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Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Long Island CityVernon-Jackson Aves (7)
21st St (Van Alst) (G)
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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this place just gets better and better with every visit.
communitea's seats are perpetually filled by macbook toting locals, but somehow you can always find yourself a seat or two. i love coming here on weekends, after brunch and board games at dominie's, to poach someone's discarded sunday times and work on their crossword puzzle.
i also recently became a big fan of their tea selection. for as low as $3, you can get yourself a whole teapot of quality tea that they kindly steep to perfection for your enjoyment. yes, it's only tea and water, but i love that for $3, you get a tray with a teapot and mug, plus milk and sugar. a bit cutesy, but i'm a sucker for that kind of thing.
Try their lox cream cheese, it's one of the best things I have ever tasted in my life!! They make it from scratch!
The service however is not the best, but then again, you're not in Manhattan. 3 words: slow as molasses. So you can imagine how I felt after waiting ten full minutes for the bagel to be toasted and spreaded with that heavenly goodness and then handed to my hungover ass, when the dude behind the counter dropped it face down, cream cheese to the floor, and then had to start to make another one all over again. AHHHH!
This is one of the only places where I will still give 3 stars even though I've found hair in my food....... TWICE.
I really wish I did not find those hairs in my sandwiches. And not only was it on the plate, but it was weaved into my sandwich (like really IN THERE). it was pretty long and curly. The woman behind the counter wore a bandana over her head, and they were nice about replacing the sandwich for me. So what more can I really say besides ask if anyone else on yelp has had this happen to them? Or am I really just that unlucky?
Why does it still get 3 stars even though I've been totally grossed out by finding hair in my sandwiches? Their paninis and sandwiches are just really good, and it's one of those neighborhood staples that I've grown to love despite the "hair incident". On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I'm still going to walk down to Communitea and order a Turkey, Apple, and Cheddar panini. The turkey is really tender, and I am not usually a fan of turkey sandwiches because of the dryness.
(Turkey+Apple+Cheddar+Herb Mayo) - Hair = Great!
I am a huge Gossip Girl fan, and most of the first season was shot in this coffee shop. Communitea is great for filming a tv show because there are so many large windows so there is a lot of light. The barista was nice and answered all my question about the Gossip Girl cast. I went in the fall and they had a lot of festival drinks. I had a maple latte, and it was really good but really sweet. The space is gorgeous and Long Island City has a lot of cool and hip shops.
I love the space and the vibe. The beverages i have had are super delicious and made with love. Its a great place to get a big bowl of coffee adn bring my laptop and get some work done and still be happy. free wifi is always a plus. the food for me, sounds a little better than it is, but its still decent.
i just hate that it closes at 7. pretty weak since i dont get out of work till after 7 and i would love a place to wind down. i will hope for extended hours someday.
I almost don't want to review this place because I selfishly don't want it to get popular.
Communitea is a mellow place to walk in and relax, hang out with your friends or just read. I see "unpretentious" being used often by reviewers and that's dead-on! You can walk in, sit down, do your thing and no one's going to judge you for not ordering a thing! (not that I encourage that type of behavior.)
You've got free wifi, newspapers and magazines, all the comforts of home but not being at home.
As for the drinks and food... umm.... I haven't ordered anything yet. J/k! They have simple foods like sandwiches and cakes, a multitude of coffees, teas, shakes, and smoothies if you don't find something you like, just ask. "unpretentious" remember?
I've had Iced Coffee, smoothies and tea here and I have no complaints. I mean if you're a serious coffee and tea aficionado you'd feel you were too good to be caught dead here so please don't come. You're not welcomed!
Could've been very hip.
The service is just too weird. Some kind of entitlement issues or something. The coffee is no good. Too bad on that one. The food is pretty tasty and I dig the wholesome ingredients.
Sorry Communitea...My kind of place, but I just don't feel a connection.
This place was pretty cool. Off-beat neighborhood coffee house / cafe in Long Island City. I ordered the hummus avocado chipotle sandwich. Although it tasted good, it wasn't worth the $8. If you come around lunch time, be prepared to not have a seat. And it is cash only!
