylan’s Candy Bar is located at 1011 Third Avenue (at East 60^th Street) Right across the street from Bloomingdale’s.  If you can’t get to NYC, Dylan is opening up other stores, including Orlando. Check out www.dylanscandybar.com for store locations/hours and ordering items online.

That’s IT Mommy NYC, Jill

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