Communitea

Their coffee is great! It’s Irving Farm, which is hard to get around here. They also have quality baked goods and spacious seating. The owners are a lovely family so I feel good about supporting this place. You want to feel healthy but want your food to taste good? This is a perfect spot for that.

Don’t come here.
Yeah, you read that right. I want all their espresso and tea. Their new location is pretty spacious and their sky light is a nice touch but I want it all to myself.

I’m a huge fan of Communitea. They serve excellent Irving Farms coffee, great food (French toast! Breakfast Burrito!!), have a friendly staff and a cool-​as-​hell atmosphere. They have free WiFi and a great workspace if you need to concentrate. They also play chill music and support the local art scene. Go to this place. Now.

Great place near Moma PS1. Simple. Clean. Delicious. I got a sandwich with pesto and they make it from scratch. Delicious!!! Good atmosphere with many locals that are obvious patrons. And I understand why. Everything was very fresh and delicious.

Great community gathering spot for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon coffee/​tea spot! Perfect for friends and families to catch up or just enjoy a great Sunday indoors. They also offer a small selection of games! I would definitely come back as it a great neighborhood spot for LIC!

Expresso is very good specially selected and freshly roasted coffee beans offer a great cup of aromatic coffee that makes those moments of genuine warmth and happiness even more special.
And American blend so
It’s difficult to find a good coffee in this place I think it’s the best of long Island!

I’m a huge fan of Communitea! It’s a bright, beautiful, spacious location. I haven’t had the opportunity to try the food yet, but the coffee is delicious and they have a large tea menu. I’ve only tried the Spring Jasmine, and it was incredible.
It’s a great space to do work, have a meeting, or hang out with friends. I highly recommend it!

Today was such a nice day that I decided to LIC from the Burg. I found this and decided to call it my half way point where I would pause before I walked back. Great ambiance on such a nice spring day — lots of natural light and light colors made it seems very open and a great place to get some work done.
I had a delicious unsweetened peach iced tea and was on my merry way. If I do this walk again or am nearby I would totally stop in again.

This is a well-​lit, spacious coffee shop in the Long Island City area that my friend and I stumbled upon after we read a sign on the sidewalk beckoning us to check out Communitea. I’m glad we did, because the first thing I saw was the «Ugly Bar» made with oats, dried fruits, and flaxseeds. I got that as a snack along with my chocolate chai latte.
I was satisfied with my chocolate chai latte: it was creamy without being too heavy, and I got a generous portion of it. The server was kind enough to offer to bring it over to my table, since it took longer to make compared to the cortado that my friend ordered. I also appreciated the sample of the apple cinnamon bread that the café was giving out.
The artwork on the walls is bold and colorful, the lamps here remind me of strobe lighting, and the servers behind the counter are friendly. A pretty nice spot overall!

First off their coffee is the best I’ve had in the city. In all forms from their lattes to their plain black cold brew. Second their food is great, not the breakfast and lunch menus are extensive and everything on them is really good. Bacon egg and cheese croissant is probably the best one I’ve ever had-​anywhere. For lunch the chicken salad sandwich is unique and a little addicting. Third, their service is great and friendly. One complaint– they don’t open until 8am on weekdays and 9am on weekends so sometimes my day starts without getting to stop in.

Nice spot. I’ve been here a few times in the morning for coffee. Friendly staff. It has a 60’s diner style. It’s bright, clean, and moderately loud. Great place for groups. It’s also one of the only coffee shops within a few blocks. The only other descent one is Sweatleaf near the Pulaski Bridge.

5-​Stars for Communitea! High vaulted ceilings and varnished wooden tables set the mood for the delicious — and I am talking delicious — homemade fare! Great coffee meets your new favorite dishes. And, plenty of outlets if you are in need of plugging in — but while you are at it, plug into some of the deliciousness! Also, plenty of boardgames to keep you feeling relaxed and unrushed. Perfect! See for yourself.

I have to say, I love this place. I frequented when they were located on Vernon Blvd.
First, they serve great coffee. Irving Farms, who have cafes in the city, and a quality bean selection. Their menu is always creative with a rotating special grilled cheese. The tea, I’m not well versed on but they have a lot of it and I usually stick to a white melon.
The most unfortunate part of this place is that with their move CommuniTEA has moved out of the riverfront communitY. I’m happy to see them open again, but it’s a hike to get there if you live along the riverfront. Alas, there’s a new crowd over there and a lot of new development that will hopefully find Communitea as much an asset as we did on Vernon Blvd.

