"Schmidt’s Candy, located in Woodhaven, Queens, is a chocolate shop that has been a fixture beneath the elevated train tracks on Jamaica Avenue since around 1925. Owned by Margie Schmidt, the shop boasts a gleaming pressed-tin ceiling and honeycomb-tiled floor, filled with wooden cases brimming with handcrafted chocolates. The shop is known for its best-selling candies like chocolate-coated raspberry jelly, classic thin mints, buttery caramel for turtle-like nut clusters, and the signature vanilla creams. The decorations have a homey feel with pictures by Schmidt’s nieces, festive string lights made from repurposed egg cartons, and handwritten signs. Despite its expertly crafted chocolates and online business, Schmidt’s Candy is a remnant of an era when chocolate shops were common in Woodhaven. Margie Schmidt took over the business in 1986, maintaining the original recipes and working on a thick marble tempering slab. The shop closes every summer due to the heat affecting candy production. Holidays are the busiest times, with special candies made for each occasion. Margie Schmidt, who largely works alone, is dedicated to her craft, ensuring the shop's longevity despite modern challenges." - Mahira Rivers