I stopped by this place today with a couple friends for a quick lunch. Upon walking into this corner establishment, I noticed all 15 tables (2 ppl to a table) were occupied. 2 of the 15 tables had patrons that had ordered something from the menu (sandwich, salad, etc.), while only another 4 tables had drinks. Most of the other patrons sat at their tables with their laptops, newspapers, or books and showed no signs of ordering anything. I was unable to tell if they had already finished their meal or were just soliciting. I thought to myself that this would be a cozy joint to hang out as long as management doesn't have any problems with soliciting patrons, and not to forget that WiFi was free here, thumbs up!! I looked at the large chalkboard wall displaying all their menu items ranging from breakfast foods, sandwiches, paninis, salads, soup, and baked goods. After quickly perusing through the wall-sized menu, I decided to order the Turkey Reuben ($7.50) which is sliced turkey with melted Swiss cheese, organic Sauerkraut and special Reuben sauce grilled on marble rye. We each gave our names and paid for our meals, no tax & cash only. As we waited, I enjoyed looking at the brick walls, and floor to ceiling glass windows which let in ample light. I also watched the three workers behind the counter prepare our meals with fresh ingredients (everything is made to order). It was cozy and warm inside, and really gave it a local neighborhood hangout. Our names were finally called with our meals sitting at the far end of the counter in brown paper lunch bags. It took 8-10 minutes for our sandwiches to be prepared, which was longer-than-expected since the place didn't seem to be very busy with orders.
Since all the tables were occupied, we took our bagged sandwiches to my friend's place who lives in the area. In addition to my sandwich wrapped in white parchment paper, I was also treated with a slice of a pickle. Yum!! The sandwich was delicious, fresh rye bread that was far from soggy. The deli sliced turkey complimented perfectly with the Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, and the Reuben sauce tied all the flavors together. Portions were pretty standard-fare with neither a heaping stack of meat nor were they skimpy. A perfect Reuben sandwich, with a good proportion of meat to Reuben sauce to bread.
You may be asking why then I only gave Communitea 3 stars. For several reasons, management did nothing to have their paying customers a place to sit (we're not regulars so we don't know the exact rules here), the wait for our food was somewhat longer than expected, and one of my friends found a small fruit fly in his Turkey Apple & Cheddar Panini ($7.75). Despite the minor mishap, we all seemed to enjoy our sandwiches. I would definitely consider coming back again since there is not much else in that specific area of Long Island City, but I hope to get a seat next time so that I can enjoy the ambiance of Communitea.
My favorite neighborhood cafe - even tho I don't live in the neighborhood.
They offer a full range of coffee & teas, along with paninis and breakfast foods.
Gossip Girl is filmed here, too! This is the coffee shop (in Brooklyn) where Vanessa works.
Whats not to love?
Delicious tea... yummy food... nice people... plenty of seating... free Wifi...Great location... Clean...
Everything here is really great. Theres no question.
As far as a 'hip' place... I wouldnt say that... Its cozy and comfortable...
And not pretentious at all...
I wouldnt feel under dressed walking in here in some comfy weekend clothing on a lazy sunday...
The quality is good... the prices are decent... you dont feel rushed at all...
So if you have a good book... want to sit down with a friend... or have some work on your laptop to do... this place is great.
Do keep in mind its a 'cash only' place.
And try the Chai ^_^
My friend and I had made a trip to L.I.C. to see the a few art galleries. Much to our dismay, all three of them were closed on the Tuesday we decided to stop by. At a loss, we just decided to walk around a bit.
We stumbled upon Communitea and decided to give it a try. We got there at 2:30 (afternoon tea is served 3:00pm-6:00pm for $19.95), and so we decided to rest our legs and chat for a bit while the scones (they make them fresh!) were put in the oven.
We were served a three tier of plates; Atop was the scone - still hot from the oven - with clotted cream and raspberry jam; in the middle was a light but delicious hummus, tomato, and avocado sandwich on dark bread which was cut into four pieces. Below that was the plate of sweets: sliced strawberries, cinnamon 'cigars,' brownies, and a piece of homemade cobbler we could not get enough of.
We went with a green tea and had our pot refilled four times free of charge.
It definitely lives up to its name; the place is definitely a 'neighborhood' spot. A local baker drops off baked goods on Wednesday (fresh) and then leaves extra dough so the people at the tea room can make their own as demand requires.
The people that worked there were very helpful and went beyond the call of duty (offering us other sites we might see while there, giving us directions to the closest subway and ferry, etc). The other patrons were equally as nice, and we actually ended up sitting long after our tea had run out to talk with two random strangers; one of which rode his bike to Communitea every day from Astoria, and the other lived in L.I.C.
All in all, it was a very pleasant experience, and I'll definitely be visiting again in the future.
