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Kalustyan’s is a shop located at 123 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York City that originally sold primarily Indian and Middle Eastern spices and foods, and increasingly an extensive selection of culinary products from around the world. Established in 1944 by Kerope Kalustyan, a Turkish-Armenian, it sold Turkish and Middle Eastern spices, dried fruits, nuts, oils and grains, when the neighborhood was largely Armenian. In late 1960s and 1970s, when New York become home to a significant number of Indians, Kalustyan’s expanded itself to cater to the Indian market, while bringing out its own brand of chutney and mango pickles. The "Curry Hill" neighborhood of New York City is partially a result of the presence of Kalustyan's.
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President Chester A. Arthur and William Randolph Hearst
The building that houses the shop was once owned by President Chester A. Arthur. He was sworn in as president there on September 20, 1881 after James A. Garfield was murdered. In 1885, after his term, Chester Arthur returned to his Lexington Avenue home. He died there in 1886.
William Randolph Hearst bought it in 1902. He lived there with his wife, Millicent, a former vaudeville actress for about six years. Later the building was remodeled for apartments and retail.
Little Armenia
Kerope Kalustyan came to the US in the 1940s to export steel to Turkey, but the business was unsuccessful. He turned to importing food products from the Middle East and India. The location where Kalustyan's stands was at the time known as Little Armenia. In 1920s, about eight thousand Armenians lived in New York City and the center of their community was Lexington Avenue and 23rd Street. With rising prosperity, the Armenian community gradually moved elsewhere, with Kalustyan's the most visible relic. Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral (East 27th Street between Second and Third Avenues) and gold-domed St. Vartan Cathedral (Second Avenue and 34th Street) still stand in the neighborhood
Emergence of "Curry Hill"
Migration of Indians increased in late 1960 and 1970s, and Kalustyan's came to be well-regarded as a shop for Indian spices. The store became a popular place for Indians to meet. As many Indian immigrants opened their own spice and sweet shops in the neighborhood, followed by Indian restaurants, clothing, art and appliance stores, the neighborhood, known primarily as Murray Hill, was nicknamed "Curry Hill".
Current Business
Kalustyan eventually sold the shop to John Bass, a relative and employee. In 1988 the Kalustyan’s store was purchased by Bangladeshi businessmen Sayedul Alam and Aziz Osmani, who transformed the shop from an Indian/Armenian/Turkish store to one with over 10,000 food products from over 80 countries, and added an eat-in café/deli on the second floor. The Bass family retained the Kalustyan Corporation, a new Jersey based importer.
Kalustyan’s is frequently mentioned by food authors in New York Times and by celebrity authors such as Martha Stewart Padma Lakshmi and Madhur Jaffrey