A Visit To Candyland

Dylan's Candy Bar: Welcome to Candyland
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"I would stand transfixed before the windows of the confectioners' shops, fascinated by the luminous sparkle of candied fruits, the cloudy luster of jellies, the kaleidoscope inflorescence of acidulated fruitdrops -- red, green, orange, violet: I coveted the colours themselves as much as the pleasure they promised me." ~ Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) French Existentialist, writer

I thought it would be fine. I thought it would be safe. I thought that taking a twenty year old to a candy store would not be a major problem, since she wasn't five or six or even ten. I thought we would go in, look around and be out in a matter of fifteen minutes, if that long. I was wrong!

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Dylan's Candy Bar, founded by the daughter of Ralph Lauren, caught Nyssa's fancy as soon as we walked in. Why not? Just inside the door was an ice cream shop with Ben & Jerry's products. Everything was "CANDY"!! Larger than life candy cane decorations and bin after bin of individual candies. Sour candy, licorice, bubble gum, candy cookies, chocolate of all kinds, exotic truffles, fudge, suckers; you name it, they had it.



At the top of a stairway was this large statue of a chocolate Easter Rabbit. What's that? More candy downstairs? This was our fatal mistake. The amount of candy upstairs was nothing compared to the candy downstairs. Here there were machines to fill your own Pixie Sticks, rows of dispensers for Jelly Belly eggs, M&Ms, and bins of Bubble Gum of all shapes and sizes.

One long wall was covered with PEZ dispensers, another revealed the nostalgic candy of my childhood.... Clove and Teaberry gum, Bit O'Honey, Good 'n Plenty and those bubble gum cigarettes that Dad would never let us buy. Not only candy, but colorful accessories, flip-flops, tank tops, t-shirts, umbrellas, baby clothes, and candy scented bath products. My favorite hung next to a wall of Marshmallow Peeps... a t-shirt boasting a lovely little Peep and the words... "Give Peeps A Chance." Dylan's even has a party room and a party was in progress while we were there. Can you imagine being a child with a party there? Everything sweet and gooey and a huge sugar high to go along with the birthday excitement!

Yes, my twenty year old baby went nuts in this place. We were there over an hour and a half while she tried to make up her mind. This isn't always easy for her to do even when faced with only two choices. Imagine what happened when the choices went up exponentially! But it was one of her favorite excursions in Manhattan. So, if you're ever there check Dylan's Candy Bar out. It is located at Lexington Ave. and 59th St. in Manhattan. We took the 2 subway from Brooklyn, changing to the 4 which let us off just outside the building.

As I leave you in a "sugar coma" or else pining away for one, here is a heartfelt wish:

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