Thursday, January 23, 2025

An afternoon with Ray

Photos by Stacie Joy 

This month, Ray Alvarez turns 92, and 2025 marks the 51st year in business for his NYC institution — Ray's Candy Store.
I stopped by the shop on Avenue A and spent a recent afternoon with Ray as he diligently worked on orders of deep-fried Oreos (sorry, we can't share the recipe!), beignets, and other specialties of the house...
... and chatted with customers...
Ray's Candy Store is at 113 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.
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17 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2025 at 5:52 AM

    We ❤️ you Ray always!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnnieJanuary 23, 2025 at 11:47 AM

    Way to go, Ray!

    ReplyDelete
  3. editrrixJanuary 23, 2025 at 11:48 AM

    Ray is THE BEST. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 92 years young!!! Now everybody stop in for a delicious snack.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JKJanuary 23, 2025 at 3:30 PM

    this Ray guy seems alright

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dan perinoJanuary 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM

    Thank you for all your years in business!!!!
    We can Thank Trump for getting illegal immigrants out of nyc so people can live safely and stay in great businesses like Ray's.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jauntyJanuary 24, 2025 at 12:32 AM

      Seriously? Do you know anything at all about Ray? Grieve, please consider blocking the account I’m replying to here.

      Delete
    2. DrGeckoJanuary 24, 2025 at 7:48 AM

      don't feed the troll

      Delete
    3. ExterminatorJanuary 24, 2025 at 9:59 AM

      Dan Perino, you should wipe the orange off your tongue

      Delete
    4. #DONTEVERCALLMEBROJanuary 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM

      Totally agree with jaunty. This perino MAGA knows NOTHING about Ray.

      Delete
    5. mvdJanuary 24, 2025 at 6:56 PM

      Don't engage, folks. Mr Marino is a troll.

      Delete
    6. Dan perinoJanuary 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM

      Have you all lost your minds!!!!

      Delete
  6. #DONTEVERCALLMEBROJanuary 24, 2025 at 8:22 AM

    I went to 2 of Ray's B-Day parties that were held at his store. As I recall one had "entertainment".

    No comment. (:

    ReplyDelete
  7. jJanuary 24, 2025 at 11:55 AM

    Happy birthday,

    ReplyDelete
  8. MarkJanuary 25, 2025 at 6:45 PM

    I've lived in the EV since the spring of 2010. Anyone who has met this dear man, and who has patronized his store, knows what a treasure he is to our beloved neighborhood. Dan P : do some soul searching in trying to respect these very immigrants who are what make NYC what it is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan perinoJanuary 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM

      I am all for legal immigrants coming here. Ray is an asset to our community and isn't committing crime like illegal immigrants.
      People abuse and use the acronym maga to call me a racist without even knowing me. ( as seen above) .

      Delete
    2. ExterminatorJanuary 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM

      Hey Dan, as soon as you said thank Trump you lost all credibility. You showed your true colors, orange.

      Delete
  9. #DONTEVERCALLMEBROJanuary 26, 2025 at 2:07 PM

    "and isn't committing crime like illegal immigrants"

    So I guess you're not a troll but you are a 100% MAGA who breaks out this false racist trope (as Trump does all the time) that illegal aliens (BTW their legal status alone is a civil violation rather than a criminal offense) are the major cause of crime in this country. And I will repeat, as a EV lifer here (East 14th Street address) who, as I have noted, has been invited to Rays' B-day parties, you know nothing about Ray so please stop using his name as a reference for your POV. There are major immigration issues that need a true bipartisan solution but breaking out the old fear of the other is not the way to go. Chris Matthews was & is a POS who deserved to be fired but once in a while he said the right thing:

    "Fixated on racial conspiracy theories, the "Hardball" host later in the interview asked, "If we had about a million Heidi Klums trying to cross the border, the Mexican border of the United States, you know, the gorgeous blond from Germany or whatever, do you think that would be a problem with immigration right now, or is it really just ethnic?"

    https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/debunking-myth-immigrants-and-crime

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/have-undocumented-killed-63000-us-9-11/

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lettuce-deaths-illegal-immigrants/

    ReplyDelete

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