Three-stars, but more for the locale than anything else. You know what they say, location location location. LIC is so quaint and cute ! If you ever need to get away from the city - LIC provides a small town feel, yet is still slightly chic and trendy, without the mess of the hipster scene that is Williamsburg. There seems to be more of a low key family feel to this area.
This cafe/tea/sandwich/panini business has big corner sliding windows, a plus for natural lighting, and provides the diner with an out door eating experience. Their prices are on the moderate to expensive side: I paid 3 dollars for grape fruit juice, and $4.75 ( $4.75!! ) for a 16 oz. soy ice latte. On the plus side: Free wifi. Even better? Plenty of outlets for power. The food isn't great, isn't terrible. What do you expect from eateries now in New York City if they don't overcharge especially in today's economy with rising fuel and food prices?
I would definitely come back to this place for their out door seating, right by their red brick side wall providing privacy and silence from the people chatter indoors, not a ton of foot traffic, great for a day just reading out doors or doing some laptop work.
Unfortunately, the intersection is about few blocks from one of those bridge in queens so there is quite a few loud trucks passing by, picking up dust and debris, and blowing it in your face and food.
We will become locals since we live nearby. Really liked the vibe here- nice local coffee shop feel. The staff was friendly enough and I like how bright it is with all the windows.
They have sliding glass doors which can open up to let in the breezed but then you get the smokers pollution from outside on their bench- so it is not that great when you are pregnant (or just don't want lung cancer!)
Other than that, this place is a jem.
The is plenty of seating and your standard coffee house food options. Haven't eaten here yet- not so sure I would try the food or the sweeties for that matter- they didn't look so appealing to me. I had the peppermint tea and Matt tried the smoothie- both tasty. Their drinks are what they specialize in.
I love Communitea. It's a perfect example of what LIC could be - a quiet place to take a break, catch up with a close friend, enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea and the sunlight.
There's plenty of seating and light coming in through the huge windows. Communitea's become quite popular and with the free wi-fi, it's become a little harder to find a spot to sit.
I don't like really coffee, but I enjoy the coffee here. It's always fresh and delicious, and I like the big bright mugs. Also, I appreciate that the stirrers are made of biodegradable material rather than plastic.
I've only eaten here once, so I can't say much about the food. I can tell you that the peanut butter sandwich is delicious! The peanut butter is very creamy and the added honey makes it amazing, though kind of messy.
The only thing keeping Communitea from five stars is the service. A few times when I've come across life-loathing employees, who stare off into the distance before responding to "Hi. Um, excuse me...?"
And yes, this is where they film "Brooklyn" scenes of Gossip Girl.
You know you love me.
XOXO,
Lani
As a tea freak I was pleasently suprised to find a certified tea shop/cafe within the LIC area. Makes it worth a saving a trip going all the way to the West Village for some Tea & Sympathy (which in my book still remains one of the top places to get tea along with Russian Tea Room.)
However for somthing quick and easy this place does it in a pinch. I arrived and had a afternoon tea. The tea was good and they have a great selection to choose from.
As with any true afternoon tea they served it with a four-tier including one sandwich (of our choice between curry chicken, hummus avacado and/or tuna fish) cut up into fours, a blue-berry muffin, assorted cakes and some fruit.
The only downside is how small the tea pot is. Only serves two cups! And I like having the tea leaves left in the pot so I can brew the tea to my likeing. Other than that this is a solid place offering alot of other goodies and treats.
It must be good to spend some times by yourself, too.
I love this place. My dying wish would be that it operated longer into the night. Closing at 7 is just not cool. I love the selection of tea and healthy meal offerings. Perfect for getting some work done at a cafe. Lots of plugs and friendly staff.
Communitea has a friendly staff, wireless internet, there's always people in there but its never packed. They have a great menu, and bring your laptop because there is free wireless. I found it a great place to go and study.
The Wimbledon iced tea is my fav.
When I walk in here I'm guaranteed a smile. Sometimes it's from the owner Kafiya or her adorable baby Micah or the toothless grandma sipping her tea or a hipster cutie peeking over her Sartre novel. Somehow the weight of New York City life dissipates in this bright space with it's expansive windows and warm mugs.
Come to munch, the food is simple, healthy and tasty.
Come to drink, the tea menu is substantial and coffee solid.
Come to work, free wifi and a welcoming seat.
Come to chat, soft jazz, Beatles or soul plays in the background.
Come to find me grinning, whenever I'm in town.
