I got this tattoo from Alisa at the shop and could not be happier. She was incorporated her signature "Eugene" into my wacky idea and completely killed it! Could not recommend her more f you are into super clean lines and world class artistry. By far, my favorite tattoo! read more

East River Tattoo - Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

​Thank you Jeremy for the great artistic job you did on my cover up. Way above my expectations. East River Tattoo is a very friendly with a great staff. I will highly recommend it. Thanks again read more

East River Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I've been to many tattoo parlors and conventions over the years and love getting tattooed by some of my favorite artists. My wife and I have been coming to East River to see Sue and other artists because they are some of the best working artists, especially with their engraving style. Most recently I went and worked with Sue on a tattoo that I'd been thinking about and planning for the last two years. She perfectly captured the image and caught the nuances to take it to the next level. One note - noticing a few low star reviews and I think if you're coming to East River, you should know that you are working with artists in high demand because their quality and style is extremely difficult (understatement) to match. You might need to work with them a bit to find time to book your appointment. It's worth it. read more

No call back... No email... No follow up...No design preview. Wanted to get something done by Victor over there but I guess not. Paid deposit... Learned my lesson. Never again. Thanks! read more

Bad customer service from the owner and disrespectful to my feelings. They not a very friendly bunch of people and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Very unprofessional in the way your treat the customer. read more

I had an amazing tattoo done by Albertino. He gave me exactly what I wanted and very precise with his lines. He was super professional and very high standard of hygiene. I can't wait to get more ink done by Albertino. The shop is also super cool, love the vibe read more

It's been 3 months since Duke Riley made his permanent mark and I am one smitten kitten. He lays the ink in hard but not without experience and precision. That really showed throughout the healing process: no scabbing, no infection, no irritation, no peeling. Just perfect, dark, black, crisp lines. He said some of the detail might fall out and he'd be happy to do a touch up next time I'm back in the city. There's like one tiny, tiny, TINY place that if you wanted to be anal retentive about could use one dot. That's how good his work is. Precise. Lyrical. Impeccable. Speaking of impeccable: Kitty Joe (Duke's assistant) was, is, and forever will be continually rocking it. She has the scheduling thing on lock down and keeps communication lines open and active. Plus she's just damn nice. As for the other artists, they seem like a good crew. While I was getting my work done, Liam was working on a client and he cranked that sh*t out. He works really fast and talks just as much as the needle moves (in the best, most gregarious way). The man has stories for miles. I enjoyed myself for the whole session and not once did I feel like punching someone in the face for saying something stupid, insensitive, or sexist. In other words, this shop is a diamond in the rough of tattoo shops. I also love that each of the artists is just that: an artist. It's nice to see tattooing used as a medium and not an aesthetic. Who woulda thunk professionalism, warmth, and bad-assery could co-exist in harmony? Great artists. Great ink. The end. read more

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Had a blast at East River Tattoo. I've loved Sue Jeiven's style for a while and was lucky enough to get a booking in late January. She drew the piece for about *four hours* while I watched and gave input. I walked away with something that felt very customized to me and thoughtfully done. This was also my first tattoo, and Sue did a great job easing my nerves. She went as slowly or quickly as I was comfortable going, and we ended up knocking out a pretty big piece in one sitting. Overall, I'm very pleased and thought the tattoo parlor was well worth the cost. Highly recommend! read more

I don't recommend going to this place for a small tattoo. The walk-in experience sucked, and I ended up paying $150 + tip for literally two minutes of actual tattooing. (I should have realized the minimum is $150 no matter what, but tattoo artist didn't discuss price with me before starting). Receptionist was awesome, but the tattoo artist, Ryan, kept me waiting (after saying he'd be back in 10) for 45 mins+. And it was pretty obvious he just didn't give a f*ck. Anyway, tattoo came out great (if overpriced), I would just discourage going there for something small - there is way better customer service/less over-priced our there (ex: First Class Tattoo) than this place. read more

