Urasenke

This is, essentially, a school for learning Japanese tea ceremony and classes are held there on most days. They do demonstrations once a month where visitors can come and experience the tea ceremony. Unfortunately, they do not have a «café» where you can just come in and have a cup of tea. One thing I heard about the classes is that they have very strict teachers! Yikes! But it’s a great place to experience a little bit of Japan without having to fly there!

Urasenke is a really secret gem in NYC. Who knew a tea house built in Kyoto and brought all the way here from Japan could be hidden away in a random building. Seriously, not to be cliché, but only in NYC.
It was such an amazing experience to get to see and participate in Japanese tea ceremony here. The little sweet that is eaten before the tea was different from what I’m used to having in Japan, but was still good. The tea was perfect.
The staff were really incredible and so knowledgeable while also patient. It was clear that they really wanted to tell people about Japanese tea ceremony. They encouraged questions and were totally open to any question.

Excellent experience. I learned so much about Japanese tea culture in the 30 minutes I was there.

If you don’t know what tea ceremony is already, my review is hardly going to inform you. Anyway, I was once told by the tea master here that this is the nicest set of tea rooms outside of Japan. That’s hard to judge, but I lived in Japan, and this place definitely makes me feel as if I’m back there (about as much as I can handle of that feeling, to be honest). Expensive classes, to be sure, but well worth it if you’re interested in total cultural immersion. Tea ceremony is difficult, painful, embarrassing, and also enlightening. Bonus: you get free tea with your lesson and a small snack! It’s almost like tea church!

This tearoom location sweeps you away from NYC into Japan! I love everything about it. The traditional tea making and serving. It’s such a real place, everything is made from the earth in this place and it’s so very calming.
They taught me to appreciate my tea. I’ve been here only a handful of times but it’s my quick getaway from the stressors of NYC. Why pay 1000+ to go to Japan when you can pay like 30 or so for it. The tea, the cookies, the atmosphere is all so delightful!
Thanks Urasenke, you’re my dojo of peace!

I’ve been here about 3 or 4 time already and I plan to go this year with my club again. It’s like a perfect slice of older Japanese culture where you can come and indulge in the beauty of the art of tea. The man who performs it is a very friendly Japanese man and obviously very learned about tea. He sits in seiza, the seated stance where you sit on the back of your calves, the entire time! Everyone will be compelled to try it but most people fail. I even fail and I used to sit like that all the time in Karate! But anyway, please go! it’s a great experience and it’s not all that expensive!

Sen Rikyu is the man who perfected the style of chanoyu based on the wabi aesthetic and elevated chanoyu into a Way — the Way of Tea, or Chado.
Chanoyu translated in English means warm water for tea.
Before entering the tearooms-​one must remove his or her shoes as well as negative thoughts.
The rooms follow the Japanese tradition of keeping everything simplistic, plain, natural, and uncluttered. All of the rooms, along with the garden, follow the balance of things to create harmony around us. The Zen garden and the tearooms all have yin and yang elements.
The Zen garden is filled with yin because of the wet surfaces, the cold surfaces of the rocks and water, and also the darkness of the garden under the shades of plants. The yang aspects are the hardness of the rocks, the exposure of the sun causing heat and light to shine upon the garden.
The rooms and the hallways flooring are covered with tatamis. Tatamis are made of rush called Agaze and they sort the rush by color, quality, and length. The tatami cleans the room of carbon dioxide because the rush absorbs it. In high humidity rooms, it absorbs water and when it is low, it releases the water. It also prevent ticks from inhibiting the tatami as well.
The soft rush calms the spirits and the natural sell also soothes the mind and relaxes the body. There is also a rule of how many tatamis a room can have and the layout of the tatamis-​otherwise it can bring you bad luck.
The room is filled with geometric shapes of rectangle. The petite wall to cover the serving area of the tea, the tatamis, the scrolls, the ceiling lights, the paper walls, the area to meditate, and the raised area near the Tatoko pole are all rectangles. The main focus of the room would be the single scroll that hangs on the wall. There is no symmetry in the room.
The way of the Chanoyu brings harmony and peace against negative energy. The ritual of the tea ceremony can bring «peace in a bowl of tea» to ensure balance in an unbalanced world.

…my secret place has been Unilocaled!
Urasenke…
It’s like entering a gorgeous alternate reality. Peek into a zen rock garden, as you journey up the stairs, and into the tatami room. Here you’ll be treated to a hot cup of rich, frothy ceremonial tea, under the guidance of an endearing, wise, old tea master. With great humor and clarity, he explains how the tea ceremony was used as a meditative path to enlightenment.
Heavenly cookies from Kyoto were served by a graceful Japanese woman in full kimono regalia. The deletable cookies reminded me of the ones my grandmother made when I was a little girl; my favorite cookies in the world.
The old master taught the importance of doing only one thing at a time; momentarily curbing the multi-​tasker in me. We finished our treat, then a second tea master emerged from a sliding door. In a beautiful ritual, he silently prepared a cup of gorgeous green broth.
The tea was richer than a hot cup of thick French chocolate, and surprisingly intoxicating; almost like a champagne buzz. After savoring the last drop, I was undeniably high. And forever in love with the Japanese tea ceremony.
Tip: beware of the front door’s earth shattering, gunshot slam… I was floating towards the door after the transporting tea session, when someone entering unknowingly let it SLAM… my ears are still ringing… a brutal exit from this oasis.

I feel like I should be keeping this a secret and not sharing this info with all of Unilocal but the Urasenke Chanoyu Center is one of the most amazing places I have ever been.
This carriage house turned Temple to celebrate the Way of Tea, or directly translated the Way of Life, used to be Mark Rothko’s studio and his spirit is said to be still around. I guess if you spend your life looking for Zen, it doesn’t get better than this in the afterlife.
The Urasenke Chanoyu Center has classes and a Tea «Ceremony» once a month. Everything used to transform this studio into a temple came directly from Japan-​right down to the bamboo used in the mats outside the main door and the stones in the rock garden. I won’t give away anything more.
This is truly a place that is too amazing for any more words.