Staying at one of New York City's hottest hotels, like SoHo Grand Hotel? Need a cup of tea? Well, last week, a quaint, art-plastered teahouse, By Name, opened in the trendy neighborhood of SoHo. Luxury Travel Advisor attended the grand-opening on June 5 to scope it out.
The Bowery, a street that was once a slum of New York City, has developed into a hipster-ish haven of hotels, art and music. To cater to this countercultural demographic, By Name opened its doors. “The people around there are more artistic and younger and looking for innovations,” said Rorschach Hou, owner of the teahouse.
The goal of this new spot is to create a contemporary art space for the community of local and international emerging artists. Inside, the white enclave is accentuated with vibrant works of modern art. Food and beverage is served at a stand in the back.
At By Name, customers are called by name. One of them, a teacher named Kelly Ko, says it is a place she would like to come to again.
“It’s a nice, very contemporary atmosphere with the layout and the artwork. I unfortunately don’t live in this neighborhood, but if I did I’d be coming here often,” Ko said.
By Name is both a gallery and café. From its inception until June 16, the teahouse is hosting an art show called "The Present," with five artists—Yi Chen, Hao Chen, Junyan Hou, Brett Henrikson and Jonathan Ellis—showcasing their work from photography, multimedia art and sculpturing.
"All the artists are dealing with current, important topics from different aspects of our lives, from technology to political issues," Hou says.
The teahouse is located at 324 Bowery, New York City. It is open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
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