I got my very first tattoo here with artist Erin Hussey and it was a great experience. Felt very comfortable during the process and love the artists flash art! Very good communication before and throughout the process. The piece also healed very well. I highly recommend East River Tattoo read more

My husband has been contemplating getting a tattoo for the past five years. He's 35 years old and this would've been his first. I called ahead to make sure East River had availability for a walk-in. Sure enough, they did. We walk in, the Mister has his quotation in-hand, and was prepared to share his idea, positioning, etc. The only recommendation he hoped to get concerned font options. After the front desk person shares the quote, our potential artist, Ellie, sighs and says it's too long. Okay. That was true. But the rest of the consultation was less about making the client feel comfortable and more about telling us to basically go back to the drawing board. "Years of research" would be necessary. Strike one. Now, my husband is 35 years old. He stated that he'd been contemplating this ink for several years and this particular quotation meant the world to him for personal reasons. Ellie basically said he wouldn't position it the way Chris wanted. Flat out, no. Strike two. His claim was the quote wouldn't be legible to others; I had to chime in and remind him that Chris wanted this as a reminder to HIMSELF. Ellie continued to argue "you wouldn't wear a t-shirt upside down". Now I have a few tats and I understand about planning ahead. BUT Chris' goal is not to be tatted like myself or this artist; he admires ink, but it's just not his style. Ellie didn't even take the time to understand his vision. He basically talked him out of it altogether. We said we wanted to take a moment to discuss it - we didn't say we weren't interested - and he took the very next customer that walked in without asking what we had decided. Strike three. Getting ink is a serious commitment. Your first tat is a big step. My husband has been contemplating this for five years! We get it. Every place I called said a quotation is simple enough to do as a walk-in. But finding an artist who is willing to take the time to work with you & listen to what you want is important. This guy was referencing other customers' ink and the kind of work he "likes to do". We basically got the impression that this basic quote tattoo was just beneath him. Who has time for egos when you're about to make this huge commitment? Get over yourself, Ellie. Listen to the customer. No one wants to feel like an asshole for getting the ink they want. No matter how "literal" you feel something is, take a moment to understand what meaning these pieces have for people. So we'll be taking our business to Three Kings, they've done my ink and they understand how to give a consultation. That was our first choice anyway, but they're a reputable parlor so they were busy that night. read more

Rachel is a goddess. Just pure magic! First of all, I want to say that getting an appointment with Rachel will take you a VERY long time. Which means, she's high demand. I wasn't going to give my appointment up even if hell broke loose. The staff are all very friendly people and talented people. I picked Rachel as my artist because her floral work is simply beautiful. I got a tattoo of a coffee plant which has a lot of meaning to me. Rachel is amazing. She took everything I said into consideration. All the details I wanted on my tattoo which have meaningful symbols to me. As for the colors, I told her the colors I wanted and she gave me recommendations based on the details on the tattoo. I really appreciated that. She even went has far has mixing two color to find the one I liked most. Again, I really appreciate that from her. She was so easy going. I will be back for sure. Thank you to East River and to Rachel for my wonderful tattoo. read more

