Curry Row
A historic cluster of Indian restaurants in Manhattan's East Village.
Curry Row, also called Little India or Curry Lane, is a stretch of East Sixth Street from First Avenue to Second Avenue in the East Village of Lower Manhattan, with approximately 20 Indian restaurants. It started in 1968 when six brothers from Bangladesh bought a former Japanese restaurant for $1,800; the owner accepted that price instead of the initial $2,000 because the brothers could only pay $1,600. They established Shah Bag because of existing demand and because South Asians in the area wanted a place for familiar cuisine. Most of the restaurateurs who came later were from Sylhet Division.
Quick Facts
- Location
- East Sixth Street, from First Avenue to Second Avenue, East Village, Lower Manha
- Year first restaurant opened
- 1968
- Founding brothers' origin
- Bangladesh
Facts from the source article.
Background
The six brothers who founded Curry Row are revered as patriarchs in the Bangladeshi community. One brother, Manir Ahmed, immigrated to the United States in 1954. Andrew Jacobs of The New York Times stated that "Manir Ahmed was the one name that was invariably stuffed in the pockets of new arrivals." The restaurants, many named after films or people or characters seen in films, were popular with hippies in the 1970s who expressed an interest in South Asian culture. Many of the cooks served northern Indian cuisine even though their native Bangladeshi cuisine was significantly different. Olid Ahmed, the nephew of the first restaurateurs, stated that he got assistance from the chef of the Embassy of Pakistan.
More in Restaurant Districts and Streets in the United States
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