It’Sugar: An Ornate Candy Store in NYC’s Upper West Side
It seems unlikely that Upper West Siders–including you, residents of Glenwood's Grand Tier and Regent luxury rental apartment buildings–missed the opening of the insanely bright, loud (aesthetically and music-wise), and awkwardly spelled It'Sugar, a completely bonkers NYC candy store that starting slinging its sweets in mid-August on Broadway and can be seen from ten blocks away. Not really, but close. But in case you were away, or haven't been in the market for the "World's Largest Gummy Worm!" or a cereal-sized box of Nerds, here's the scoop: It'Sugar is mall-ish, very strange, awesomely/amusingly/horrifyingly (depending on your perspective) over-the-top new addition to the neighborhood. Welcome?
It’Sugar Candy Store’s Opening Night in NYC
We stumbled across It'Sugar on, as it happens, opening night–like we said, you can't miss it, especially at night, on the not-exactly-happening block of Broadway between 61st and 62nd–and were kind of amused and appalled in equal measure by the craziness inside. You see, It'Sugar isn't really just a candy store in NYC, though it sells a ton of the stuff. It's more like a gag-gift store (five POUND gummi bear, anyone?), that uses somewhat disconcertingly Lolita-esque models for its branding (and tennis star Maria Sharapova for no apparent reason) and plays cheesy music at high volume, and has lots of, for example, Hello Kitty accessories, BUT also stocks some pretty excellent, even somewhat rare candy (Mallo Cups! Fruit Stripe Gum! Zagnut!). Slightly schizophrenic, to say least, but your favorite 12-year-old (etc.) is pretty much guaranteed to like it.
It’Sugar Is Not The First Candy Store of its Kind in NYC
After a bit of research we discovered that the new Upper West Side It'Sugar isn't even the first It'Sugar here in town–there are two tourist-bait shops in the Times Square area, and there are dozens more all over the world–but it is the first that seems to be targeting New Yorkers (and their children). And It'Sugar is worth a look just as goof, or, if you prefer, as an anthropological exhibition. Where else are you going to find a two-foot-long roll of SweeTarts, "novelty" Candy G-strings, Ranch-flavored Crickets (yes, really), 15"-long Rice Krispie Treats AND bags of Zotz? Nowhere else, thank goodness.
Visiting It’Sugar on the Upper West Side
It'Sugar is located on Broadway between 61st and 62nd Streets, and is open Sunday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday until 12:00 midnight. For more information and a look at the It'Sugar "menu," please see the It'Sugar website, here.
Posted in NYC Events | Tagged Candy in nyc • Candy store in nyc • Candy store nyc • Candy stores in nyc • Itsugar • Nyc candy store
