Bangladesh Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens.

From the Voices That Must Be Heard blog:

Bangladeshi commerce thrives on Jackson Heights’ 73rd Street
Via Weekly Thikana, 9 December 2005. Translated from Bangla by Moiuddin Naser.

The thriving 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens, is known as the commercial capital of Bangladeshis living in North America. Recent economic development – with commercial establishments, offices buildings and restaurants setting up along both sides of 73rd Street, from 37th Avenue to Broadway – is also making it one of the priciest areas in New York City. Not long ago, the area was plagued with vandalism, which often brought the police to the street.

There are 87 Bangladeshi-owned businesses along this strip, including the recently opened Bangladesh Plaza that has changed the face of the area. Everything is available in this plaza, from birthday and wedding gifts, to henna for brides, or gift certificates for hair salons. According to Dr. Minah Farah, the owner of the plaza, the only thing missing from the commercial center is a place for a quick snack, but that too will soon change. Farah’s great mural of Bangladesh on the wall of Shabji Mondi has also added the plaza’s appeal.

Also on the street, the Dhaka Center and the Red Peppers Auditorium have fulfilled the community’s longtime need for appropriate meeting places. The spaces allow for both small functions and daily marketing activities.

With the spike in business activity on the street, Bangladeshi shops now compete with each other and restaurants compete to offer the best food. You can get lunch or dinner for only $10 on the street, a feat not often possible in much of Manhattan. The Alauddin Restaurant and Mannan Grocery have made 73rd Street popular with the community.

During the last Eid Festival, storeowners offered sales on their merchandise, which drew many Bangladeshis living here to the shops, making for brisk business. It also brought Bangladeshis from California, New Jersey, the Washington D.C area, Michigan, Georgia, Boston, Philadelphia and even Canada. Eighty percent of South Asians who come to Jackson Heights visit 73rd Street, said Dr. Farah.

But 73rd Street lacks a jewelry store, which diverts gold traders to 74th Street. Dr. Farah is in negotiations with several gold traders to set up a jewelry store in the plaza. Customers who prefer imitation gold, however, love the plaza, where they can buy it at competitive prices.

The President of the Bangladeshi Business Association in Jackson Heights, Abdul Mannan said, “We are protecting the interest of Bangladeshi businessmen and customers, not only on 73rd Street but in Jackson Heights as a whole. We have worked with the police department and city officials to make this a safer area. Vandalism to cars has been reduced, and now, car owners are getting an added advantage with free parking on Sundays.

The growing economic activity has also resulted in higher residential and commercial rents. The average rent per square foot in the area is now $65, overtaking the cost in some neighborhoods Manhattan. Many attribute the hike in rents to the presence of Bangladesh Plaza.

According to the Census Bureau, there are 98,535 persons per square mile living in the area. Since 1990, the number of South Asians residing in Jackson Heights grew by 50 percent. The average price for a two-bedroom apartment has increased to $380,000. The crime rate dropped by 70 percent since 1993, according to the 115th Police Precinct.

Even though the E, F, V, R, G and 7 trains have stops in the area, many residents take cabs from Midtown Manhattan to 73rd Street to take advantage of the good deals.

“Those who used to call Jackson Heights ‘Little India,’ will now be compelled to call it ‘Little Bangladesh,’ Mannan said.

Posted by Mississippi Snopes on 2011-01-02 03:01:43

Tagged: , Bangladesh Plaza , Queens , New York City , January 2010