North Star Tattoo

Most amazing tattoo shop in the LES. Very professional. Understanding. Daniel Cotte is extremely talented. I got my sleeve done in black & gray by him, other artists complement the work. I gave Daniel free range and he created a master piece.

I want to make it clear that my mediocre experience is mainly my fault. It was just last December when I had only one tattoo and NO idea of what works and what doesn't work in tattooing. I have nine tattoos now that I have mainly gotten done at Greenpoint Tattoo Co., and am sad to say the only tattoo I have had done at North Star has now been covered up.

I was skating around downtown when I stumbled on this studio. Half-cocked, I went in and asked about a tattoo. I like surrealism, so I thought maybe a dripping clock would make for a cool tattoo. I didn't really want to get the tattoo done then and there, but Daniel Cotte talked me into it. He didn't pressure me, he is a really nice guy, I am just very impulsive.

Looking back, the tattoo seems very overpriced. It was palm-sized, and they asked $300 for it. I have gotten much bigger tattoos done in Greenpoint for about $250.

So, he did the dripping clock on my right shoulder. I should have stressed that I wanted it to look "tattoo-y," like almost a sailor version of the clock image. But what I got was what looked like almost a photograph of Salvidor Dali's "Persestencia de Memoria" that was way too small for the area that it was located.

Not fully realizing how bad the tattoo was at first, I called into make an appointment to get some quick Black Flag bars done, and they quoted me at $200. That is way too much, bars take about 15 minutes and should be quoted at shop minimum. That is exactly what happened when a fellow VICE intern recommended I go to Greenpoint Tattoo Co.

Two weeks later, I was freaking on the dripping clock. I was at the gym and I just couldn't stop looking at how awkward and silly it looked as a tattoo. As of now, I know that tattoos are tattoos and art is art, and good art doesn't always translate into a good tattoo. I now have nine tattoos and have dumped the ideology that a tattoo must have "meaning" behind it. Screw that, if you want a tattoo, just get a tattoo. Liking tattoos and having them is enough meaning. When people ask me what my tattoos mean I usually say, "nothing I just like them," which is the truth. If I feel like being a prick I might pull out a, "None of your business."  All my stuff now is old-school American traditional tattoos and I love all of them. The clock was successfully covered up by a traditional eagle.

What is the worst is I love Cotte's work and would love to get a larger-scale piece from him in the future, but I'm embarrassed about getting his work covered up. I feel like it's just an asshole move to rub that in his face. So just to emphasize this one more time, the crap tattoo was MY fault due to a bad idea. The only thing Cotte is guilty of is not trying to talk me out of it (which the guys at Smith St. would have) and maybe overcharging me a little.

North Star is good for larger scale work, but if you are looking to just get a little guy I would hit the more street style shops, like Greenpoint or Smith St or Thicker than Water. The vibe could possibly be a little friendlier, what is nice about the aforementioned shops aside from the high quality traditional tattooing is the "hang out" vibe. They have similar atmospheres to good barber shops, it makes it fun. North Star is a very small space and quiet, a little stuffy even. Not a bad shop by a long shot, but certainly not one of my favorites.

My worry over a "new" tattoo artist inking up my man proved to be unfounded. Becca Roach did a fantastic job and gave him one of the best tattoos he has (if not THE best).

North Star Tattoo is a small, immaculate tattoo shop that really works hard to ensure that their customers have a positive experience. They use massage tables rather than the standard tattoo chairs. This is more comfortable for both the customer and for the artist. You don't have to uncomfortably twist in a million different directions in a structured chair in order for your artist to hit the right spot. I've been present for several of his tattoos and I can tell you that this is the most comfortable I've seen him. He can handle pain like no other but he seemed much more relaxed this time (given that this was a new artist for him and all). Becca gave him an amazing angel tattoo that she sketched for him based on some pictures that he sent to her. She really hit the mark. He is very pleased with the end result and so am I...and that's what really matters because I'm the one who has to look at him, right? :)

We highly recommend this shop.