A Tea Lounge in Brooklyn Heights!

By on March 2, 2009 3:49 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate, Fun, Kids, News, Nightlife, Real Estate

glassrightThe hip café and music venue Tea Lounge could come to Brooklyn Heights later this year, pending building permit and liquor license approval, its owner told the Brooklyn Heights Blog today.

Jonathan Spiel, who also owns Tea Lounge cafés in Park Slope and Cobble Hill, has his eye on a 4,000-square-foot hotspot at in the St. George Tower building, and hopes to bring in his concoction of a daytime café-turned-full bar and music venue at night to the neighborhood.

The Brooklyn Heights location is at 111 Hicks Street at the corner of Clark Street (in the old Palmira’s spot), and would be similar in size and event listings to the Park Slope one at 837 Union Street, but the space is divided into three rooms and can host private parties and multiple events simultaneously, Spiel explained.

The setting will also be kid-friendly, with blackboard paint on the walls and afterschool events featuring cartoons and milk and cookies, he added. There would be live music at night and a full bar for adults. And, of course, the spot will offer its famous free WiFi and big comfy couches for the area’s writers and readers.

Spiel said he is still trying to gauge neighborhood interest in a place like the Tea Lounge — so, what do you think? Would you want to see the Tea Lounge move into Brooklyn Heights?

Share this Story:

, , , , ,

←  Older Comments
Newer Comments  →
  • AEB

    Oh, FeiFei, if I can just stop dribbling onto my computer keys while trying to get my one good, non-palsied hand to help the other tap this out….

    …how dare you be so smug, so condescending?

    I’m encouraged that I’ve helped stimulate your imagination, but you have absolutely no idea who I am.

    The truth is, in the puritanism bakeoff, I’m a no-show. And to prove it, I invite you (assuming you’re female, or even if you’re not) to breastfeed in any public square of which I’m a part.

    Will you take the challenge?

    The gantlet is thrown down.

  • Peter

    Jonathan, my girlfriend and I frequent your establishment on Court (by the movie theatre) often, and we LOVE it: by far our favorite place to unwind, read and talk over some fantastic coffee and pastries. If you replicate this vibe in my own backyard, I can at least assure you that she and I will be there OFTEN.

  • Anonymous

    Jonathan — what’s the soonest you are aiming to get Tea Lounge here? Are we talking a year from now?

  • FeiFei

    Aww, AEB, I didn’t mean to sound smug at all. Did I misread your comment? “One imagines the horror that would have have ensued then at the sight of a mother breast-feeding an infant in public, *which thing I’ve seen several times recently.*” This makes it sound like you’re surprised to see breast feeding in public and that you’re just as horrified? Or maybe it was the way you phrased it? “one imagines the horror”, “which thing I’ve seen several times..” It sounds like you’ve seen something unexpected and unmentionable. It reminds me of the emoticons with the surprised look on their face.

  • anon

    Yes!!!!! When I lived in the slope, I was ALWAYS at Tea Lounge. BH doesn’t have anything that compares day or night and, as I see it, is really in need of such a place. I head to floyd or smith st late at night and during the day I stop in to Tazza, but I would stay and order more if there were a nearby Tea Lounge!!!

  • http://www.tealoungeNY.com jonathan

    to fei fei – we have the best coffee in Ny. Rated by Zagats and other reputable purbeyors. sorry your taste buds like brown water compared to a micro roasted delicious blend.
    And if you do drink starbucks, there’s nothing anyone can do for you. maybe try some juan valdez at your local supermarket

  • hickster

    Will there be room for people who don’t roost liek pigeons all day with laptops? recently, a friend and I couldnt have a cup of coffee and a pastry in Ct Muffin nor Starbucks bc the same people with the same tired crumbled cup of coffee had been monopolizing the place since sun-up.

    As far as breastfeeding, I am a woman and do not want to see this in public. That fits into a long list of things I would rather not see in public that involve other people’s private parts…what is so wrong with that? i don’t think you become a holy being after giving birth that is entitled to dispense with all sense of decency and respect for people around you.

  • PJL

    When do you plan to open?

  • kd

    I have two immediate reactions to this:

    1) FABULOUS

  • Daryl Hannah

    I think the main problem with the neighborhood is not a lack of bars, but that it’s over-run with sanctimonious, middle-aged cranks who rail against the “self-entitled” folks who dare to raise children in the city while at the same time blathering on about their precious dogs as if they were more important than kids.

  • Bklyn Dawg

    Oh Dear, someone’s a hater.

  • Nancy

    Jonathan:
    I live in the building since the 1980’s. they used to have the real Heights Cafe with a fabulous all you can drink champagne brunch :). Then there was Kevins Corner. All were good. Palmira’s was a rip off. You can make this a great spot.
    Please DO NOT make this into a college kid hang out!! They have already driven me out of the Eastern Athletic. Let them drink in their rooms and use their Wi-Fi there! All you will have are hanger-ons sitting with one cup of coffee. We, the people in the area need a place to sit and drink coffee, or wine, and have a place to meet our friends. Have good coffee with good pastry that isn’t a rip off (ie Tazza), and I will love you forever!!! welcome to the building!!

  • kd

    Woops… let me finish that thought.

    1) FABULOUS. I live on the corner of Clark & Henry, and I LOVE the idea of having somewhere to go — a default, if you will — for any occasion. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for almost a year now, and I have yet to find that place that’s comfortable, relaxed and fun. I will almost certainly frequent the Tea Lounge for snacking, caffeinating, drinking, meeting, reading, brunching, etc. I couldn’t be happier with this idea.

