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March 3, 2009

Tea Lounge Coming to The Heights?

tea-lounge-brooklyn-heights-0309.jpgThe owner of the Tea Lounges in Park Slope and Cobble Hill may triple down in Brooklyn Heights later this year. Jonathan Spiel told the Brooklyn Heights Blog that he was considering a 4,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of the St. George Tower at 111 Hicks Street (site of yesterday's COTD). Think it sounds like a sound business idea for the area? GMAP




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:45 AM | Comments (20)
Categories: Brooklyn Heights, Streetlevel

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Is that the space where restaurants come and go? 4,000 square feet? That's one big "lounge."

Posted by: altervoce at March 3, 2009 9:50 AM

Nothing is a good idea in that space. It's been one failed restaurant after another for the past two decades. The space is dark and subterranean. And 4,000 square feet sounds like a lot. But I'm not a habitue of either Tea Lounge (too many strollers), so what do I know?

Posted by: casacara at March 3, 2009 9:50 AM

what is the tea lounge like in park slope? i know there were two and only one left, but ive never been. ive only heard funny stories about the places.. (fart cushions!?!)

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 9:51 AM

4000 square feet = one hell of a small roller disco. and if it's dark and subterranean like you say, even more the better! please please PLEASE let rollerdiscos come back to nyc instead of these lame yuppie tea lounges. PLEASE? also if the new publically touted (by the new york times no less) sex club in brooklyn is any indication these places will come back. i didnt get to experience the real fun places of nyc because i was too young. now there's nothing of interest to me really. bring back the nasty!


*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 9:57 AM

The space is designed as a restaurant for the hotel. It will thrive in that situation, and be middling at best otherwise. It has very little window frontage so needs the guarantee of hotel traffic. A hotel was supposed to come back to the newly built/renovated section a few years ago, but the owner decided to rent it to the college dormitory folks instead. Unfortunately the restaurant space is owned by the St. George Tower co-op and they can't control what goes into the rest of the complex. Too bad their interests aren't aligned. (And don't expect anything useful from the hotel owner - this is the same guy who's let a decent corner retail space on Henry/Pineapple sit empty for at least 10-15 years because he won't lower the asking rent.)

Posted by: NorthHeights at March 3, 2009 9:58 AM

Are we talking about the old Palmira space? Do they really think a 4000 sq ft tea lounge could survive there?

Posted by: boofer at March 3, 2009 10:05 AM

im not a fan of the tea lounge on union, but they do seem to have steady stream of business, and its not just stroller moms. plus they have a bar/bands at night so that they're not just a daytime coffee operation. and my guess is that the union street space is several thousand sq.ft. too.

just not sure how the bk.hts. demographic meshes with the tea lounge look/feel/concept.

Posted by: goldie at March 3, 2009 10:09 AM

Sounds like the Palmyra space at Clark and Hicks. The photo here is of a construction shed on Pineapple.

The space is the kiss of death. It was Palmyra's from 2002-2007, before that it was the hilariously named Stubs from 198?-1996. Sat vacant for years before Palmyra's made a go of it. The St. George erected a scaffold for two years over the entry to the restaurant. Nobody even knew the place was there.

Posted by: buttermilk channel at March 3, 2009 10:13 AM

It could work because it caters to families and writers (or typers!) during the day but turns into a bar with music at night. There isn't any place like it in the entire area. There is Tazzo, but that is not really comfortable for hanging out and they ban laptops for most of the day and on weekends. With free WiFi, room for groups to meet, and etc. this could bring some life into an area that needs it!

Posted by: Carol Gardens at March 3, 2009 10:30 AM

They have a captive market of students (the dorm) -- should be fine.

Posted by: BH76 at March 3, 2009 10:52 AM

It's amazing to me that people aren't solidly behind this. Brooklyn Heights is a cultural and culinary wasteland. There's plenty of money to back something like this in the neigb, and frankly I'm overjoyed to have some place besides Tazza to eat casually, or grab a coffee. Plus, Tazza's never had music, and the Tea Lounge has a genuinely great booking policy of avant jazz, jazz-esque, and just plain modern, intellectual New York music. Why not take your teenage kids to the stuff, instead of just letting them sit around and drink in your basement?
I'm for it...

Posted by: mimithedog at March 3, 2009 10:52 AM

quote:
intellectual New York music

rolley-eyes. :-/

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 11:12 AM

"Brooklyn Heights is a cultural and culinary wasteland."
Definitely in need of some "intellectual New York music"

Posted by: buttermilk channel at March 3, 2009 11:24 AM

excellent idea for space issue is youth business in the area, given high average age of Heights folks tho the 'dorm' on Henry would help... we'll see...

Posted by: chrishavens at March 3, 2009 11:36 AM

I think this is a great idea. There's a large stroller contingent in the Heights, plus students and courthouse employees looking for a lunch hangout during the day. And the Heights could use a little more nightlife. The Tea Lounge on Union is always packed. If anything could work in that space, this would be it. (They should get a ramp for the stollers, though -- as I recall, there are a lot of steps).

Posted by: Lesloaf at March 3, 2009 11:50 AM

I also say all systems go...Tea Lounge magic personally kind of wore off me a while ago, but I used to go the the one on Union three days a week. Cheap happy hour, late hours, hippie vibe, big range demographically.

Posted by: infinitejester at March 3, 2009 12:31 PM

they must be getting it for a song if they think they can afford 4000 sq feet for a lounge, and aren't maintenance fees really high in this building which could imply less than sound finances? seems odd, but i'd love for it to succeed.

Posted by: travy at March 3, 2009 1:10 PM

I really wish they'd open one up in Bay Ridge! I moved here from the Slope and it's really one of the only things I miss.

Posted by: mdmh at March 3, 2009 7:29 PM

I was hoping they would open one in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area. We have plenty of strollers and students here to keep them busy!

Posted by: chnewbie at March 3, 2009 10:23 PM

That photo shows construction on the Pineapple St. side (now complete) of the St. George Tower which is not where Tea Lounge would go. The actual space is on Clark Street and is far from subterranean. In fact it's cornered by windows and is an attractive place from which to see the day/evening.

Posted by: brooklynclassic at June 3, 2009 10:38 AM

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