Jesus, where do I even begin? East River is every positive adjective I can think of all at once and it's insane. I just got my third tattoo from Rachel Hauer last week. Every piece I've gotten from her has been absolutely impeccable, and I feel truly lucky to be a repeat customer. But let's back up for a second. I live in DC, so traveling to Brooklyn isn't a big deal, but it *is* a day-long commitment. That being said, I so appreciate the shop's flexibility and understanding of the travel constraints--no need for separate in-person consultations or anything of that nature (it's worth noting that my tattoos from there are relatively small--all about the size of my hand--but still). Shannon makes scheduling easy and has always left me feeling 100% confident. She has even put me on the phone with Rachel, which is not only a nice personal touch, but also shows how much everyone at the shop cares about every serious inquiry. The shop itself is a museum. Filled to the brim with weird little curios, framed artwork, wildly creative taxidermy arrangements. It's a relaxed environment without any of the BS I've encountered at other tattoo shops. All of the artists are aggressively talented, well-educated in all aspects of tattooing, and seem to just really enjoy each other's presence. It's so nice! Rachel is a gem. Each piece I've gotten has been approached with genuine enthusiasm, diligent research and absolute professionalism, and is backed up with sound advice. Each time I've arrived at the shop with a general idea of what I want, and Rachel will take the time to discuss it with me, show me some more visual references she's considering, make (great) suggestions and, when all is said and done, is usually back with a perfect drawing in 30 minutes (again, the pieces I have aren't big, so this obviously might vary). It's insane how well she balances diligence, artistry and efficiency. I'd originally wanted this last tattoo to be front and center on my bicep; however, after talking with Rachel some more about size and placement, she suggested that I anchor it to an existing tattoo I have on the back of my arm, which still let the new piece take up a relatively significant portion of my upper bicep. I was hesitant at first, which she picked up on immediately. Instead of being pushy, though, she offered some more advice--having it floating on my arm without visually anchoring it to existing tattoos would leave abnormal, hard-to-fill pieces of whitespace. I agreed with her, knowing that I do want to keep getting more work done on this arm. Even still, she offered to move it around and resize it until I was happy, which was so, so nice. I trust her implicitly, though, and didn't bother moving it around. SUCH a good decision--listen to the experts! Rachel's work is precise, fast (this last piece only took about 40 minutes), imaginative and beautiful. She's also great to chat with and makes you feel like you've been her friend for years--super personable and even brings up small details from conversations from previous appointments! I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast, let alone a passing conversation I had with someone months and months ago. Her hourly rate is astoundingly reasonable for someone who is in such high demand, too. That being said, it's not cheap, but it shouldn't be--you're making a commitment to collecting art, essentially. OKAY, WOW--that was a lot of words. Whoops. But hey, I just absolutely love everything about this place and can't wait to go back for more! read more

Context: My best friend flew in from Seattle to get his first tattoo from the owner, Duke Riley. He was a bit nervous; he flew in the night before, had to fly home shortly after the tattoo would be finished, and needed to consult remotely. I accompanied for moral support (and I suppose to talk him out of it if it seemed like a Bad Idea). This was his first tattoo, and I've got none, so it was a new experience for the both of us. Review: First off, the shop itself is--in the best way possible-- an utter contrast to the harsh neon lights and garish veneer of the last tattoo parlor I'd been (long story). Tons of awesome art hang upon the walls, a plethora of old sailor jerry posters everywhere, strange taxidermy, and old antique bottles line the wall. Kind of like getting a tattoo in a nautically themed curio shop--if your curio shop had an autoclave, a nicely sterilized tattooing location, and some seriously awesome flash. Speaking of working conditions, everything was great. The person receiving the tattoo is a doctor, and would not have allowed things to proceed otherwise. Super clean work environment. There was an hour consult before things got started, where the tattoo was resized, feedback integrated, and redrawn to ensure that the lines and details were perfect. During the tattoo, we shot the shit with Duke, heard some great stories. KittyJoe, his majordomo, was extremely nice, and went out of the way to make sure everyone was comfortable (she even stopped by Duane reade and got us water. it was 90 degrees this weekend. wtf). The tattoo itself turned out so well. The drawing looked great, but--not to sound lame--really came to life in ink. Took two hours to do, and my friend made his flight on time. The tattoo was "pricey," but only because the artists here are truly that--artists. Come here if you want something well-done and unique. However, if you're looking for something very generic, you might be better off somewhere else. I mean I'm sure they'd do it, but why hire an architect when you want an A-frame? Going Forward: If I finally grow a pair and get a tattoo or three, I'd start here first. read more

