What's Happening in Hicksville's Desi Community
TL;DR
- 🗓️ Ganesh Chaturthi on Sep 14 is one of the year's most spirited Indian community celebrations on Long Island
- South Broadway is the most concentrated Indian and Desi retail corridor in the New York suburbs
- Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar and House of Dosas serve contrasting regional menus steps apart
- Apna Bazar and Patel Brothers stock specialist ingredients that draw shoppers from across Nassau County
- The Asamai Hindu Temple & Community Center anchors the neighborhood's spiritual and social calendar
Why Hicksville Carries the Little India Label
Long Island has South Asian residents spread across its suburbs, but Hicksville earns the "Little India" label through density. On and around South Broadway, you can move from a chaat counter to a sari boutique to a mandir in the time it takes to finish a cup of chai. That compressed geography creates something rare in American suburbs: a street where Indian and Desi culture is the default, not the exception.
September is an unusually active month here. Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 draws families out in numbers. Local mandirs and households observe Ganesh puja, prepare modaks, and some temples open community aartis to the public. If you have never attended a Chaturthi celebration, Hicksville is one of the most accessible entry points in the New York metro.
The panchang stays full through the rest of the month: Ekadashi on September 22, Pradosh Vrat on September 24, and Purnima on September 26. Practicing Hindus use these dates to plan fasting routines, temple visits, and purchases of specialty sweets and ingredients. Local grocers and sweet shops adjust their stock and hours accordingly.
Two Restaurants, Two Regions, Same Block
Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar has been a fixture on South Broadway for years. The lunch buffet pulls in weekday regulars — commuters off the LIRR, office workers from nearby business parks, and South Asian families running weekend errands. The dinner menu leans North Indian, and the bar program separates it from the mostly dry or purely vegetarian options on the strip. For a large-format family meal or a business dinner where atmosphere matters, Diwan is the well-established default on this corridor.
A few doors down, House of Dosas has specialized in South Indian cooking since 1999. The restaurant seats around fifty in a clean, straightforward space. The signature item is the dosa — a fermented rice-and-lentil crepe served with sambar and chutneys — and the kitchen turns out idli, uttapam, and coconut-based curries with consistent quality. The menu runs primarily vegetarian, the portions are filling, and the prices stay accessible. For anyone unfamiliar with South Indian cooking, House of Dosas is the right introduction on Long Island.
Beyond those two, Bhaijaan operates as a fine-dining option focused on North Indian kababs and formal plated service — a register entirely different from Diwan's lunch crowd. Mithaas, a fast-casual chain that expanded from New Jersey, brought its menu of Indian street snacks and breads to Hicksville: crispy bhel, pav bhaji, chaat, and freshly made breads at prices that make it an easy stop between grocery runs.
Insider Tip: House of Dosas fills quickly on weekend mornings. If you want a seat without a wait and access to the full breakfast menu, arrive before noon. By 12:30 PM on a Saturday, the room is at capacity and the smaller breakfast plates have sold out.
Grocery Infrastructure That Draws the Whole Island
The grocery options in Hicksville are exceptional by suburban standards.
Apna Bazar has operated at its Bethpage Road location for over thirty years. What started as a specialty spice shop has grown into a full supermarket carrying fresh produce, frozen Indian snacks, pantry staples, ready-to-eat items, and regional goods that mainstream supermarkets do not stock. Families travel in from across Nassau and western Suffolk counties specifically for the selection — a commute that speaks to how limited the alternatives are elsewhere on Long Island.
Patel Brothers, also on Bethpage Road, is part of the national Indian grocery chain and carries a broad inventory: lentils, specialty flours, dairy products including fresh paneer, refrigerated chutneys, and a well-stocked frozen section. For households prepping for Ganesh Chaturthi puja — which calls for specific varieties of modak flour, coconut, jaggery, and fresh flowers — both Apna Bazar and Patel Brothers are reliable sources, and their staff know the festival calendar well enough to anticipate the rush.
Spiritual Life and Community Infrastructure
The Asamai Hindu Temple & Community Center in Hicksville serves as both a place of worship and a practical meeting point for the broader South Asian community. The temple observes the full panchang calendar — including Ganesh Chaturthi, Ekadashi, Pradosh Vrat, and Purnima — and runs ongoing programming that connects Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu families who together make up the area's diverse Indian diaspora.
For newcomers to Long Island, the Asamai Hindu Temple & Community Center is often the first point of connection — a starting point for referrals to local services, cultural events, and the informal network of families who have built lives in Nassau County over the past several decades.
Planning Your September Visit
Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 brings the highest foot traffic to South Broadway: restaurants fill early, grocery stores run down their puja item stock by midday, and parking in the area gets tight before 10 AM. Arriving early — ideally before 9:30 AM — gives you the best access to both grocers and restaurants.
Ekadashi (Sep 22) and Purnima (Sep 26) are observed more quietly but shape what local businesses promote. Vegetarian specials and fasting-appropriate dishes appear on restaurant menus, and sweet shops see strong demand for mithai associated with the lunar milestone.
FAQ
Is Hicksville really Long Island's Little India? Yes. The South Broadway corridor has the highest density of Indian restaurants, grocery stores, and South Asian-owned businesses on Long Island. The term is widely used by the community itself, not just by outside observers.
Do I need a car to visit? No. The LIRR Hicksville station puts you within walking distance of the South Broadway Indian commercial strip. Many visitors from Queens and Brooklyn take the train specifically to shop at stores like Apna Bazar and Patel Brothers.
What dishes should first-timers try? At House of Dosas, a masala dosa is the right starting point. At Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar, the lunch buffet gives broad exposure to North Indian cooking. At Mithaas, start with the chaat and pav bhaji.
Are there vegetarian and Jain-friendly options? Yes, extensively. House of Dosas is primarily vegetarian. Apna Bazar stocks a wide range of plant-based staples. Several smaller cafes on the strip cater to Jain dietary needs as well.
When is South Broadway busiest? Weekend mornings from roughly 10 AM to 2 PM see the heaviest foot traffic. Festival days — Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali especially — bring the largest crowds of the year.
Bottom Line
Hicksville is not simply an Indian neighborhood — it is one of the most complete Desi communities in the entire New York metro area. The grocery infrastructure at Apna Bazar and Patel Brothers, the contrasting restaurant options at Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar and House of Dosas, the fine-dining choice at Bhaijaan, the street-food energy at Mithaas, and the spiritual and civic anchor of the Asamai Hindu Temple & Community Center together create a self-sustaining corridor that serves daily needs and marks cultural milestones. September's packed observance calendar — from Ganesh Chaturthi through Purnima — makes it a particularly rewarding time to visit and to see how actively this community lives its Indian heritage on Long Island.