This hip teahouse leads the LIC trend with an excellent variety of tea, coffee, baked goods, soup, sandwiches, and salads. With free & fast wifi and lots of electrical outlets, this is a popular spot to get your day's work done -- whether it be graphic design, schoolwork, or programming. Because the owner, Kafia, is a recent mother, the place is also popular with families with young children, especially in the evening.
This place can get crowded at times, but there is almost always a seat available if you're willing to share a table. Power outlets are another question, but if they're all taken you can always use the buddy system.
Juston P: I'm not so sure about your positive review of the baked goods! The brownies tasted completely boxed, and not even the good, mushy boxed type at that.
On the one hand, the idea was enticing . . . afternoon tea? I'm in.
On the other . . .
The place felt industrial and like some weird cult--I felt like a tourist in Germany: out of place, and no one particularly wanted us there.
The 3-tiered tea platter was:
(1) Over-done (over-sized doilies? Really)?
(2) Home-ade looking. The sandwiches weren't cute tea-sandwiches, but were made on store bought sliced bread, cut into fours, with un-ceremonious stuffing globbing out on the sides. The baked goods were kind of flavorless and dry
(3) One tiny cup of tea per person?! Come on!
On a whole, it was fine, looked and tasted like something I'd make. Which isn't to say that it was BAD, but not worth $20.
I would have loved to love this place. My girlfriend and I trekked out after reading about it in TimeOut. So, why 2 stars?
- Service: we ordered the tea for two combination at 5:45pm. The offer ends at 6:00 yet the server balked at the order. That scene from Falling Down came to mind, only I was in a neighborhood coffee shop.
- Decor: the enormous plate glass windows and 15 foot ceilings with medium-heat lighting makes the place feel more like a gallery than a coffee shop.
- Tea: a $20 tea combination and we get a tiny pot of tea and glass cups?
- Food: the food was the best part, actually. Aside from the dry cookies, the brownies, scones, and jam were tasty and fresh.
- Screaming baby: really, lady? You just had to bring your infant to fill the enormous space with jet-engine wailing? No, Comunitea did not lose a star due to this mother's judgement.
As a neighborhood place, I can see the appeal. But if anyone is considering making the trip due to TimeOut's coverage, I suggest you pass. There's nothing special waiting on the other side of the river.
Great place
Well lit
plenty of seating
and they have wifi!
When you walk in you'll see people chilling with their computers
They have tons of magazines and newspapers to read while you eat.
Best bet: The Chicken Curry Sandwich!
Love this place
It's what coffee/tea houses should be!
Really disappointed in this place. The coffee is decent and the staff is nice, but something is just kind of off about the food. Sandwich tasted like the meat sat in a freezer for way too long, tomatoes were beige, and I'm pretty sure I saw roaches crawling around where they make the food. And they charge extra for everything. Manhattan prices in LIC. Save your dollars and just make a fresher cleaner ham sandwich at home.
seriously this is the joint. it's a really great place to set up camp for the day. plenty of tables, free wifi, good music is played almost all the time, the drinks are fabulous, it's never hard to find a seat. i come in here almost every single day. david byrne said it better than i ever could:
http://www.youtube.com...
very cozy place. I love their selections of Teas. and I can't be more happier I live right next to it.
I agree with the other reviews, it is very popular and hard to get a seat. especially with a lot of free lancers, I guess the WIFI is a huge deal. but I can't complain I am usually there on weeknds as I have a regular job. I like the menu on the wall very stylish idea. I do suggest making the salad portion on the menu a real salad not 5 leaves. My friend was wondering if this is a salad. But for $6.95 I guess that's what you get.Love the place.
Kind of mediocre coffee, but I think their specialty is tea anyway. My friend had a reportedly pleasant iced green tea. We found a checkerboard and played 2 games before realizing how useless playing checkers is on a beautiful summer day. Honestly, the most exciting thing about this place was when we figured out it was the filming location of the "Brooklyn" coffee shop in Gossip Girl. ("I knew I recognized that chalkboard!" my friend said.) Which in turn led to our epiphany that playing checkers was the least of our time management concerns. We promptly took our leave.
...I realize I make this place sound kind of blah, but on the plus side, it is a nice little stroll from P.S. 1 if you're thirsty and don't feel like spending $5 on a Folgers iced coffee from the museum's cafe.
Comfortable and welcoming.
Excellent tea selection and they make it properly, for you.
