By Sophia Chang
The nail and beauty salon at 213-15 41st Ave., just off Bell Boulevard, offers a wide range of services, from manicures to waxing to massages inside the salon's freshly-painted walls and cheerful decor.A recent high-tech addition are the new spa pedicure machines, which feature water jets designed to soothe and pamper tired tootsies. Another quick relief for busy customers is the salon's 10-minute chair massage, perfect during a lunch break. There's even a movie or soap opera playing on the big-screen television in the corner and a bowl of candy to snack on while a customer waits for her nails to dry.”It's a very good experience,” said Aehyun Lee, the owner.Lee took over New Cozzi Nails about three years ago, after deciding her job in Roslyn, L.I., was too far from her Bayside home. “I used to go to Long Island… but it was too far for me,” Lee said. “So I lived in Bayside and it was convenient, more comfortable for me (to work here).”The beauty care business is in Lee's blood. Her family emigrated from Seoul, South Korea, and settled in Whitestone, where Lee's parents opened a beauty salon over a decade ago.Before setting out on her own, Lee worked in other spas while she gained experience and practiced her English.”I like the experience, and I work on my American speech,” she said. Lee went independent in the past few years and now New Cozzi employs five people.The salon's unusual name was handed down from the previous owner, Lee said, but she liked the name enough to keep it.”I feel it's very professional, and still very comfortable,” she said. “It's more beautiful, more comfortable for people to come and enjoy.”Lee noted that while every service is popular at her salon, Baysiders provide good business year-round rather than based on seasons. “They like (pedicures) in the wintertime, too,” she said.And Lee thinks nothing's better than living and working in the same neighborhood.”I like Bayside people. They are very nice, and the people are very intelligent,” she said. “I would like to stay for a long time.”Reach reporter Sophia Chang by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
