3. Parts of Coney Island Avenue and Church Avenue are considered “Little Pakistan”
The largest Pakistani population in New York City is located near Coney Island Avenue in Kensington. Before a large wave of Pakistani migration in the 1990s, this area was primarily Jewish (there remains a large Jewish population in Kensington along Ocean Parkway). The number of Pakistanis in Brooklyn was roughly 9,903 in 2010, though Little Pakistan suffered after 9/11 when agencies came in looking for suspicious activities and incite fear among residents. As a result, business in Little Pakistan dropped by as much as 50%. At the peak of this time, 20,000 members of Brooklyn’s Pakistani population left the United States.
Since then, the area has recovered and is now filled with Pakistani restaurants, salons, and jewelry shops. Today, Little Pakistan is mainly concentrated between Church Avenue and Avenue H in Kensington and parts of Flatbush. One of the classic Pakistani spots is Lahori Chilli Restaurant & Sweets, which serves up classics like haleem, a savory porridge, chicken and lamb pulao, and a stew called nihari. Down the street is Jalsa Grill & Gravy, which serves Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi classics. A handful of restaurants offer a selection of savory and sweet goods like jalebi, such as Mashallah, Shandar Sweets & Restaurant, and Abdullah Sweets and Restaurant. There are also a handful of clothing stores that sell items like salwar kameez, kurta, and headpieces.