    2) IDENTITY CRISIS. I fear that this space will suffer an identity crisis — one that will potentially confuse and drive away patrons (myself included). If there’s one golden rule in marketing, it’s: Have ONE message, and stick to it. There are too many “messages” surrounding your vision for this space, and it’s somewhat off-putting. I’m in my late 20s, and I try to find places in Brooklyn that are hip, chill, and unpretentious. The last thing I want is to sip a martini, grab dinner, or enjoy live music with a chalkboard-paint wall backdrop. So, do you want a tea lounge or a bar/restaurant? Do you want a community center or an arts space? A fun play area for kids or a smart leisure spot for adults? Forgive me for being skeptical, but I don’t think it can be all these things and be successful. And I can’t see myself — or college kids — seriously hanging in a space for long that doesn’t have it figured out.

    So, my conclusion to all this? Yes, please bring on the Tea Lounge. But, please bring it on right!

  • another jen

    whoa, bad taste in my mouth at the snarkiness up there from jonathan. yes, anonymous commenters will say all sorts of things (women shouldn’t breastfeed in public, WHAT?) but if you’re a business owner it’s wiser to rise above it.

    the divisiveness is a little hilarious, we need a good crime spree to unite us as a community.

  • nabeguy

    Well, Homer, this thread has now officially broken the length record…actually I think it’s broken a few things other than that.

  • Jazz

    I believe this settles the breast feeding controversy:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6wpmqVMsk

  • nabeguy

    Take that, Angelina Jolie!!

  • http://www.tealoungeny.com jonathan

    KD – come by the union st. location and you will see how these things can work under one roof.

    thanks for your feedback

    i’d love to hear more

  • Jesse

    This is a fun thread! I especially like the part where the prospective business owner basically tells a local that she’s an idiot with an ignorant palate, and then goes on to alienate anybody who’s ever had such poor judgement as to patronize a, God forbid, Starbucks.

    So it’s confession time. Once when I was in Grand Central Station, I wanted to get a coffee, and Starbucks is basically your only option, so I bought one. I guess there’s nothing Jonathan can do for me…

    Nice, Jon. Really classy. I think you should follow up by calling the Heights a backwater of posh NIMBY pinheads, then say that Pace students are just kids who couldn’t get into Fordham, and then slap a breast-feeding mother on opening day and tell her that her crotch-fruit isn’t welcome.

    Welcome to the neighborhood!

  • nabeguy

    Wow, how the mighty have fallen…apparently mouth-first onto their foot.

  • Jazz

    Jesse – STFUA.

  • FeiFei

    Ouch, Jonathan, I thought you were open to some constructive comments. Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully, how about “What brand of coffee do you serve and will that stay the same? I didn’t like the coffee served at Tea Lounge on 9th St, and 7th Ave.” When I do a quick google search of “best coffee in NY”, the various lists always have Gimme!, Joe’s, Gorilla, 9th St., – I don’t see much mention of Tea Lounge coffee. Tea Lounge is a great place to enjoy coffee, but the coffee itself is highly rated? Have you tried the coffee at Tazza, Busy Chef, Cranberry’s or the subway stand by the A/C train? I go to Starbucks because that is the best tasting coffee in the neighborhood. When I run out of Joe’s beans, and I want a hot cup of coffee, where do you suggest I go? Hop on a subway to Tea Lounge? Sorry, but that is inconvenient which is why I was rooting for you that your coffee will taste better than Starbucks. I’ve never tried Juan Valdez coffee, but if they had a shop in BH, I would give it a try and compare it fairly against the others. Barrington coffee is hardly swamp water. No hard feelings, I still wish you luck.

  • http://www.tealoungeNY.com jonathan

    Fei Fei – i apologize, it is not my intention to alienate anyone. I took a bad mood out on you. everyone is entitled to their opinion. i hope u can forgive.

    And Jesse, you know that’s not what i meant, i would choose BH if i didn’t love the hood or the residents.

    my apologies again. It was stupid of me.

  • http://www.tealoungeNY.com jonathan

    i meant WOULDN’T choose the hood if i didn’t…

  • Red Baron

    I would be absolutely delighted to have a Tea Lounge in Brooklyn Heights, and I’d be there all the time with my husband. I’ve been to the Park Slope/Union Street location and really appreciate the variety of drinks/food as well as the general relaxed vibe. (I do agree about the uncomfortable pillows, though… but that wouldn’t stop me from going!) My only concern would be the proximity to Tazza–while I agree that they are expensive and the no-laptop rule is frustrating, I would hate to see them lose customers. I like having them around!

  • Luke C

    Hooray! I’d love to have the Tea Lounge in our nabe!

  • k

    It would be great to have a Tea Lounge in BH. A suggestion would be to hire a feng shui expert to eradicate the weirdly dead energy in that particular location, and some boho types with smudge sticks to reinforce the positive energy. And just forget about the coffee, anyway–it’s a tea lounge, and tea rules way over coffee in every way, shape and form!
    ; – )

  • jiker

    Yes!!! Exactly what we need in the nabe. I really hope it happens

  • Lisa Witter

    I really hope this comes through! We need this in then neighborhood. Great news indeed.

  • C.

    -FeiFei

    Go away.

    About this idea. Eh. Could be cool late at night but I would avoid it like the plague during the day time as it will probably be smothered with stroller moms and kiddies. I just think the location is pretty horrible. That corner doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic and you really have to go out of your way to get to it. It’s also not very inviting from the outside and is hard to tell if whatever establishment is there is even open. I think moving a block to Henry would benefit you much better. And I mean MUCH better.

←  Older Comments
Newer Comments  →