First, let me rave about the shop as a whole. As someone who gets completely introverted around people I've never met before, I felt so unbelievably at home almost immediately among these uber talented, funny and brilliant women. I never wanted to leave (even after being there for a straight 6.5 hours to get my tattoo *just* right). Speaking of which, I can't rave enough about Sue Jeiven, both as a person and an artist. She and I had met for about 30 minutes the week before to talk through my ideas of incorporating an existing tattoo into a larger piece. I had a few totally different visions that I couldn't quite pin down into one. By the next week, she had several small drawings for me to choose from and pulled out books to help get a sense for elements I liked that we hadn't discussed in the consult. She very patiently and thoroughly cut, pasted and tweaked her drawings to create the final piece several times, before it was perfect, and it felt like we were just hanging out the whole time. The tattoo itself took about two hours and looks amazing. The amount of dedication Sue gave has completely spoiled me for any other shop. I'm so honored to wear her work. read more

The majority of my tattoos are from East River so maybe I'm a little biased, but I have to say that I love everyone that works at East River - including all guest artists. I've been tattooed by Rachel, Maxime, Raf, and Stefan. My experiences with them were so positive that I recommend the shop to anyone and everyone that asks about my tattoos. East River foreveeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. read more

This is a cool vintage Americana themed shop in Greenpoint BK, and it is dope. I came in wanting a 1930s vintage racing bicycle tattoo on the inside of my upper left arm. I brought in a photo of what I wanted and the girl at reception made an appointment for me. When I came back a few days later, my artist, Sue, had this big book of vintage bicycles and she had made a few different sketches to show me, all of them looked completely on point. She really researched what I wanted and that meant a lot to me. It showed the level of professionalism I look for in a tattoo artist. Getting a tattoo on the inner upper part of the arm can be painful as it is a sensitive area, but she did her best to make me feel comfortable, and really, looking back on it, it didn't seem that painful at all. She was super friendly and we talked the entire time. The entire session was about an hour and a half, the tattoo is a pretty decent size, a little over 5 inches in length. The detail is EXCEPTIONAL. From the bikes crank to the handle bars to the spokes. Every single line is on POINT. It's been a little over a year since I got it and it still looks fresh and new. Thanks Sue! read more

I got a beautiful illustration style tattoo of Ferdinand the Bull on my right hip from Rachel. I'll be back to East River to get more because the shop was so awesome. The tiny dog that one of the artists owns is adorable. The shop is rad and clean, they're professional and Rachel is excellent. I also thought the pricing was reasonable for the high level of artistry. Thanks so much! read more

I got my second tattoo here about 5 months ago. My boyfriend was living in Brooklyn then so he was able to go in and get a consultation for me. I have long been an admirer of Duke Riley's artwork and his intricate, woodcut style of tattooing, so I wanted him to do my tattoo. I wanted a shell of a fossil gastropod (...neeeeeeeerrd...), and I only had an image of what it looks like from a scientific paper, which we gave to him to sketch out in his own style. The detail he did on my arm is incredible, the lines are crisp and clean. It healed beautifully in a matter of days, which was important because I was headed to Africa a week later and did NOT want to develop a mysterious skin infection on my trip. No complications whatsoever. I'd say that the price was a bit steep (especially for a student like me), but honestly, why would price be a concern for permanent body art? If I didn't live so far from NYC I'd have all my tattoos done here. read more

I wanted to get a custom tattoo at East River Tattoo for my 30th birthday. I was in NYC for two weeks and came from overseas. I got a tattoo by Rob Banks. The tattoo came out better than I ever dared to expect. I had an idea and a couple of photos from his portfolio as a reference. Everyone in the shop was super nice and the atmosphere was very relaxed and welcoming. Rob's dog, who hangs out in the studio, was super cute ! If you want to be sure to get an appointment and don't live in the city, I recommend to get in touch with the shop early. I booked mine a month in advance, but I first contacted the shop two months prior to my arrival. The easiest way is to simply call the shop as they receive a lot of emails and can't always respond to them. As for the actual tattoo, Rob draw up the design on the day as he did the actual tattooing, so be prepared that it'll take a while to finish. I personally appreciated that he spent so much time on designing my tattoo, the initial sketch was so spot no changes were needed. I felt that the pricing was very decent considering the level of detail and craftmanship of the tattoo, since it's going to be on you forever. Rob does walk-ins on Sundays and my friend was so impressed in my tattoo, she decided to get one too. We went to the shop early and were the first walk-in of the day, so for us the procedure was fairly quick. The queue formed really quickly after us, so you should either be prepared to wait a while or get there early. All in all I loved this place and couldn't be happier on the outcome. Probably have to get all my tattoos from here now on since I haven't seen anything this good on anyone else. read more

