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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

'Eyesore' Block of Amsterdam Ave. Won't See Candy Store Until Spring

By Leslie Albrecht | December 5, 2011 1:21pm

UPPER WEST SIDE — An Upper West Side block riddled with darkened storefronts is showing signs of life, but one of its larger vacancies won't be filled until spring.

Sugar & Plumm Purveyors of Yumm, a candy store and restaurant, is slated to move into several empty storefronts on the east side of Amsterdam Avenue between 78th and 79th streets where locals have complained about a growing eyesore as a string of small businesses have shuttered and remained dark for as long as a year and a half.

The sweets emporium was originally scheduled to open this fall, but the opening date has been pushed back to early spring, a spokeswoman told DNAinfo.

The neighborhood blog West Side Rag reported that one local was so angry about the string of vacancies that they he or she posted stickers in the vacant windows that read, "This is a Neighborhood Eyesore."

Sugar & Plumm recently opened at the Bergen Town Center mall in New Jersey. The store has a candy counter, gift shop and full-service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; the Upper West SIde location will have the same components, a Sugar & Plumm representative said on Twitter.

On the same block, A.J.A. Locksmith, Marco shoe repair, Eye Q optometrist, Granny-Made clothing, and the 24-hour Shining Star diner have all closed in the last year and a half. The disappearing businesses have fueled local concerns about the loss of mom and pop stores in the neighborhood.

Pecan Cafe opened on the block in late November, taking over the space once occupied by Gavin Printing and Stationery.

Classic Kids photography studio also opened nearby on Nov. 28, according to the photo studio's Facebook page, replacing Italian butcher Ottomanelli Brothers, which closed in February.