A new Colombian-themed tattoo parlor has opened its doors on Greenpoint Avenue, bringing the artistic vibrancy of Medellin to a part of Sunnyside home to a growing Colombian-American community.
Medellink Tattoo Studio celebrated its grand opening at 43-11 Greenpoint Ave. with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Friday, Jan. 30, which community advocates and local business leaders said would help bring more foot traffic to the thoroughfare and add to the neighborhood’s artistic scene.
The newly-opened tattoo parlor, founded by Colombian friends Juan Pino, Anyinson Lopez and Angel Leon, was born out of a dream to provide quality tattoo art while celebrating their hometown of Medellin.
The tattoo parlor, located near Colombian businesses such as La Pollera de Mario and Cafe Colombia, offers both tattoos and piercings, starting at $20 for piercings and $70 for tattoos.
Pino said the parlor aims to focus on the beauty and cultural impact of Medellin, a city often associated with drugs.
Pino and Lopez also operate Family Ink Tattoo Studio in Long Island City but decided to expand to Sunnyside with Leon because of their deep ties to the neighborhood.
“When I came to this country, this is the neighborhood that I came to,” Pino said. “I saw the community here.”
Dirk McCall de Palomá, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID), said the addition of a new tattoo parlor should benefit all surrounding businesses on Greenpoint Avenue.
“It’s going to bring a lot more people to this block, so the restaurants are very happy to see them here,” McCall de Palomá said. “This is high-end. This is very, very high-end.”
Anatole Ashraf, chair of Community Board 2, said Medellink would help add to Sunnyside’s “street cred.”
“It makes us a bit cooler,” Ashraf said. “It absolutely helps lift the liveliness of the neighborhood.”
Medellink has opened in a long-vacant lot that was once home to travel agent Travel Inc., while an illegal cannabis dispensary was also briefly open at the location.
Council Member Julie Won welcomed the new addition to Greenpoint Avenue, stating that Medellink “revitalizes” the neighborhood.
“This new small business, Colombian-owned, supports local tattoo art and revitalizes the neighborhood,” Won said in a statement.
Assembly Member Claire Valdez, meanwhile, said the new tattoo parlor adds to the thriving Colombian community in the neighborhood.
“Sunnyside is home to a thriving Colombian-American community, and businesses like this are a heartwarming way to celebrate the culture and entrepreneurial spirit of our neighborhood,” Valdez said.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez said the new parlor adds to Sunnyside’s small business scene, which she described as the heartbeat of the neighborhood.
“These entrepreneurs are transforming a vacant storefront into a Colombian-owned center for artistry and culture, adding to the rich, diverse fabric of Sunnyside,” Velázquez said in a statement. “I’m excited to welcome them to the community.”