Legitimately the best tattoo parlor in New York City. Good enough to need reservations, real enough to take walk-ins. I have a few pieces from Rob and my jaw drops every time he finishes one on me. read more

East River Tattoo - Courtesy of @robbanksofamerica - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I have 5 pieces from ERT and it's always been a great experience. Sue, Rob, and Duke are super talented, friendly, and professional. The other artist seem quite nice as well. I highly recommend. :-) read more

I was flying into NYC for 5 days in 3 months time. What else was I supposed to do but google a Brooklyn tattoo studio and book an appointment?! What could have been the worst decision of my life ended up pretty sweet thanks to Rob Banks and Kitty helping me out with a simple upper arm geometric piece. Rob could have charged a lot more but due to the simplicity of it he charged half what I expected. He was clean, informative and calmed down my 'first tattoo i may pass out' nerves. His line work was spot on, deep and looks great a month on! I'm so sold I may visit in the next few years for more pieces, as it really is something that's on your body for the rest of your life, so don't settle! read more

I'll keep this short and sweet. I strolled in to the new location for the first time this saturday afternoon and was greeted by a very friendly staff. They were able to squeeze me in right then and there which was great since I don't live in that area of the city. Matt Cross did the work. He was friendly and worked efficiently. I am very happy with the outcome. It isn't totally healed yet, but i'm unable to find any imperfections in the lines. Overall the staff was polite and the shop was clean, plus it has plenty of great art and nick knacks on the wall to keep your mind occupied while you're getting the work done. I recommend the shop and especially Matt. read more

I got tattooed here sunday evening by Sue and it was a really nice experience. I was the only one in the shop getting tattooed - the only other person around was Rob, who had a few consultations, so it was really relaxing (I got lucky because I've also stopped in at times when it's so busy that people in the waiting room are standing). Sue was fun to chat with while I was getting tattooed, and checked plenty of times to make sure I was doing alright. She also did an amazing job designing my tattoo, it was incredibly personal, and she brought several options and pieced them together, making sure we both felt it was perfect before making the final stencil. This obviously took some time, but there's so much to look at in the shop (plus Rob's puppy) that I didn't mind waiting. Walked away with a tattoo that I absolutely love! I'm moving out of NY soon but I hope I'll be back to this shop someday. read more

After a horrible experience at this parlor last year with a certain Ronda X that screwed up a basic repaint of a simple design, I was urged by a friend to put something up on this website. The thought being that I should keep someone else from going through a similar experience to mine. Tthe owner of this parlor, Duke, contacted me through Yelp to right this wrong. He followed up on his word and did an incredible design on my forearm of the tarot card of Justice (Waite deck.) It is amazing to know there are still people in this world that have integrity and invest time in their customers and the work they do for them. Even when things go wrong. Justice has been served. Thanks Duke. read more

Stopped by on a Saturday a few months back to get my first tattoo (!) from Rob Banks. Had a GREAT experience! Rob does walk-ins in the weekend, and there were a few folks in front of me when the shop opened, so I was able to put my name down and come back later in the afternoon. Rob listened to my idea, and what he came back with was somehow both spot on and way better than I pictured. The actual tattoo took a few hours but came out flawlessly. When he was done, he told me what to expect in terms of healing and sent me on my way. I couldn't have had a better, easier, less intimidating experience and am so grateful to Rob! read more

