Culture
Curry Hill: how three blocks of Lex became the city's South Asian heart
October 3, 2025 · 5 min read
Why "Curry Hill"?
The unofficial name is a play on Murray Hill, the residential neighborhood just to the north. The "curry" part is shorthand for the cluster of South Asian restaurants, grocers, and sweet shops on Lexington Avenue roughly between 26th and 30th Streets.
The anchor: Kalustyan's
Kalustyan's opened in 1944 selling Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean ingredients. For decades it was the only place in NYC to find half of these spices. It is still the anchor of the strip — go upstairs for the prepared-food counter.
The strip, walking south to north
- Curry in a Hurry (Lex & 28th, 1976) — cafeteria-style North Indian, the original "fast Indian" in NYC.
- Dhaba (108 Lex) — hearty Punjabi.
- Pongal and Saravanaa Bhavan (when open) — South Indian dosas and thalis.
- Vatan (3rd Ave & 29th) — all-you-can-eat Gujarati thali in a village set; great with kids.
Why it lasted
Curry Hill grew out of NYC's South Asian immigration waves after the 1965 Immigration Act. Unlike Jackson Heights or Edison, it stayed small — three blocks deep — and the rents stayed (relatively) reasonable because it's tucked between Midtown South office buildings and the residential blocks above.
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