Susie Chang in front of Susie’s Nail Salon!
By Claudie Benjamin
Fabulous vivid reds, oranges along with fluorescent turquoise and yellows are nail salon owner Susie Chang’s picks for fall 2021 mani-pedis. But, some customers prefer the more subtle, traditional seasonal neutrals, dark plum and greige for toenails and beige hues for nails. So, it’s truly a matter of personal choice this fall.
Susie’s Nail Salon is located on the 2nd floor of 252 West 72nd Street. Pam Christenson, Massage Therapist/ owner of Synergy Massage Therapy LLC and a longtime client of Susie’s, works about a block away at 125 West 72nd Street. She wholeheartedly recommends Susie’s Nail Salon.
“I like a variety of colors, ranging from metallics to blues, purples and reds. I don’t have a favorite, I just choose what I’m in the mood for at the moment.”
She adds, “fingernails are for special occasions and vacations: with my profession I can’t make a manicure last for more than 24 hours while working. I like to get the vinylux or essie 7-day polish for fingernails to ensure I can make it last three to four days before chipping. I’m not used to having to be delicate with my hands. On very, very special occasions (out of town film premieres) I’ll go for a gel polish, unfortunately my nails are sensitive and the gel does some damage, so I save this for when I really need my nails to look great for a week or more.
Discussing more about having nails done for special occasions, Pam says, “My boyfriend (Writer and Director S. Craig Zahler) has had some film festivals over the past six years that have been fancy dress and I’ve only trusted Susie’s to do my nails for these special occasions.”
About pedicures and seasonal change, Pam says, “Toenails are a must in the summer! But they do well with regular polish. I’ll get a pedicure every three or four weeks in the summer. With the pandemic it’s been less frequent, as I’ve been doing my own and only going in as a treat. But they take much better care of my feet than I do and folding over to paint my own toes is not my favorite position.”
Whether the client prefers colors that are outrageously vibrant or others that are pale and barely there, Susie’s beauty services, provided in a clean, casual, comfortable space, have been appreciated by customers for about ten years at this location. Earlier, Susie’s was located for about 25 years on 77th Street and Broadway.
Originally from South Korea, Susie was trained as a manicurist after arriving in New York. She opened her first salon about a year before her twin daughters were born. The family has lived in Queens for a long time. Having changed her name to Susie when she came to the United States, she also used the new favored name for the salon.
“They’re kind and thoughtful. They provide a quality service and do what needs to be done, they’re never trying to up-sell clients with massage or callus remover, this is included in their standard pedicure,” says Pam.
(212) 496-8874