I went with a group of friends to get a tattoo on our stay in NYC. I had an idea of what I wanted already. The staff were extremely friendly at the time and the place was clean. There was even a customer there who helped my friends & I through the whole tattoo process, which was really sweet of her. The only thing is, I kind of wish I waited.
I got a word tattooed on my foot, but now the word is kind of blending in together. I wish the tattoo artist I had told me I should have gotten it in larger font. I fear that it will blend in too much for it not to be readable. This tattoo meant a lot to me so I really hope it turns out okay.
I also called the tattoo shop to get an update on if that's normal. The woman I had was so rude. She was accusing me of getting the tattoo done too small and she mentioned that some artists won't even do foot tattoos. If my artist told me he couldn't or if it was too small, I obviously would have listened to him.
Definitely do a bit of research on a tattoo shop before going there..
Tino's the bomb!
My friend and I came here to get our ears pierced. My friend wanted her cartilage pierced, and I wanted to get my lobes redone with a cartilage piercing, too. Tino was incredibly kind to the both of us, and made sure we knew that the instruments he was using were sterile. He did the job quick (with a needle instead of a gun) and we were in and out within 15 minutes. Piercings here are about the same price as everywhere else in St. Marks ($25), so I would definitely come back again.
X is amazing !!
Came here one day to get my first tattoo. I already had an exact sketch of what I wanted and I was hoping for a perfect replica. The lady, Helen, upfront is a total sweetheart! So bubbly and funny. She led me through the short paperwork and told me to wait 15 minutes for my artist to do a sketch. X printed out my design and altered it to the size I wanted it to while reminding me that it had to be a certain size in order to capture all the detail. I appreciated the honesty and close examination. He then led me to the back station and applied the stencil. The placement was perfect so I didn't need any alterations and then it began! It was my first tattoo, which lasted about 2.5 hours (no breaks) and it wasn't painful at all. Outlining took about 45 minutes and the rest was shading. X was super gentle, funny, and overall awesome. We had a pretty good conversation.
In the end, I loved my tattoo more than I could've imagined. X also gave me proper healing instructions and after-care. Helen even slipped me a bottle of ointment :') My first tattoo experience was a complete success and I can't wait for another! Definitely coming back here for the next one and recommending this place to all my friends.
I came here a couple years ago. The place is pretty small. A small section is covered by a curtain, where tattooing takes place. Then there's a chair that people sit in for piercing, which resembles a barbershop chair, that leans back. Given the size of the place, there isn't much privacy, but because I only came in to get my navel pierced, I wasn't bothered by this. Everything was very hygienic, and the person who pierced me was very nice and patient with my newbie questions. The pricing was also very fair, considering that it's located in the city.
Review Source:I had an experience similar to Cindy L.'s below. Got my nostril pierced and the guy never said anything to me. I think his name was Raphael. He just stared at me blankly. It was kinda awkward and I thought piercing/tattoo people were supposed to be down-to-earth and talkative. I asked him questions but he'd give me one word answers. He didn't even count or tell me to relax. He just did the whole thing in less than 5 minutes, gave me a piece of paper on how to care for it and walked away. Didn't even say bye or thanks for coming. I waited there like an idiot for like 2 minutes doing nothing, until the lady told me I was done..... What the-?
Cheap $27 though and the lady at the counter was friendly though and answered my questions.
Uffda Linda!!!
My bestie and I went to Whatever Tattoo to get some ink  to commemorate her trip and my birthday. We walked in, and were immediately seen. Linda beautifully adapted a design from a picture I brought in. She was friendly, talented, and extremely efficient-- she did both our tattoos in a little over an hour. I definitely recommend Whatever Tattoo-- hygienic, affordable, and efficient!
On a spontaneous girls night out, my friend and I walked into whatever tattoo for piercings. The korean lady at counter was so sweet and hilarious! My friend got her tragus pierced and I got my second earring hole done. The piercers were professional and showed us all the clean, new needles and such. Had a really good time and probably would go back for another piercing. Cheap, exciting and had lots of good laughs. Whatever. ;)
Review Source:My best friend and I had been in and out of tattoo shops for the past two weeks researching the best tattoo places for pricing, cleanliness, and professionalism. Â With that in mind, I would not choose Whatever Tattoo. Â (Disclaimer: Â I didn't actually get any tattoos so I am by no means an expert or a good judge of which place can deliver spectacular tattoo artistry.) Â
With that in mind, I did end up getting my ear pierced by a man who just wouldn't talk to me. Â If I was piercing anything other than my ears, I would have been super freaked out and uncomfortable. Â My friend literally had to translate his silence to me because I couldn't figure out what he wanted from his body language. Â After sitting in the seat, he simply made a mark, put the mirror up to my ear, & stared at me expecting an answer. Â I didn't know what he wanted bc I didn't feel/see him mark me. Â My friend translated what he had done & wanted. Â I craned my neck around so I could see the marked dot & told him I didn't like it. Â The silent man with no emotions then proceeded to wipe it & redot me. Â I finally nodded yes & all of a sudden I was pierced. Â He didn't even show me the piercing, he just walked away.
