The Sweet Life
“The dried fruits are always really fresh and moist and include hard to find dried guava, blueberries and strawberries.”
“I love this place; anytime I am near Chinatown or the Lower East Side I always stop by!”
“Dark chocolate caramel coated marshmallow with sea salt is a winning choice.”
The Sweet Life
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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This is a great, somewhat out of the way tiny spot for sweets that has been in business since 1982!
One of my favorite things here is the chocolate-dipped marshmallows on a stick studded with mini-M&Ms. If you love chocolate, you will love this shop. It is a little pricey but offers a huge variety of nuts, marshmallows (lemon flavor? s'mores flavor? peppermint flavor? anyone?) and food knick-knacks. that will make you want to buy them all up. You will be amazed at the array of goods offered in such a small space.
The Sweet Life is more pricey and smaller than Economy Candy nearby, and kind of like an eastern outpost of LiLac, but with more variety.
I was on the hunt for a present for my sister and she was looking for caramel marshmallows. This candy shop just so happens to carry Hammond's Caramel Covered Caramels. They are $1.25 each which is pricy but if you are looking for an extra special sweet gift, this place has a lot to choose from.
The store also carries dried fruits, nuts, jelly beans, various chocolates, and novelty confections. It's a small store but they make good use of space.
The service wasn't particularly warm but efficient and knowledgeable about the products. Yes it's pricey but if you are looking for something special, this place has it! I probably wouldn't go back if I just needed regular jelly beans though.
A one-stop shop for Chocoholics and candy fanatics alike. A foodie friend and I encountered this place en route our foodie adventure. As we were walking, she suddenly stopped her tracks to admire the homey exterior of The Sweet Life. A second later the syllables for "Let's go in!" forms from the corners of her mouth.
In we went.
We were instantly greeted by a friendly woman behind the counter. My eyes were wide with wonder and excitement as I observed the interior of this quaint shop. Piles upon piles of chocolates and European candy everywhere! Prices ranged from decent to expensive. I grabbed some chocolate barks(milk chocolate break-up & dark chocolate w. mixed nuts), chocolate-covered pretzels, and two truffles from upfront. The chocolates in general tasted alright, but I've had better. The milk-chocolate break up bark was too sweet that my tooth hurt. Just as I was about to eat the chocolate truffles on the spot, I found a piece of hair, which seems to have accidentally gotten into the paper bag. The cashier immediately replaced them with no questions asked. My friend found and eventually bought an assortment of chocolate that looked like little rocks in one corner(they don't seem to sell those at the Asian supermarkets anymore)of the store. She also got to sample one of the candies, which is a plus.
Located in a quieter part of Chinatown, with its abundance of confectionery, The Sweet Life does not fail to satisfy the sugar cravings of anyone who happens to be in the area.
i remember going to a candy store on hester street many many years ago and got a chocolate-covered marshmallow skewer. recently during my adventure in LES, i stumbled upon this place again.
when you first step in, you will be greeted by sweet smell of candies and chocolates. the place is smaller than economy candy, but seems to be well-stocked too. i got a milk chocolate softee (chocolate-covered marshmallow) and it was just as good as i remembered. only downside, four marshmallows many years ago vs. two marshmallows now. but it's ok, inflation and all, plus i need to eat healthier. lol. brother also tried the red velvet caramel, very nice too.
the staff was really friendly and i enjoyed my visit. and also so glad to finally cracked the mystery of the candy store!
This candy store has been a hidden haven of sweets in the Lower East Side and its also one of the few remaining old-fashioned candy stores in the city.
I came here on several occasions to purchase sweets in the past and I still remember coming here after school to purchase candy after my middle school days which was about 10 years ago. The staff here are very friendly and are always open to questions, so be sure to ask away with you're unsure about something. There's also a huge array of sweets ranging to chocolates to dried fruits. My personal favorites would be the homemade smores chocolates by the register and the chocolate covered marshmallows by the cash register.
Would I come back? I've already been here multiple times.
A friend took me to this store today, and it's yet another small neighborhood gem that I'd been unaware of. The store has been there for many years and I loved it as soon as I walked in the door. The selection is incredible for such a small space (but somehow it doesn't feel too cluttered). I was instantly drawn to the fudge and a few other goodies (sinful, but really worth it). They also sell loose teas and a great selection of cooking wines; in particular, I was fixated on the *peanut butter* wine (it's too bad I don't cook or bake)….one of the owners was there and he was very pleasant. I've already developed somewhat of an obsession for this store and I'll certainly be returning.
I love this place for the little randomness you can find in each of the corners of this store. No matter who I am shopping for, including myself, there is always something to find and something to surprise to make it a special trip.
My latest recommendation Casali's Schoko-Bananen: basically chocolate covered banana candy.
my friend told me about this place today and I just had to check it out. being a type 1 diabetic, I was curious about their sugar free selection (which is great, btw), but ended up spending way too much money on weird nostalgic candies and jellybeans. I also bought a bottle of rose syrup to use in home made cocktails – they have TONS of flavors (thinking of going back for the passion fruit actually).
OH, and the jelly bellys they have rule – Dr. Pepper, Tabasco, 7up, mango chili, Coldstone apple pie, awesome flavors!
I noticed they also had curried cashews which looked delicious, and I just had to pick up some pumpkin pie fudge for my husband while I was there.
The nostalgic and international candy is great too – they have satellite wafers! These are straight up like body of christ wafers with little candy beads inside. They have Bible Bars which contain the 8 foods in Deuteronomy, ha! and challah marzipan!
really great shop for unique gifts and and some old fashioned candy. the only thing that costs this review a star is the fact that one of their packages of Pop Rocks was really stale and stuck together – looked to be about a century old. I'm sure, because of the tons of candy kept stocked, they tend to let some things expire here and there – I'd recommend sampling the bulk items before buying.