A Double-Decker Bus near 5th Ave in New York City

India is all over New York these days.

From the scores of Indian restaurants to the many temples in Queens and Long Island to gawking Desi tourists in Times Square to Bollywood movies to news-stands in Manhattan and the glittering jewelry stores in Jackson Heights, India is everwhere in New York.

You just have to keep your eyes open to see India.

Hey, India is there even on the Red double-decker tourist buses in NYC.

Picture Details
Camera: Nikon D80
Conditions: Cloudy Morning
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure Mode: Shutter Priority
1/60 sec- F3.5
Exposure Comp: +1.0 EV
ISO: 400

Credit Suisse investment banker Vikram Gandhi is asking a whopping $20 million for his Upper East Side town house on 74th St in Manhattan, according to today’s Wall Street Journal.

According to the WSJ, Vikram and his socialite wife Meera Gandhi paid $4.3 million for the 18-foot wide limestone town house in 2000 and renovated it.

Source: Brown Harris Stevens

Vikram and Meera’s town house has five bedrooms, a back garden and a roof garden with views of 74th Street, The Carlyle Hotel and the treeline of Central Park.

We wonder what renovations Vikram made to the shack that it now merits an asking price of $20 million. Wow, that’s an appreciation of 365% in seven years.

While we don’t claim to know the specifics of the renovation having never been inside this $20 million Taj Mahal, what we do know is that Meera Gandhi spent two years renovating the town house and enlisted the help of Harvard architect Pedro Castillo and interior decorator Kenneth Alpert.

The town house does look grand and has some interesting history too.

You see, FDR’s widow Eleanor Roosevelt lived in the same town house for a few years before her death in 1962.

Credit Suisse’s web site lists Vikram Gandhi as a Continue Reading…

Pongal Indian Cuisine restaurant on Lexington Avenue in Murray Hill of New York City is not vermin proof and there is evidence of mice or live mice in the facility’s food and/or non-food areas, says the New York City Department of Health after it inspected the restaurant on November 13, 2007.

Pongal Indian Cuisine restaurant on Lexington Avenue received 27 Violation Points, a significant deterioration over the zero Violation Points in the previous inspection of November 28, 2006.

To pass the NYC inspection, a restaurant must receive 27 violation points or less.

According to the NYC Department of Health inspection report of 11/13/2007, violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

Sanitary Violations observed at Pongal Indian Cuisine on Lexington Ave, Manhattan:

1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Garbage receptacles not provided or inadequate. Garbage storage area not properly constructed or maintained; grinder or compactor dirty.
3.) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to vermin exist.
4.) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5.) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140°F to 70°F or less within 2 hours and from 70°F to 45°F or less within 4 additional hours.
6.) Hot food not held at or above 140°F.

The NYC Department of Health said a Notice of Violation was Continue Reading…

Simla Indian Restaurant on the Upper East Side of New York City has evidence of mice or live mice present in the facility’s food and/or non-food areas, says the New York City Department of Health after inspecting this Manhattan Indian restaurant on December 4, 2007.

Simla Indian Restaurant located at 304 E.78th St of Manhattan’s Upper East Side received 26 Violation Points in its December 4, 2007 inspection, a significant deterioration over the 14 Violation Points in the previous inspection of April 10, 2007.

To pass the NYC inspection, a restaurant must receive 27 violation points or less.

According to the NYC Department of Health inspection report of 12/4/2007, violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

Sanitary Violations observed at Simla Indian Restaurant on E.78th St on Upper East Side of Manhattan:

1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
3.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
4.) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5.) Hot food not held at or above 140°F.

The NYC Department of Health said a Notice of Violation was Continue Reading…

What – Comedy by Vidur Kapur

When – January 9, 2008 @ 9:30 pm

Where – Gotham Comedy Club
208 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

For Reservations Call – 212-367-9000

What – Showcase of Dancing, Singing, Acting & Comedy

When – February 2, 2008 from 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Where – Hindu Temple Community Center
Ganesh Temple, 45-57 Bowne St, Flushing, NY 11355

For More Info Call – 718-460-8484

What – New Year’s Eve Ball Drop

When – December 31, 2007 @ 11:59 pm

Where – One, Times Square
Broadway at 43rd St
New York, NY 10036

Some Indian restaurants like Madras Mahal pass the NYC restaurant inspection with flying colors. Others like Curry in a Hurry pass with ‘flying insects’.

During a repeat inspection in November, the New York City Department of Health found evidence of flying insects or live flying insects in Curry in a Hurry facility’s food and/or non-food areas

After failing an earlier inspection, Curry in a Hurry Indian restaurant at 119 Lexington Ave in Manhattan passed an inspection conducted by the New York City Department of Health on November 21, 2007.

In the November 21 inspection by NYC Health Department, Curry in a Hurry received 23 violation points compared to the 35 violation points it received on November 2, 2007.

To pass the NYC inspection, a restaurant must receive 27 violation points or less.

According to the NYC Department of Health inspection report of 11/21/2007, violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

Sanitary Violations observed at Curry in a Hurry:

1.) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
2.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
3.) Evidence of flying insects or live flying insects present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
4.) Cold food held above 41°F (smoked fish above 38°F) except during necessary preparation.

The NYC Department of Health said a Notice of Violation was not issued as a result of this inspection and that the violation point total received by Curry in a Hurry is above the average violation point total of 14, for all NYC restaurants on their most recent inspection.

Curry in a Hurry – Previous NYC Inspection Reports

Date | Violation Points

11/02/2007 – 35
10/09/2007 – 26
09/20/2007 – 43
03/07/2007 – 21
03/28/2006 – 4
03/29/2005 – 7

Long Island desis Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani and his wife Varsha Mahender Sabhnani were found guilty of enslaving and abusing two Indonesian women servants Samirah and Eung by a federal court in Central Islip.

The Sabhnanis are residents of Muttontown in Long Island.

Read the full story here.

Sukhadia Gokul Indian restaurant in midtown Manhattan has evidence of mice, roaches and flying insects in the facility’s food and/or non-food areas, says the New York City Department of Health after inspecting this Indian restaurant on October 18, 2007.

Sukhadia Gokul located at 17 W.45th St of Manhattan received 20 Violation Points in its October 18, 2007 inspection.

Although an improvement over the 52 Violation Points in the previous inspection of September 25, 2007, Sukhadia’s recent showing is still above the average violation point total of 14 for all NYC restaurants on their most recent inspection.

To pass the NYC Health Dept inspection, a restaurant must receive Continue Reading…