Yes so I got my ear pierced by a man who refused to talk to me -- it was super odd. Â So between that experience & the fact that I've seen the whole gauntlet of tattoo shops in the city -- Whatever Tattoo wouldn't be my first choice.
No pain no INK!
My bf and I had both our tattoo's done this Saturday at this establishment. We would highly recommend this store! Helen (the owner) was very friendly and cute, she reminds me of everyone's favorite Korean aunt. Herman the tattoo artist is amazing and patient not to mention he has a light touch (we both had little to minimal bleeding). He's also got an amusing sense of humor which I personally enjoy. There was also a pretty blonde receptionist but I didn't catch her name and was incredibly friendly as well.
The price is quite reasonable, especially for the location and quality of work. Their motto is "dont ask us for a discount and we wont ask you to pay our rent" hahaha (well something along those lines).
Now onto the actual work, we both had Herman ink us. At first I was open to another artist but while herman was working on my bf, he gestured that I should have Herman as well.
For the design, we both had an idea of what we wanted. Â My bf described what he had in mind and Herman was able to visualize and sketch it out to his liking. He also tweaked it a bit to my bf's liking who is quite picky :P.
For me, I originally wanted a phoenix but was told that unless its a certain size, it wont last. I actually appreciate the honestly because other places would just say yes and do it. I had another design in mine and I'm very happy with my final decision.
Mine was a pretty straightforward design and positioned exactly where I want it. Even though Herman was tired from the 3 hours of working on my bf, he took the time to examine the design and noticed the drawing wasn't even and fixed it so I appreciate that he didn't rush.
The store employees all have a very interesting dynamic and we had a great time hanging out with the crew. They've got an incredible sense of humor and but of course it took a little warming up.
All in all, great experience and would come back for future visits.
I have had a piercing and a tattoo done here and can definitely recommend it.
The piercing I had done was the cartilage in my left ear several months ago. It was one I was nervous about, because I know they have a tendency to become infected easily. The gave me thorough instruction on how to care for it when I asked, it was quick, and no problems. Three months later, I returned to have them remove the post so that I could put in my own earring (the post had some safety lock and was difficult to remove so that it wouldn't fall off).
My tattoo was my fourth. I had it done by Craig. He was fantastic. He really worked with me to get the design exactly how I wanted it. It was quick, something over an hour. He was sure to show me all the tools were new and check how I was doing during the tattoo. Also drew a privacy curtain because of the placement during the tattoo which was nice. He did a great job on a quote on my right hip and the price was extremely reasonable for a decently sized piece. As I said, it was my fourth tattoo and in a location that gets a rep as painful, it was definitely my least painful tattoo, although it took longest. The healing process has been the easiest and the quickest of my four tattoos. I'm six days out, and it is almost completely healed already.
Overall, I had no problem with infection, they were great with customer service, quick, efficient and well-priced. I have had nothing but great experiences here and highly recommend their work--especially Craig! Great job.
Well, unfortunately both of our earrings got infected -- I totally expected this to happen with mine, since my body takes a while to adapt to any foreign object, so I'm used to waiting and cleaning until things go back to normal. Kind of surprised my friend had issues too, though. She eventually took her earring completely out. Kind of a bummer. Not sure if it was the jewelry used, the place, or just us... very well could be the latter, but figured I'd post this just in case. Still a good experience there, nonetheless. I'll keep the four stars...
Review Source:went here for piercings with a friend. staff was polite and very helpful, especially expelling to us what would and would not work. i got 3 piercings on my ear while my friend got one on her tragus. The place was nice and clean. Paid $25 for each piercing. If i ever get more piercings, i will definitely come back here
Review Source:Ok so, I have had my belly button pierced three times. Fourth times a charm? I hope so. Gabriel was my guy and I found him to be great. Pays attention to detail and very clean. Sterilized everything and kept changing his gloves. That to me is most important to keep sterile. He explained the cleaning process and gave me a card to say which days he would be in if I wanted to ask him a question. I give him 5 stars.
I came back to get a matching Hello Kitty tattoo with a friend. Extremely simple design as you can see in the pic I posted. We got it done at the same time, same outline photo copy and the tats came out completely different. I understand different people do things differently, but this was merely just tracing lines. How do you mess that up? Neither one looks bad, they just look different. Bummer.