You can get coffee drinks here but I would not bother. Choose one of the two coffee places around here for that.
I have had the salad nicoise and several sandwiches/panini which were good. Fresh-baked cookies are excellent and the price on those is too. Watch out, they bake them behind the counter and you will have trouble resisting.
Free wifi. A real community atmosphere. People who work there will remember you. But strangers you never met will strike up conversations. (Unfortunately, as a local, I am concerned that so many of them are here to look at pricey new buildings. The hood is getting crowded! We might need more coffee and tea shops soon! But c'est la vie.)
A few things have changed since some of the earlier reviews:
-IMO the staff is much friendlier and nicer than a few years ago. Much. Very friendly now.
-Also, they used to have LOTs of outlets, now only a couple. I don't blame them -- we do have an energy crisis. But I thought it was worth mentioning for people that are looking for somewhere to park a laptop.
It does get packed at peak times (eg weekend days) and you may have trouble getting a table.
It has been a location for several film shoots (most notably Baby Mama: the smoothie shop), if you're into that sort of thing. Locals aren't: it shuts a place down! :-)
I had previously given Communitea a much better review but I have to revise it. Why? Firstly, the noise from the back kitchen is ridiculous. Put a damn curtain back there or something, the whole room is full of pans and dishes banging against each other. Not really conducive to a "Communitea" experience. Secondly, the tables are majorly flawed: they are never stable and always end up spilling my drink. They're also way to close together. Thirdly, the baby factor is outta control. There's a kid screaming as I write this. Leave the whining kids at home OK? Fourthly, no coffee refills is lame. Charge a buck for one, what's the big deal? Finally, they don't take cards of any sort, cash only. This is being cheap and making the customer have to deal with what should be their issue. And, really, finally: the interior hasn't changed an iota since they opened. Jeeez, with all the artists around you could put something on the brick walls. OK, that's why they get 3 stars and I hope they heed some of my gripes. I have been hanging here for a couple of years but come far less now for the aforementioned reasons (sound of blender filling room...)
This is not really a hipster place, more of neighborhood cafe with a pleasant and clean environment.… Read more »
One of my favorite places to sit and read in the city. I work near here so I'm really excited that this area is starting to become so cute, this block in particular. I love the Turkey Apple Cheddar Panini. Haven't tried the salads yet, can't speak for the size. The soup is great, too. But this is for sure one of those places that you can feel good about just sitting and eating and reading, drinking a great cup of tea and enjoying the day.
I really want to like this place... Long Island City is difficult right now because the services have yet to catch up with the neighborhood (having to go to Manhattan to visit a drugstore is still a pain, and the one deli that sells household stuff is more expensive than whole foods), and I would love a place which I can visit each weekend to read the Times and have a Machiatto. The setting at Communitea is very aesthetically pleasing. Natural light floods the room and the menu on the wall is a nice touch, and the two stars are based solely on the aesthetics of the room. The two times I have visited Communitea the service has been horrible. The staff is more likely to scowl at you as they take your order than to smile, and they act as if making my order is a chore. The concept that I would like to leisurely drink my coffee as I read my paper seems foreign to them, as consistently my "to stay" order ends up in a to go cup. Both times I ordered breakfast and each time I was disappointed. The quiche was bland and luke warm, as was the egg sandwich. There is great potential in this place, but they need to focus on the basics like food and service... Hopefully they will come through, and here is hoping that they do...
Seriously, three hours after eating here and two hours after originally posting this it now feels like there are razor blades in my stomach. I hope this gets back to the owners. They have a great concept but the implementation is less than can be desired.
This is a cute Tea & Coffee shop in LIC. Like the name - I think it really describes the place to a T - a cafe frequented by locals. Nice airy space with ample seating and definitely seems like the type of place where you could sit there with your laptop for a few hours without being hassled. Big, fresh looking salads and paninis - although their baked goods didn't look at that tempting to me. Will be back next time I need a caffeine fix and a snack.
I really like this place for coffee/breakfast, but unfortunately it's very popular, meaning it's hard to get a seat. But if you do there's free Wi-Fi, a nice selection of teas, and quite an extensive menu. Great place to stop after a yoga class down the street.
I have always found the name of this place a paradox since it is filled with free lancers on laptops, sitting at two-tops (alone), with ear pods in their ears. Still, it is a necessary watering hole for the hood. Natural light floods into the cafe making it a nice place to sit and stare off into space, listening to the clicking fingers on keyboards.
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