News

City of Ink fights for survival amid zoning dispute in Castleberry Hill

A 2008 ordinance bans tattoo parlors in the historic district.
Miya Bailey, founder of City of Ink, said the fight to keep his business open is about more than tattoos. “If Atlanta really values its art community, now’s the time to prove it,” he says. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2024)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Miya Bailey, founder of City of Ink, said the fight to keep his business open is about more than tattoos. “If Atlanta really values its art community, now’s the time to prove it,” he says. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2024)
10 hours ago

City of Ink has been a creative anchor in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood since 2007. But according to social media posts from its owner, the city of Atlanta has temporarily revoked the Castleberry Hill tattoo studio’s certificate of occupancy, citing a 2008 zoning ordinance that bans tattoo parlors in the historic district.

Miya Bailey, a respected tattooist, visual artist and founder of City of Ink, said the fight to keep his business open is about more than tattoos. It’s about preserving nearly two decades of self-funded art, culture and community.

soediv pu ot ot meht eht eht eht eht eht eht sretroppus laicos ,noitautis rettuhs wohs pohs lareves dias elur desaeler cilbup setaderp no no fo fo fo aidem si gnimrofni .gniraeh gniraeh sah noisiced gnillac erofeb ta ta gnilaeppa dna dna a gninoZ yluJ knI eH ytiC draoB yeliaB .tnemtsujdA 8002 71

ExploreHow Hank Aaron and Summerhill inspired George F. Baker’s latest mural

fI“ seulav ot emit eht .dias yllaer evorp s’won sti ”,ti eh ,ytinummoc tra atnaltA

krow nehw saw saw rednu eht taht pots tuhs ,dias gniledomer deviecer .redro fo wen tnemeganam ni eh nwod ssenisub dna gnidda a knI ytiC yeliaB ,lirpA

— htuoy tuohtiw taht naht oottat ecaps pohs dedivorp ,smargorp rehto ro erom pihsrotnem ekil sih sah sah tnemnrevog yrellag seirellag .gnidnuf dednuf eerf tiforp-rof rof .esirpretne dezisahpme detaerc ytic neeb tra tra dna dna dna syawla lla a tibbaR dlO aniN tI eH yrellaG yrellaG denwo-kcalB niwdlaB

eW“ gnihtyrevE“ ew ”.desab-reetnulov gnisu .dias fo yenom si morf eerf od ytinummoc retnec tliub a ”,knI ytiC yeliaB

yrots-owt eht ,ecaps renwo fo si .yrellag tneve evitaerc ytinummoc retnec ta stra tra dna osla a teertS noitatS ,.tS sreteP sreteP yeliaB 333

etatilicaf“ krow hcihw erehw sriatspu ot eht egats ,ecaps ecaps semitemos efas .spu-pop ecnamrofrep fo srobhgien noissim lacol ,yrarbil si noitabucni tsoh ,yrellag rof rof serutaef noisserpxe sevitaerc evitaerc evitaerc etaerc ”.ytinummoc eeffoc ,rab tra ,aera dna dna dna dna a a ehT stI ,knI ytiC

Miya Bailey is also the owner of Peters Street Station, a two-story event space, creative arts community center and art gallery. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2024)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Miya Bailey is also the owner of Peters Street Station, a two-story event space, creative arts community center and art gallery. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2024)

dekrow hcus dlos ro eno fo fo lacol edisni evah .seirellag rehtie detcennoc ta sa stsitra tra dna gnuoY denwoneR eiteP rekraP repaP knI trebliG ,knarF ytiC s’yeliaB

ohw eht .oiduts ffats deiler no detcapmi sah erusolc stsitra dna ydaerla ehT

deciov eunev egasu hguorht eht eht niatsus troppus .secaps noitomorp fo fo fo fo ylhtnom sih depleh sah rof tneve noitide gnirud ytinummoc tra dna na ,gnisitrevda ,llortS srebmeM knI lliH s’yadirF ytiC yrrebeltsaC yeliaB s’atnaltA trA

eht cigetarts gnizilaiceps .spihsrentrap fo tnemeganam si ni rednuof ,stibihxe ,noitaruc evitaerc ycnatlusnoc tsitra tra dna a ettehsulP ,scitsigoL sillE citsitrA

skrow ohw eht ,maet ekops noitatuper laitnetop fo sti tcapmi woh sih mrah .retnecipe dluoc erusolc ’ssenisub sa stra dna dna na edisgnola tuoba knI ,sillE ytiC yeliaB s’atnaltA

ExploreAfter 17 years building City of Ink, Miya Bailey is still breaking creative ground

noitavreserP“ ytiC“ ot eht .dias gnivreserp fo fo fo ton ”,kramdnal tsuj s’ti si si largetni yrotsih erutluc larutluc ,ssenisub tra dna a a knI sillE ”.atnaltA

dluow eht nwodtuhs .enecs tnenamrep fo rednih htworg seveileb tra a ehS s’atnaltA

gniwonK“ dluow rednu yllatot rieht eht taht taht .dias elbissop ruo eno eno fo fo ”,skramdnal skramdnal etalosi si morf larutluc ytinummoc ,erusolc tra sillE

denraw eht taht erutuf wollef .sruenerpertne egaruocsid noisiced ,rotaruc dluoc tra a ,sdrawdE aimoD

I“ dluow gniyrt ot ot siht taht )sputrats tes .dias tnedecerp fo dnik leef elpmaxe ”,sruenerpertne eb dab tra era dna a sdrawdE laitnetop(

gninoz roiretlu ereht eht eht stcepsus fo sevitom .seussi traeh ta era yeliaB

yehT“ tI“ uoy uoy ”.gnorw ,gnorw ev’yeht er’yeht tuhs .dias evorp ekam ekil eh ”,noitacifirtneg sleef nwod neeb dna dna evissergga

“City of Ink is not just a business, it’s a cultural landmark,” Plushette Ellis, founder of Artistic Logistics, says. “Knowing that one of our cultural landmarks is under possible closure, that would totally isolate the art community from one of their landmarks.” (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2024)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

“City of Ink is not just a business, it’s a cultural landmark,” Plushette Ellis, founder of Artistic Logistics, says. “Knowing that one of our cultural landmarks is under possible closure, that would totally isolate the art community from one of their landmarks.” (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2024)

ohw llew rieht troppus stneserper fo evah sah morf remrof desserpxe .tnemesrodne nward sa sa laeppa dna osla .W tinU ehT gninnalP doohrobhgieN doohrobhgieN M aznawK .rJ nosaJ s’knI ,lliH lliH .llaH tserroF ,reizoD rebmemlicnuoC namlicnuoC yeloC ytiC riahC yrrebeltsaC yrrebeltsaC noitaicossA

ot ot deviecer ,aidem lacol sih tnemnrevog morf srewollof .evitucexe tnemmoc feihc gniksa laeppa dna a royaM margatsnI ,snekciD yeliaB s’atnaltA erdnA retfA 000,59

toG“ .etorw ees .ti .ti .ti otni .dootsrednU .deggaT ”.ybdnatS .devieceR gnikooL I snekciD

pu ot eht dluohs dias noitatuper evil sti buh rof sa .stra a yeliaB atnaltA

eW“ eht .dias deen elttil tsuj pleh eh morf ”,ytic a

ExploreJOIN UATL: Supporting Members get more Black culture + other benefits

About the Author

Zaire Breedlove is an intern for AJC's UATL and a journalism major at Kennesaw State University. In the past, he's written and managed The Sentinel, and served as a Reporter for Fresh Take Georgia at the Center for Sustainable Journalism, focusing on Immigration and statewide political coverage.