I came here after doing a quick search on where to get a cheap but safe and professional piercing. I arrived here without an appointment which worked just fine since there was barely no wait, the piercer (? or whatever they are called) was not there, but came back after like 5 min. After discussing a little about which ring to choose and all I was led to the "chair"! I must admit that I was scared off by some friends against getting a nose ring, cause it was supposed to hurt a lot. But the guy was SUPER fast, i barely felt it, no pain at all! I've had my cartilage pierced before and I must admit that hurt much more, nose rings are so quick and painless, especially here. I totally reccomend this place, it is very affordable and the service is quick and helpful.
Review Source:This is a good spot if you need something quick done, like a touch up or a navel piercing. Frankly, with the amount of college chicks barging in and getting lame dolphin ankle tattoos around St. Marks, I would probably have a "whatever" attitude too if I worked here.
That aside, I came here for my nostril piercing and had a great experience. It was dirt cheap and my piercer, an older Latino dude, was extremely kind and professional. I was in and out in about 15 min. I have gotten two other piercings here as well. One was similarly quick and professional. The other was administered by a surly youth who said about two words to me the whole time. While the piercing was quick, his attitude was off-putting and made me regret going there.
I would not get inked here but I would recommend Whatever if you are short on cash and need an easy piercing. Looks a little gritty but my experiences have been sanitary and fast. Tends to be hit or miss.
I decided to get my ears stretched here, and was given good advice with every visit. The only bad experience I had was with a particular employee telling me I had to wait for someone else to stretch my ears sometime later in the week. It turned out he told me that because he didn't feel like doing it that day. I found out he lied later in the week when I came back and mentioned it to the person who had been stretching my ears in the prior months, and was told he, and the other employee who lied, both assist customers with stretching their ears.
Review Source:My experience here was great. The shop is amazing, the girl that did my piercing was friendly and everyone else was great help. The price is what truly blew me away though because it was on par with most queens shops (a shop few blocks away wanted to charge me twice as much).
The late hours are a major plus too (got my piercing done at about 3 am on a saturday).
Whatever tattoo is a very fitting name for as they gave a whatever attitude towards what we really wanted. The tattoo artist was not very nice and didn't seem wiling to offer any style of creativity, he relied wayyyy to much on his computer. The minimum charge for this place was $60 which is what drew us to this place initially. However, that minimum charge covers maybe a letter. Â I wanted a four line poem with three little birds...close to $150, which is reasonable. However, for my friend who wanted a tiny little horseshoe and a tiny anchor they were going to charge $120. Sorry but that is a little ridiculous.
The only reason why I think it deserves 3 stars is because the owner (I'm assuming) was a really nice guy. If it wasn't for that rude tattoo artist I would've definitely given them my business. However, I definitely didn't think their lower price was good enough to stay. I ended up going next door to Kulture and was EXTREMELY happy, those people really care about their customers.
AMAZING! This was the best piercing experience I've had.
Whatever Tattoos is super laid back and chill but still professional (bring your ID). Friendly people in a good environment with Nintendo wii. Lol
Gabriel was our piercer and he was great. Funny and friendly and he sure as hell knew what he was doing. Everything is opened in front of you, so it's all sterile.
I was getting my septum pierced and the only part that kinda hurt was the clamps. Which says a lot bc I kept moving with the clamps and chewing gum.
Gabriel also pierced two of my friends and gave us all the info needed to keep em clean.
very good experience. And we will be back!!!! :-)
I've been pierced and Tatted here...LIZ is by far the BEST. Â I am black - yessssssss i ammm lol. Â Anyway, that means that we usually have to find someone that will be able to tattoo on dark skin. Â I get compliments about my tats all the time from all races - I will definitely be back for MORE!!
Review Source:A year ago my friend and I came to this place. At the time, the entire staff (albeit hungover) was very helpful and nice.
X did a nice job and both tattoos turned out nicely. At the end of the appoint he gave us his card and said we can always come back for touch ups.
FASTFORWARD: One year later, she visits the city again and calls to confirm for the touch-up. Not only was the guy that answered the phone rude, but he passed the conversation off to X who acted extremely annoyed: "well, we'll only do touch ups if you got your tattoo recently".
Policies might not always be clear, but just be nice, guys! It's an important part of a business that places permanent designs on customers.
The customer service is much better elsewhere. You have to trust your tattoo artists enough to be able to return.