I was in NY and looking to get a tatto together with my sister, and a friend suggested Rhonda, since she had the most comments online, and we are definitely glad we did! We arrived with a good idea of what we wanted already, and Rhonda was very kind, willing to meet with us that very day, and was able to give us exactly what we wanted! She worked on the idea, with us, and had a great personality, so it made it pretty easy to work past our fears and worries about getting the tattoos. She was quick, charged us very graciously together, and the outcome was glorious! we were left with tattoos that we both feel we'll love looking at well into our years, so thank you Rhonda!!! read more

Ok, how has no one here written about Tron? I was a little nervous about getting a tattoo. After I decided I wanted one, I sat with different ideas for nearly two years. I researched different shops in NYC, and followed a bunch of artists on instagram before making the final decision to go with Tron. I'm so happy I did. I came in for a consult, but my reference images for the design--a diving blue whale done in black and grey--were too broad, encompassing too many styles. Rather than try to hurry me into something I wasn't ready for (an experience I had at other shops) Tron gave me some advice about what makes a good reference image and met with me again after I'd had some time to find something that worked better. The version Tron drew up was awesome. The subtle dot work (one of the reasons I went with Tron) gives the whale depth and a sense of movement that I love. It's honestly a better version of what I had originally envisioned. If you're thinking about getting a tattoo, be sure to check out Tron's work! read more

After admiring Duke Riley's work for years, I finally commissioned a custom piece for myself, as my first tattoo. Duke's friendly and super-professional project manager Kitty Joe scheduled our initial consultation and gave me the low-down on the process and rates. During the consultation, Duke and I spent about an hour working up a sketch for my tattoo based on some illustrations I brought. I paid him a drawing fee and he gave me an estimate for how long the actual tattoo would take. Duke often travels for art shows and installations so our initial inking appointment had to be pushed back a bit, but Kitty Joe handled that so professionally that I didn't mind at all. What's an extra few weeks wait for something I'll have on my body forever? The only reason I mention this is that you might not be able to get an appointment with this guy right away, but I promise it's worth the wait. When the day came Duke had created a gorgeous stencil that made my heart skip a beat. His work space was immaculate and the whole process went very smoothly. I know he's been tattooing for almost 20 years so I trusted his skill and process. Duke was focused on his work and there wasn't a lot of small talk during the 4 hours I was there, but Kitty Joe and the other tattoo artists kept us entertained by playing their favorite 80's hits on Pandora and YouTube and there were some interesting other folks in and out. And in quieter moments I got to look at some crazy cool taxidermy and nautical artifacts around the shop. When we finished Kitty Joe took some photos for the shop's Facebook page (a great resource to find out about the shop/artists) and sent me off with great aftercare instructions and all the A+D ointment I'd need for the next few days. Some things to note. Duke has a very specific style. If you want "scrimshaw style" black line work, no shading, in a custom design, Duke is definitely the guy for you. I have to agree with reviewer Sam G.-- perfect, dark, black crisp lines, just what I wanted. His work isn't cheap, but the original price estimate I got at my consultation was accurate. And do you really want a cheap tattoo? I'm so thrilled to have a custom piece of art on my body forever; that's priceless. Even if you're looking for a different style of work, I still highly recommend East River Tattoo. There are several artists at the shop, with visiting artists coming through all the time, so my guess is if Duke isn't the guy for you, there's someone there who can deliver what you want. My boyfriend got tattooed by Sue Jeiven back when East River Tattoo was in a smaller space and she's also amazing....and does taxidermy on the side. And while I was there I got to see Rob and a visiting artist do some work and everything was stunning. Kitty Joe will help ya find the right person for you. There's zero pretention here, just talented artists taking pride in their work. read more

