1 Economy Candy is a downtown staple.
2 Love the cheeky vintage sign - more treats inside!
3 Jawbreakers - better known as Everlasting Gobstoppers, for those of you who've read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
4 I can always appreciate an "Old Time Favorite" in any category - design, music, film... but especially candy.
5 Pina Colada Jelly Beans? Where's the Cabernet?
6 These lollipops are great - but wait until you see what Papabubble has in store...
7 This sign is just too much! I had to take a photo.
8 Ok, maybe not the "World's Largest Necklace," but certainly the biggest candy necklace I've ever seen.
9 With a window display like this, Economy Candy is irresistible.
10 It was only natural to make a trip to Papabubble next!
11 Don't mind if I do!
12 "Candy, Candy, Candy..." - it's like they can read my mind.
13 Lollipops come in small, medium, and large. I'll take the large, thanks.
14 Papabubble has an impressive line-up of hard candies. They come in a variation of lollipops, candy sticks, candy rings, "pillows," and "pebbles," a softer crumblier variation of the hard stuff.
15 Clean, simple, and useful design is the perfect match for a business that takes the art of candy making to the next level.
16 Yes, they DO gold leaf candy rings. Need I say more?
17 Their candy jars are filled with fun mixes, such as: Fruit, Morris (little of everything), I Heart NY (5 borough mix), Acid Drops (sours), Soda Filled (fizzy mix), Heart (fruits + herbal mixes), and Math (1-9 and equation symbols).
18 Lovely candy sculptures.
19 Papabubble will make custom candies with full names upwards of 4 characters in length!
20 Even the lollipops can be personalized with monograms and names. They also make pops in the shapes of people and numbers.
21 I have a sneaking suspicion that the fool's gold in my office may soon be replaced with a chunk of Papabubble's rock candy.
22 The gals who opened the NY shop grow their own rock candy in the basement. This particular exhibit is the work of New Mexico-based artist Erica Browne.
23 Fiona, one of Papabubble's NY partners, and Jelly are hard at work making a custom order.
24 Every day they put out samples. I absolutely loved the Mango Chile candies - I've never had anything like it!
25 It's almost too pretty to eat.
26 I left the shop with a jar of their special "Summer Fun Mix" candies.
27 It includes a mix of anchors, ships, octupi, and life preservers.
28 Here's their fruit mix - beautifully detailed.
29 If you don't already love Papabubble, their special "Heart Mix" will do the trick.
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Two things that anyone can appreciate are a good deal and delicious candy. Enter the very aptly named Economy Candy Market, located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. This shop is overflowing with an extensive variety of candy (both US made and international), and it’s not short on nostalgia, either – Clark bars, Sugar Babies, Jaw Breakers, they have all of the classics! Make sure your will power is in tact when you visit – trust me, you’ve been warned!
Of course, I hadn’t had my fill when I left Economy, so I decided to swing by Papabubble, a lovely specialty candy shop also located in downtown New York. Papabubble’s history is almost as sweet as their candies. In 2003, founders Tommy Tang and Chris King opened their first location in Barcelona, and have since spread their art of candy making internationally – opening additional locations in Amsterdam, Tokyo, and New York. Walking into their New York location, I was immediately swept off my feet by the intoxicating smell of sugar. After regaining all of my other senses, I noticed their incredible décor. The shop is reminiscent of a classic, tidy apothecary, with simple white tiles and science beakers lining the back wall. It is a perfect backdrop for their playful and vibrant candies – which are truly stunning works of art. Something about this place really sparks the imagination. Yes, their candies are a delight – but the real treat is in seeing and experiencing the great pride and care that goes into their candy-making trade.
Economy Candy Market 108 Rivington St(between Essex St & Ludlow St)
New York, NY 10002
(800) 352-4544
Hours:
Mon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Papabubble
380 Broome St(between Mott St & Mulberry St)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 966-2599
Hours:
Tue-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Trish | 8/24/09 at 4:22 pm
Hi Kevin,
I have a feeling you like hard candy more than chocolate. I know I do but....it is not good for my teeth and they are starting to show it so be careful with all that crunching! Oooh, that jar of Summer Fun hard candies and the licorice in picture #25 is making my mouth water! That is my favorite licorice and those large suckers, yum! My son never cared for them so I always got to eat his too. (So sad!) It must be fun to do all that sample tasting too. Well, thanks for a fun and tasty blog. I could go for one of those suckers right about now! Trish
From: Anette birkeland | 6/1/10 at 6:04 am
Oh, I´d love to take my kids to these places! They love this sort of stuff! Personally I´m a chocoholic, so my favourites here was the signs they put up. How cute and funny!
From: Anette birkeland | 6/1/10 at 6:11 am
We actually know a French version of this kind of place, in Lyon. It is crammed with all kinds of regional specialties from different regions of France. And everything is beautifully made and wrapped in old fashioned boxes/ribbons/cellophane. I think you would love it too.
And as a chocoholic - if you like chocolate and ever go to France, make sure to get a copy of "le Guide du Club des Croqueurs de Chocolats". It´s the chocolate version of the Michelin Guide! Its fabulous - I never go to Paris without it!