I went here about a week ago to get a piercing and it was a great experience. The guy who attended to us was very sweet, very informative and very honest. I asked about a nose hoop for my nose piercing, and he was very honest in telling me that the gauges they had were a bit bigger than what mine appeared to be. Not pushy at all. I said I had to think about the piercing I actually wanted to get that day and he was very cool about it, told me to look around and come back if I wanted. After going to a few places around the area asking for prices, I decided to just go back to Whatever and get it done.
It was quick, precise -- he made sure to show me that everything was packaged and safe. He (I wish I had asked for his name!) gave me instructions for care, told me he'd even change the earrings for me when it healed. They don't use piercing guns anymore, so it was a bit pricier than maybe expected, but still very inexpensive, I think, compared to many other places. Plus piercing guns are no bueno so their using needles is definitely a plus.
I was very pleased with my experience.
--
I just wanted to quickly update this. My piercing did end up getting infected, though I'm not sure why since I followed the aftercare instructions and have never really had issues with other piercings like I did with this one. It was alright after about two weeks, but it still happened and I was still freaking out, ya know?
It doesn't change how I feel about my experience there while getting it done, but I thought it was kind of important to mention.
Got my navel piercing (belly button!!!) done yesterday!!!!!!!!! The guy (sorry I forgot his name!!lol) was really gentle, nice, careful and it didn't hurt at all even though they were using 14 gauge needle for navel piercing! (it was a huge needle!!!). Also he was professional in which he actually figured out i needed a longer navel jewelry by measuring carefully with a ruler before piercing it!!! Another interesting fact: Since im a nursing student, i was carefully observing how the piercer was performing strictly aseptic technique and he didn't fail me! lol he made sure put on clean disposable gloves(i know some use sterile gloves...but since i dont have an open wound, clean gloves are fine!), made sure showing me getting a new needle and a clamp from a new package. Also he was using a sterile field to place all these stuff and didn't ruin the sterile field until i was done with piercing. Professional! im definitely going back to this place to get more piercings done!!! (unfortunately only hidden places...lol) Â im a fast healer but then the piercer did a good job. People complain how it hurts after piercing, but for some reasons, it doesn't hurt me AT ALL!!!
Review Source:After my artist left to Cali I began my search for an even better artist to do some serious sylvia ji work on my arms, and I must say that Xavier is the best tattoo artist ive had. the man is a true artist with one's flesh. For the amount of effort and work he puts into a tattoo, he's prices are very very good. Â I cant wait for him to finish my other arm.
Review Source:whatever tattoo is a small but pretty AWESOME shop located on St. Marks Place in lower Manhattan and I think they have some pretty awesome artist that call this place home. Guaranteed everyone there beats to the sound of there own drum but who doesn't'?  I can't even remember the first time I walked into this shop but, I definitely don't regret it. I am faithful to this one tattooist who goes by the name of "X" , very talented man. I currently have fourteen works that his done on my skin, everyone of them are as vivid as the first time I got them. I always get rants & raves about my tattoos from different people and every time i try and direct them to  X or one of his buddies at the shop.
to say the least you cant judge a book by it's cover,
yes the place is small
yes, it might not look like the cleanest area (very grungy looking)
yes its located on one of the most raunchiest block i think nyc has but as long as the ink's right,needles are new, art being born & prices are good what else can one ask for? +)
Small. Shady. Interesting Staff.
Whatever Tattoo is surrounded by other piercing shops and at first I thought this place was kind of shady. It wasn't the cleanest looking place or the most organized. But the girl at the counter was helpful and easy to talk to. The rest of the staff were kind of raunchy but funny.
I got my targus pierced by a guy named Gabriel. He was very professional and nice especially since I was definitely a little nervous. I hate needles but some how I have a strange need to get things pierced.
Bottom line: It cost me $25 for the piercing + jewelry.
I would have given this place 5 stars if I had done this review a month ago. I got a tattoo here last year and it was a great experience. Yes, it was just a simple text tattoo (I had printed out the text in the font I wanted) but the guy who did it (don't remember his name) did a fantastic job. People ask me all the time if I "just got the tattoo done." When I say it was over a year ago, they say "wow looks so new and perfect where did you go?" The tattoo was 75 dollars and totally worth it.
