Little India, Edison/Iselin

Little India, Edison/Iselin, also known as Oak Tree Road, is a heavily South Asian shopping and dining district centered on a road, designated County Route 604, in Middlesex County, New Jersey.[1] Also known as Little India, it is about a thirty-five-minute drive southwest of Manhattan, with a high concentration of South Asian-focused businesses amid a leafy suburban residential region home to many South Asian families. It is located in Central Jersey in the U.S. county with the highest concentration of Indian Americans.[2][3][4]

Saravana Bhavan restaurant off Oak Tree Road in Edison

Oak Tree Road runs for about one-and-a-half miles through Edison and neighboring Iselin, New Jersey.[5][6] This zone is the largest and most diverse South Asian ethnic enclave and cultural hub in the United States.[7][8] According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 42.6% of Iselin residents identified themselves as being Indian American, the highest for any census-designated place in the United States.[9] Little India additionally lies nears the sprawling Chinatown, Edison.[10] Oak Tree Road in Edison and Iselin is home to over 400 South Asian business establishments, including dining, halal grocery, apparel and electronics retailing, and entertainment.[11][12][13][14] Over 60 Indian and Pakistani restaurants alone are found in the neighborhood.[15][16]

The annual New Jersey India Day Parade, hosted by the Indian Business Association,[17] is held every August on Oak Tree Road to celebrate Indian Independence Day.[18][19][20]

The area is served by Metropark Station, providing a one-seat commuter rail connection to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

The actor-comedian Omi Vaidya celebrated the Oak Tree Road scene and South Asian culture in his 2020 song "Oak Tree Road," a parody of Old Town Road.[21][22]

Every year the weeklong festival Ganesh Utsav, honoring the Hindu god Ganesha, draws thousands of celebrants to nearby Woodbridge Mall.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Middlesex County 604 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  2. Genovese, Peter (November 16, 2012). "Big business in Little India: Commerce flourishes in vibrant ethnic neighborhood". nj.com.
  3. "Eat Street: Oak Tree Road, Iselin, N.J." SAVEUR.
  4. Lawlor, Julia (April 21, 2002). "If You're Thinking of Living In/Iselin, N.J.; Curry and Saris Spice a 'Typical' Suburb" – via NYTimes.com.
  5. Hanley, Robert (April 17, 1991). "In Edison, a Crossroads of Diversity" – via NYTimes.com.
  6. Shaftel, David (March 9, 2017). "Indo-Chinese Food Is Hard to Find, Except in New Jersey" – via NYTimes.com.
  7. King, Kate (September 25, 2017). "'Little India' Thrives in Central New Jersey" – via www.wsj.com.
  8. Burke, Monte. "How Indo-Americans Created The Ultimate Neighborhood Bank". Forbes.
  9. Archived 2020-02-13 at Archive.today Accessed April 28, 2019.
  10. Shaftel, David (March 9, 2017). "Indo-Chinese Food Is Hard to Find, Except in New Jersey" – via NYTimes.com.
  11. "Oak Tree Road Edison, Iselin NJ Indian Shopping, Food, Restaurants".
  12. "A One-Day Snacker's Guide to Edison, NJ, One of America's Best Indian Food Destinations". SAVEUR. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  13. Berger, Joseph (April 27, 2008). "A Place Where Indians, Now New Jerseyans, Thrive". Retrieved April 16, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  14. "Edison Brimming with Indian Culture - Video". Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  15. "Oak Tree Road is a Street of Dreams for Lovers of South Asian Cuisine". New Jersey Monthly. May 1, 2017.
  16. Sietsema, Robert (March 13, 2017). "The Best Indian Food In New York Is Actually in New Jersey". Eater NY.
  17. "Indian Business Association Members Go to D.C. Ahead of Annual Parade in Edison". Insider NJ. July 17, 2018.
  18. Writer, Staff. "Anupam Kher parades down Oak Tree Road - News India Times".
  19. Louie, Elaine (July 13, 1994). "A Taste of India Via New Jersey" – via NYTimes.com.
  20. Nast, Condé. "The Indian Restaurant I'm Drawn to Like a Magnet". Bon Appétit.
  21. Parody of ‘Old Town Road’ celebrates Edison’s South Asian culture http://nj1015.com/parody-of-old-town-road-celebrates-edisons-south-asian-culture/?trackback=twitter_mobile @nj1015
  22. "'Gonna head on down to Oak Tree Road' – Lil Nas X parody pays homage to NJ's South Asian community". newjersey.news12.com.
  23. Thousands Celebrate Ganesh Utsav At The Woodbridge Mall https://www.tapinto.net/towns/edison/sections/arts-and-entertainment/articles/thousands-celebrate-ganesh-utsav-at-the-woodbridge-mall
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