Most of the staff is nice. But the Wednesday morning guy, Is very rude – as I have, more than one time, dealt with him. Often shrugs his shoulders and ignores any comments or questions one might have. He hates being there. He made an awful chai, I expressed it was weak, he simply shrugged his shoulders. Awful. I like the establishment — but will skip the week days.

I’m so happy Communitea re-​opened. I was sad when they left Vernon but their new location is a visual treat and actually much improved (natural Sky light!). Their tea selection is still second to none (I highly recommend the Khava Chai and the Ayuverdic Blend!). Glad that they’re now open till 7pm I’ll actually be able to come by more often! I note that they’ll soon be serving beer and wine which will be a great move to make the most out of the space.
If you appreciate a sense of community and smart Danish style décor, you’ll enjoy your time at Communitea with a good book!

In the ever growing and evolving neighborhood of Long Island City where condos/​coops and new establishments are springing up left and right, it’s places like Communitea that allows people to take a breath and enjoy a bite into a sandwich/​sip on some coffee/​tea. This is what it is all about: Living in the moment.
Communitea was previously located on Vernon, but has relocated. It is now a block away on 11^th street and 46^th Road. It might be hard to spot, but if you can see the ACCES-​VR building (Agency serving the disabled), you’re heading in the right direction. Communitea is a bit tucked away from the main curb, but there are signs pointing you to the restaurant.
The décor is spacious with skylights and seats extending all the way to the back. The place is very open. There are minimal decoration with a feeling of rustic touches like the lighting and exposed bricks. Communitea is a mixture of coffee shop and a café. It’s a perfect balance of the two– being able to browse/​study on your laptop and enjoying a good meal. You are able to relax and take your time.
I dined here with coworkers. I ordered a El Ranchero (grilled chicken, chipotle sauce, red onion, tomato and cheddar cheese). I traded half of my sandwich for a Reuben. If you can share and both sandwiches taste great, it’s a double win! Both sandwiches were delicious. The El Ranchero had a great contrast in taste as you are able to taste each ingredient. The sandwich provided some kick with the chipotle sauce. The Reuben was a more complimenting sandwich where everybody blended well together. The swiss, sauerkraut and turkey melted together nicely where there was no standout ingredient/​flavor overriding your palate. The restaurant offers self serve water. I would recommend the restaurant to have a few glass bottle of water ready in case there is a large group. It’s a bit annoying to get up a few times to get water.
Overall, I enjoyed the meal and my time at Communitea.

Been going to this place since they were on Vernon Blvd (previous location, same owner) and always liked the ambience and food. Prices are somewhat higher then other coffees shops and delis but the quality is better, IMO, so it’s worth it. Good coffee too.

Communitea is the kind of place that helps makes a neighborhood a community. Amazing space. Excellent food, coffee and tea. Bummed that the beer isn’t up yet but they told me it’s coming very soon. I see myself spending many many hours here. Also love the skylights — the natural light helps with all the reading I’ll be doing here. The people who work there are also very helpful and sweet. So glad they opened closer to me!

The location is very spacious and well designed and is a welcome addition to the area.
The food is good and the coffee is exceptional.

I wanted to like this place so much. I live in the neighborhood and I LOVE going to local places and supporting the community.
I took my laptop here to spend the morning doing some work. While my iced coffee was delicious, my croissant was terrible. It was stale, and it tasted like it came from a package. The frozen croissants from costco are better. Also, there were gnats flying around, which were very distracting and gross while I was working. There are only outlets for plugging in a computer at one large table, which was a little awkward because the entire place was empty except for me and one guy sitting right next to me, sharing the outlet. The outlet is also very inconveniently placed WAY under the table. I was literally down on all fours, underneath the table, trying to plug in my computer. Disgusting.
No need to come back. There are plenty of other coffee shops in the neighborhood that provide a more pleasant atmosphere for getting work done.

Glad to have this place back — always enjoyed it when it was on Vernon. Love their sandwiches (tuna melt, turkey rueben, green bob) and coffee. Buddha Bowl was really good, but I do wish it was little heartier or at least had some options to build it yourself; last time I got it I was wishing for some more protein, especially for $ 13. Also don’t love having mesclun greens in it – found myself craving kale or spinach instead. The décor is nice, I like what they’ve done and I like that the larger space can accommodate more people. Though it does make it pretty loud sometimes and therefore makes it hit or miss as to whether one can bring work and be concentrate in there. Sometimes the wifi has been spotty for me.

