Experiential retail is on the rise and New York City is a hotbed for this trend – which is becoming a mainstay – thanks to its popularity as a tourist destination. After debuting this Spring in Santa Monica, California, the pop-up Candytopia is now at Penn Plaza, 145 W. 32nd St., for a limited engagement. The Instagram-quasi-amusement-park walks you through Willy Wonka-like gates, a tiny “Harry Potter”-like village and into sugar heaven, where everything is made out of candy. Highlights include a swimming pool filled with about half a million giant marshmallows; confetti that bursts out of unicorn-pig hybrids; a candy-covered Sphinx sculpture; and candy recreations of such artworks as the “Mona Lisa,” Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” and Rodin’s “The Thinker.” More exciting yummy places to pose include Jacques Torres Chocolate Choco-Story NY at 350 Hudson St.; The Egg House on the Lower East Side, 195 Chrystie St.; and the Museum of Pizza, coming this fall to 718 Broadway in NoHo.
By Faith Hope Consolo, Douglas Elliman Real Estate