Friday, September 16, 2016

TRAVEL SPECIAL ..... Indians on Big Apple

 Indians on Big Apple
Indians who’ve lived in the Big Apple write about its undiscovered haunts
WANT CALM IN A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS? HEAD TO THE FRICK!
Ayesha Dharker, actor
I lived on 53rd Street and Broadway was close to the theatre where I worked. For me, the city existed in real time and in fiction at the same time. I would be haunted by the Ghostbusters (1984) building (55 Central Park West), Grand Central Station, 58th Street, overlooking Queensboro bridge (Manhattan, 1979). 7th Avenue reminded me of Luc Besson’s 1994 film Léon. Some of the places I remember are gone, like the huge piano in the toyshop FAO Schwarz or Serendipity, the cafe that Andy Warhol went to, but some remain. The fountain courtyard in The Frick Collection art museum is a calm place to relax.
The other place was a French restaurant called La Grenouille on East 52nd street known for its great food and its connection to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book
The Little Prince, with excerpts written in the building that houses the restaurant.

UP FOR A HOT DOG? DROP BY KATZ’S ON EAST HOUSTON ST.
Vikas Khanna, chef
My favourite haunts include two eateries. The first is a restaurant in East Village called Veselka. Being close to New York University, it is very popular with students as well as locals and is open 24x7.
In 2002, when I was studying at NYU, Veselka was my favourite. Besides authentic Ukranian cuisine, it also offered free Wi-Fi.
My second favourite is Katz’s Delicatessen on East Houston Street. The deli is pretty close to where I stay and I go there quite often. Popularly known as the Katz Deli, it is a Jewish kosher-style deli and is famous for its pastrami sandwiches and hot dogs – the best in New York.
The deli was founded in 1888. During World War II, it sent food for the army. The eatery has been featured in several iconic movies including the romantic-comedy
When Harry Met Sally (1989).
– As told to Veenu Singh

BEST MEETING GROUND OF CULTURES? PROSPECT PARK!
Kanishk Tharoor, author
It’s no secret what makes New York City great. No other place in the world is as staggeringly diverse and dense as this metropolis by the sea. I was six when we moved here so I grew up taking for granted its daily collisions of language, race, religion and history. NYC is defined by its relaxed attitude to difference, where bearded, tattooed hipsters live alongside bearded, ultraOrthodox Jews and undocumented Central American workers count aloud in Cantonese in the vegetable markets of Chinatown.
Prospect Park – the far superior Brooklyn equivalent of Manhattan’s Central Park – is a crosssection of the city. Flanked by Bangladeshi, Jewish, Caribbean, and middle-class white neighbourhoods, it is a remarkable meeting ground. I often spend my weekends there, and play football on Sundays with people from as far as Ecuador, Uzbekistan, and Senegal.

FEEL LIKE THAI IN NY? CHECK OUT JAIYA THAI ON 28TH AND 3RD
Perizaad Zorabian, actor
For me, New York was character building. I was all of 20 when I started my MBA in New York City. Over the next three-and-a-half years, not only did I get my MBA but also went on to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
In NYC I discovered my love for Mexican food. I used to be obsessed with this hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint called Big Enchilada on 28th Street and 3rd Avenue. For $6, I would get the best burrito and salad. Every time I was feeling low or was having a rough day, I would rush to Big Enchilada. Just eating there made me feel better about the world.
Since I lived on 29th Street and 3rd Avenue, another favourite was Jaiya Thai on 28th and 3rd: Spicy and absolutely delicious, it served the best Thai food ever.
Sam’s on 29th and 3rd served the best Chinese. This year, I went to NYC with my kids and Boman, only to discover Sam’s and Big Enchilada have shut down. This didn’t stop me from taking them to my other favourite haunts.
– As told to Aasheesh Sharma

By Karan Mahajan

HTBR11SEP2016

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