Daily What?! What’s This Wild West Style Candy Store Doing in NYC’s Financial District?

You might catch a glimpse of this Wild West-style candy store just outside the entrance to 77 Water Street in the Financial District and think it’s one of New York City’s real estate holdouts, built around with skyscrapers. But actually, it’s the quirky addition of an oddball developer named Melvyn Kaufman. In fact, 77 Water Street is full of surprising finds, including an astroturf runway on the roof adorned with a World War I-era model fighter plane.

Inside the candy store is your standard New York City bodega, except that there are some additional vintage details inside: a stained glass Coca Cola lamp, an old cash register, and a horseshoe-shaped counter. The current proprietors are a little cranky though–no photos inside, although one employee was face planted asleep on top of the counter.

Still, it’s a fun visit from the candy striped awning to a surprise batch of vintage posters on the side wall. See more of the quirky work of Melvyn Kaufman here.

et in touch with the author @untappedmich. See more quirky NYC facts and discoveries in our “Daily What?!” series. Submit your own via Twitter with the hashtag #DailyWhat.