11-16 44th Dr., 45-22 Pearson St. • otisandfinn.com
Happy Pride Month! We’re highlighting LGBTQIA+ owned and operated businesses in the neighborhood to celebrate. Meet Shawn, the owner of Otis & Finn, with two locations in the neighborhood at 11-16 44th Drive and 45-22 Pearson Street.
Q: Can you share a little bit about your background, your career, and your path to becoming a business owner?
Shawn: I started out as a lawyer. Kirk and I have been together for about 16 years now this week, and we lived up in Astoria while I was doing that. We hung out a lot here beginning in 2010 and we really fell in love with the neighborhood. In 2014, we pulled the trigger and opened the shop on Pearson Street. It got busy and we definitely outgrew it quickly, so we decided to open the second one on 44th Road which we just moved to 44th Drive this past December. What started as a desire for a place to provide high-quality services also gives people in the community a spot to come together.
Q: Why did you choose Long Island City out of all places?
Shawn: We began coming for events like the ones at MoMA PS1, and open house galleries. The art is really what attracted us to the neighborhood. In 2010 there was such a raw feeling, and you could feel the neighborhood start to come to life with all the people moving in. It felt like a natural place to locate to because people were moving in but there weren’t as many businesses to provide services.
Q: What do you want the community to know about your business?
Shawn: This is a locally owned pop-and-pop business! What drives our business is other small businesses. We have locations in Greenpoint and Williamsburg as well and no matter the neighborhood, the idea is to support local and keep the money in the community. As long as the shop is open it will be locally owned and operated.
Q: What is your favorite thing about this neighborhood, Long Island City?
Shawn: Long Island City is still pretty raw, and we love that. It feels like the direction of the neighborhood can still be set by the people that have lived and are moving here which is so exciting. While it has come so far in the past decade, and it still has so much potential.
Q: Last question, as we are celebrating Pride Month, what does that mean to you?
Shawn: When we first opened the shop, the one thing I always said is that I wanted this to be a place where people felt very comfortable and that means everybody. To be a place where you could see a construction worker sitting next to a drag queen and everyone is interacting and enjoying themselves A place where people can come in and can talk openly, let their hair down, or cut it off.
Visit Otis & Finn Barbershop at 11-16 44th Drive or 45-22 Pearson Street!