After sampling a bit I must say that their food is alright but their service is just disastrous. Last time I ended up waiting 40+ min to get a sandwich. I ordered a bagel and the guy also forgot to separate it, so it was taken by the time I grabbed my food.
In general, I am very unhappy with the customer service. I am not coming back

Maybe I came on an off day since there are so many great reviews, but I was thoroughly unimpressed. The iced coffee was weak, and based on the price ($ 3.50 for a small) I was expecting a serious cup o’ joe. I mean… you’re paying for the quality and the quantity of the beans, right?
And in terms of the décor I felt they made a poor choice in stationing the cash register so close to the large pole (support beam?) in the middle of the café. Customers were having difficulty lining up to order/​pay, and the woman running the register was able to keep track of who was next.
So in the end, I waited around for an overpriced, cup of crappy coffee.

I have lived in the neighborhood for over 6 years and used to go to the old location on Vernon several times a week (I studied there and thanks to the place passed my pediatric board exam). I am so happy that it has reopened and it is truly better than ever. The space is beautiful, the food the same (which is a good thing), and the people still create a warm and friendly environment.

Healthy and tasty food quickly. Coffee and pastries are great too. Excellent variety and staff in a very nice and welcoming space. So glad they’ve returned to LIC!

Let me begin by saying I’ve never been to Communitea when it was on Vernon Blvd. But I have been to every café in the Vernon-​Jackson area, and Communitea’s got it down.
I came here on both a weekday and weekend, and there’s always seating (unlike 51^st avenue café or Sweetleaf — both locations). Employees look like they’re excited to serve you! More than once, they’ve given me their own personal recommendations of what drink to get.
There’s a variety of coffee, tea, sandwiches, and pastries (croissants, macarons, etc).
I felt like prices were on-​par with what to expect in Long Island City.
There is a bar area and communal/​large table seating in the back, with 2 seater tables in the front. With a few board games and books in the back, it’s also child friendly.
I’ve camped out here 3+ hours at a time with my laptop, and never felt rushed to leave. It’s never too loud or crowded so it’s a great place to get some work done.
My only qualms are:
— the wifi (which sometimes drops or slows down when it was JUST working marvelously).
— some of the guests … that can interrupt your work or reading session. On my first visit, this wannabe Iggy Azalea (WHOEVER the kids listen to nowadays) was rapping rhymes off a piece of paper for a good hour. Between the (great) music that Communitea plays and my Soundcloud playlist, it was enough for me to think I was hearing a 3^rd demonic voice. On my second visit, this man started sighing heavily then slapping his knees then began banging on his laptop. Bleh.

People don’t get swayed by the 5 stars from others on here, these were given by employees and/​or friends of the owners. I went to Communitea’s new location for a cup of coffee and I had to deal with this wanna be gangster with a baseball cap + tattoos and his nasty attitude. I was charged over $ 3.00 for a cup of 50 cent coffee and I didn’t even hear a thank you from wanna be Vanilla Ice. I guess in addition to his usual sour puss self he was extra mad because no tip was forth coming from mua. Maybe if the coffee was priced right, maybe if he had a smile on his face and treated customers like we were the true source of income to this establishment, maybe if he realized that there are plenty of other places that sell cheap coffee and there is a Duncan Donuts on 21^st that sells coffee for only $ 2.07 he will start appreciating the customers. I actually think I’m being generous giving this place 3 stars, I also noticed they raised their prices, mufffins, breakfast sandwiches all went up. Don’t bother going here, spend your money at D&D, the people there are always happy to have you.

This place is wonderful to have in Hunter’s Point, and I am so glad it reopened. The new space is better than the previous location on Vernon. There’s lots of light and plenty of room to work or hang out. They have WiFi, and, unlike a lot of coffee shops, they have actual food. Prices are pretty typical for coffee shops of this kind. Everything is spotlessly clean, and the staff are really friendly. My only complaint is that Communitea closes early (5:00 PM), but maybe these are just temporary hours for the new location? I would come here in the evening if I could.

I am thrilled to find that the Communitea is newly reborn. What a treasure for the community ! We so needed a café like this, nearby to us .
One of the owners, Kafia Saxe, creatively designed the spacious interior. It looks so amazing ! Thanks to both owners Kafia Saxe and Lloyd Canning for bringing Communitea back. Their warm smiles and friendliness is so appreciated .
There is so much that I am happy about .Here is just a partial list (Will probably add to it later on .) .
* Great selection of teas
* Cheerful staff
* Child friendly (have highchairs)
* Delicious pastries
* Yummy sandwiches
* Wi Fi
Can’t wait to return and have a panini :).

I am delighted to report that Communitea has re-​opened in a new location as of last Thursday! The new Communitea is at 11 – 18 46^th Road, and is a little tricky to find because it is behind a street-​level parking lot on 11^th St. It is great to have this neighborhood spot back again!