I've been getting tattoos for over two decades now, and have had a pretty wide range of experiences. Getting tattooed by Alisa at East River Tattoo was complete magic--she's an incredible artist and a genuinely lovely person. In an industry that's increasingly commodified, with lots of unrealistic expectations of the parts of clients ("Can you give me a tattoo of a photorealistic serpent tomorrow afternoon with unlimited revisions for $100?") and overwhelm on the part of artists dealing with a deluge of pandemic YOLO clientele, it's nice to have a truly professional tattooing experience. Everyone in that shop was respectful and considerate of both the clients and one another, there's interesting stuff on the walls to look at while you get tattooed (champion pigeon wall of fame, anyone?), and they're clean as a whistle. Actually, let me go back and change my review to one star because if you all know how good this place is I won't be able to get another appointment there, and that would make me very sad. Stay away from East River Tattoo, everyone! It's mine, all mine! read more

AMAZING SHOP! I went in just to check it out and immediately fell in love with this place..The waiting room is extremely comfortable...they totally perfected the old school feel of a tattoo shop with the new creativity of their artists...the walls have old and new flash along with lots of marine asetectics and even taxidermy (including a dolphin skeleton and actual skrimshaw which the owner did HIMSELF!)... I met the owner DUKE and he was extremely nice. I told him a tattoo idea I've had for a long time and he drew it up immediately and EXACTLY how I pictured it. He had me come back the next day for my appointment. While he was setting up for the tattoo, the other artists were very friendly and humorous keeping me entertained. The tattoo area was extremely clean and comfortable too. Duke apparently goes to all lengths to keep the area santized and clean. The tattoo hardly took any time and came out PERFECT... I felt completely satisfied with the drawing and execution. I had read the yelp reviews for the shop before going, and most were very good except for a couple involving an employee 'Ronda'. I asked to meet her and I was told that she was fired and had not worked there in over a year. This shop is a staple of Greenpoint Brooklyn and as classic as it gets for genuine quality tattooing...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!! read more

Let me start by saying that I love Duke Riley's work--both on skin and in galleries. As a surprise, my boyfriend booked and paid for a consultation/sketch for a piece I'd been thinking of getting for years. Duke drew it up, it looked amazing. He listened to what I wanted but also brought his own vision to the table. It would be more than six months before his project manager, Kitty Joe, could squeeze me in for an appointment. No problem. Duke was worth the wait. So it's finally tattoo day. The sketch looks great, Duke is a chatty and interesting dude, all is going well except--holy crap! This tattoo hurts like a motherf*cker. This isn't my first rodeo, either; I have a 3/4 sleeve on one arm and three large tattoos on the other. I chalk the ungodly pain up to the location of this new tattoo (the soft underside of my upper arm, right into the armpit), until one of the other tattooists in the shop sees me wincing and says, "Man, you're hardcore. I'd never let Duke tattoo me He's way too rough." I laugh through gritted teeth, as does Duke, and then promptly forget the comment. The piece looks great, albeit grotesquely swollen. Couple weeks pass, the tattoo is healing nicely except for the black-and-blue bruising all over. Couple more weeks, still bruised. Couple months, *still* bruised. Now I'm worried. It isn't sensitive to the touch, so why does it still look so bruised two months later? I do some research online and see that there are names for this black-and-blue effect: a halo or cloud or tint. It's not uncommon on this delicate part of the body. Some tattoo message boards claim that this is a result of an overly rough tattooist pressing too hard on a needle and the ink spreading through the tissue and blooming underneath the skin. I am immediately reminded of the other tattooist's comment and realize maybe he wasn't joking after all. At this point I email Kitty Joe a photo of my tattoo, expressing my concerns. She writes back the next day and apologizes, saying "the inky haze you're seeing is something that very few people tend to be prone to." She doesn't explain what causes it but goes on to say that Duke has never had anyone report this problem in over 20 years of tattooing. She says it might dissipate, even a year later, but that the "haze" might also be permanent. She apologizes again but says there is really nothing they can do about it. I'm disappointed in this response but write back anyway, very politely, to ask what her suggestion is to fix it? Permanent coverup appears to be the only solution, so I ask what color or design idea would be best without compromising the integrity of Duke's art. No reply. That was 16 months ago. My tattoo today looks exactly as it did in the photo I sent her then. Perfect drawing, blueish haze. The ink spread has not dissipated and I never received a response with suggestions on how to fix it. (Note: It wasn't even like I was asking for a discount or freebie--merely for their thoughts on how best to disguise the halo.) I waited a long time to write this negative review because I wanted to (1) see if the halo would go away, and (2) if Kitty or Duke would get back to me with a viable solution. Nope and nope. I was beyond thrilled to have this very expensive tattoo done but am ultimately unhappy with the piece. I will be seeking out another tattooist to help cover the haze. read more

