Growing up in Brooklyn during the 1980s, the neighborhood candy store was more than just a place to grab a treat, it was a ritual, a destination, and practically a second home.
I’d race there with my allowance in hand, eyes wide and nose pressed against the glass, mesmerized by the rainbow of sugary options.
But not every sweet lived up to its flashy wrapper. Some vintage candies delivered nothing but sticky disappointment, while others became nostalgic icons that still stir cravings decades later. Join me on a trip down memory lane as we revisit the sweet hits, and hilarious misses, of a Brooklyn childhood.
1. Candy Cigarettes: Sweet Sticks of Regret
My fifth-grade teacher confiscated these chalky white sticks when half our class pretended to smoke during recess. Marketed as harmless fun, candy cigarettes now make most New Yorkers cringe at the thought of products encouraging kids to mimic smoking…