Best tattoo place in New York?

December 29, 2005 12:00 AM

Where's the best place in New York to get a tattoo?

I'm a tattoo virgin and my well-tattooed good friends from out of town want to get tattoos tomorrow. Last time visitors requested this, I sent them to St. Mark's place, and was later advised against it. One friend plans on getting a Sailor Jerry.

posted by hellbient to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

New York Adorned is simply great. They have virtually no flash and their artists are SERIOUS. The late Keith Alexander blogged about his full back piece done at NY Adorned. They are booked well in advance so an appointment is almost a necessity.

I have two pieces done there that are great. One is a simple C clef that could not be straighter if you used a ruler.

You will not be disappointed.
posted by captainscared at 5:07 AM on December 29, 2005

The best tattoo artist in the world, IMO, is in NYC - Anil Gupta. I suspect, though, that there's no way your friends are going to be able to walk in and get inked this week. Anil has a waiting list, and for good reason - he's unreal. I have a piece on my shoulder that other artists told me would be impossible to create - Anil took the challenge and exceeded my wildest expectations. His miniatures are outrageous - he recreates masterpiece paintings in a couple of square inches, and his work stays tight over time like nothing else I've ever seen.
posted by dbiedny at 5:29 AM on December 29, 2005

+1 for New York Adorned.
posted by scratch at 6:18 AM on December 29, 2005

It depends on what your friends have in mind. Anil Gupta's great, but if I wanted a horror-themed tattoo, I'd still rather go to Paul Booth. I've been liking David Sena and Daniel DiMattia and Troy Denning lately too.

For the person who wants the Sailor Jerry--the Anil Guptas and Paul Booths of the world mostly do custom work.
posted by box at 6:20 AM on December 29, 2005

The best tattoo artist in the world, IMO, is in NYC - Anil Gupta.

Wow...incredibly impressive. I just wish I was closer to NYC now.
posted by Kickstart70 at 8:33 AM on December 29, 2005

Yeah, definitely stay out of St Mark's Place, or rather the entire "Tattoos! Get yer tattoos 'ere!" strip in the East Village.

I got pierced by Venus Modern Body Arts at East 5th and Avenue A, and I can heartily recommend them. They also have a place somewhere on lower Broadway, where I had to go for my jewellery while I had just a couple of hours before my flight back to Amsterdam... but that's a different story altogether.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:41 AM on December 29, 2005

I got a tattoo a few years ago from the people at Sacred Tattoo on Canal and really liked them.
posted by MsMolly at 8:42 AM on December 29, 2005

and I can heartily recommend them

--> "but I would heartily recommend them for tattooing also."
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:43 AM on December 29, 2005

I recommend Eli Quinters at Daredevil on Ludlow, just south of Houston, or Scott Campbell at Saved Gallery in Williamsburg. Both are incredible custom artists.
posted by scallion at 12:49 PM on December 29, 2005

I can't get over these Underwoods from NYAdorned's Stephanie Tamez. She also has nice font work in her client book.


posted by nobody at 1:38 PM on December 29, 2005

I definitely recommend NY Adorned. I just got tattooed by Chris O'Donnell there on the recommendation of Keith (who obviously gave the recommendation before he died), and I can't even begin to tell you how awesome the tattoo is. Three other artists were there doing work while I was getting mine done, and they were all good. I know Chris is booked well in advance, and I think the other artists there are too, but some of them take walk-in traffic as well.

I'd also recommend Pure Body Arts in Brooklyn. Joy is awesome.
posted by bedhead at 4:23 PM on December 29, 2005