Ok guys u r a GD tattoo shop. Why the fuk r u playing the best of Sade. R u kidding me. U think people wanna listen to Sade while tattooing. Seriously u deserve 1 star for that alone. I luv ur decor and u have good artist but fire whoever is in charge of ur music selection. I feel like I'm at a plastic surgeons waiting room not a fuking tattoo shop in NYC. read more

Great experience here for a first time tattoo, with both the shop in general and Rob Banks in particular. I'm female, a non-New Yorker, and over the age of 30, and it was a very relaxed and non-obnoxious process, from query to final touchup. After advice from the scheduler on which of the three artists whose portfolios I liked most would be best for my subject matter (which turned out to be perfect), I sent in copies of some 18th and 19th century engravings plus a few photos, and gave some vague instructions on the look I was going for. Even though my tattoo is based on an image that's been reinterpreted for skin over and over again, I ended up with a custom sketch that reflects the subject and time period I was looking for, was better than I imagined and doesn't look derivative of anyone else's work. Tattoo itself was done quickly and efficiently, with a very light hand, and healed so well that, in terms of actual ink fallout touch up, just a single tiny dot needed to be replaced. No itching or other issues, even though I have sensitive skin. Placement and sizing look great. It is like a doctor's office--if you're not the first appointment of the day, or you're getting custom sketch the day of, leave a healthy amount of wait time. The hourly rate initially gave me some sticker shock but tattoos are permanent, this one was personally significant, and I'm too old to get away with an amateurish looking tattoo-- I got exactly what I paid for in terms of art and craftsmanship. It was worth waiting until I could afford what I really wanted. read more

I went here to get a tattoo from Sue and had a great experience. There is a long wait (a few months), but that also means she's in very high demand. I paid a deposit up front (the business accepts cash only, but Sue herself takes cards. Everyone in the shop was very friendly, and the shop was clean and well-maintained. I met ahead of time with Sue for a consult, and she really took what I wanted into consideration and created a fantastic tattoo. She was great about trying multiple placements and sizings, and made sure I knew how to care for my tattoo after. I had a great experience, and would definitely go back! read more

I haven't ever been here but I hear they play Sade and that's good enough for me to give them a Five Star review

This is where I got my first tattoo and I can't recommend it enough. I'm already planning on going back here to get another one. I'm not sure how many people work there in total, but I've met 3 of them and they're all great. Rob did my tattoo - some lyrics in cursive, and he did a fantastic job. Both in quality as well as patience (i didn't have an appointment and was quite particular about spacing). I also know three people who have had their tats done here and I know they'd all recommend it as well. I'm not very well-versed in pricing - from what I understand their prices are a bit higher than what you might get "elsewhere." But the thing is, with things of this nature (see: permanent body art, or also skydiving) you don't exactly want to just find a bargain place, ya know? read more

I love East River Tattoo. Everyone is super friendly and hard working at this shop.. not to mention they have some of the most fantastic tattooers. They really take great care of you and you really can't go wrong with any of them. I started working on a leg sleeve with visiting artist Bastien Jean, and he's excellent. Can't stress this enough--I felt really taken care of by everyone in the shop. read more

I love this shop!! It's super interesting inside to look at (good for when you're sitting for long periods), and everyone was really friendly. Sue Jeiven really listened to what I wanted and gave me a truly customized experience. She was so friendly during the initial consultation and seemed to immediately understand what I was going for. The actual tattoo experience was great, she was easy to talk to and delivered exactly what I wanted. read more