Unfortunately, this is not the end of my review. I have been back to Whatever Tattoo several time since then with friends getting tattoos or piercings. Until last month, we have always had pleasant experiences. However, last time I was there, there was an extremely pushy woman.My friend was thinking about a tattoo, and I asked about getting a new earring for my cartilage piercing. She obviously didn't have what I was looking for but tried to sell me something anyway. She showed me an earring and I could tell it was definitely a higher gage than what I wore. I said that's much thicker isn't it? She pretended to look at it closely and then told me no, it was no different than what I was wearing and that she often used this kind in her own cartilage. I was kinda more focused on my friend's tattoo so I agreed to buy it and have it put in. I have had this piercing for 6 years and have never had an issue with it. Let me just say that it hurt a lot when it was put in and later when I took it out, I could see my skin on the earring (sorry gross I know). Luckily this was just a piercing that I could take out and forget about (and hope the hole goes back to normal). I would think twice about going there now so I hope she's happy with the 12 bucks she got me to pay. I would hate to have had a similar experience with a tattoo! Whatever Tattoo really needs to get rid of this sales person. I can see other people have complained about her.
So... Obviously, these guys cannot take criticism. Here is what one of them named 'helen k.' sent me:
"getting tattoo its  a first step.. that what we do u picking we do the tattoo. second step u guy have take care the tattoo... u guy  mess up the tattoo blame on us .. like what u said it itch . does remember when u sleep ..did u scratch the tattoo .. think about it when said something shit about us .. people said that infected coz u guy dirty"
Take a look at your reviews. You have 8 out of 49 negative reviews - that's 16.3%. That's not lookin' too good. Just sayin'. (Even worse reviews here: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whatever-tattoo-new-york">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>)
I'm a business owner, so I know what it feels like to get a less than stellar review. The difference between us is that I'm proactive. And not in the "blame game" way as this guy did. While I take those reviews to heart, I do my best to exhibit some professionalism and poise.
While we're talking about steps, here are some steps that he should have taken:
1. Assess the situation from an outside perspective
2. Perhaps think, even for the slightest second, that they're doing a shoddy job
3. Try to assist the customer, in any way, to have a better experience next time (whether it be at his business or another's - I give tips to those who choose not to return simply out of good will)
The sole step he should NOT have taken:
1. Attack a customer for stating his/her honest opinion
To reiterate my initial review, here are the 'steps' involved with my experience:
1. Fall 2010: Got the tattoo
2. Backtracking a bit to Summer 2006: Got my 2nd tattoo
3. Backtracking even more to Summer 2004: Got my 1st tattoo
(I mention these because this 3rd tattoo is not my first, not even my second. The first two healed perfectly, and I take extra care with things like that. Â There's no way I would have even touched it for the first month or so. Thankfully, I had those experiences to be well versed in after care because 'X' gave me scant information about that before he scurried us out of his chair.)
4. May 2011: Tattoo infection (like I said, my body 'purging' the deeply embedded impurities of the ink or whatever contaminated things they used)
THAT'S SIX MONTHS. It took my body 6 months to bring the impurities to the surface. Let's think about this for a second: why would a germ resulting from negligent after care result in a breakout half a year later? Something like that would have appeared immediately as it affects the most superficial layer of the skin. Conversely, what could have embedded the impurity deep enough in the skin that it took the body so long to eliminate? Hm... A needle, perhaps? Case closed.
And it didn't appear on my skin in the vague vicinity of the tattoo. It was directly following the shape of the tattoo. The design is not round or abstract. It is a stylized Greek letter - thin (although seemingly 'bleeding' into the surrounding skin, the result of a careless job), and the rash/infection erupted directly on the thin black sliver of ink following the exact curvature of the letter. Unless there is some strange mutation that rashes now develop in Greek-lettered shapes, then it's obvious that there is a direct correlation between rash + tattoo.
If this helps and you need more proof, I got it checked by a doctor. And I (after getting my suspicions confirmed) stand by my review. And if my word is not enough, take a moment to read some of the other reviews. I'm not the only one that has had an issue with real, physical reactions. For a place like a tattoo parlor, where they should be taking every bit of care to ensure sanitary conditions, just one negative reaction is one too many. The several on here are several too many. Who knows how many others are out there?
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whatever-tattoo-new-york-2#hrid:6bNJsyTpwjNbzR6A8aEbzg">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whatever-tattoo-new-york-2#hrid:m4NPcs5coF8B-JcS0CFNGg">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whatever-tattoo-new-york-2#hrid:69CgxbKCFanVFH9yeEQExg">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whatever-tattoo-new-york-2#hrid:0mdI5RoZVJa4dy9csJTlxQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whatever-tattoo-new-york-2#hrid:46MvgoXeQtGvahSx-H2blw">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
(See the trend of infections?)
Someone obviously can't take criticism. But, dear fellow Yelpers, isn't that what Yelp is all about? Real people, REAL reviews?
The one 'step' they did correctly was choosing an appropriate name for their business: Whatever Tattoo. Because that's the approach they take. Whatever.
The only thing that's dirty about this whole situation is"Whatever Tattoo": the tools they use, the ink, and the people. Don't go to a place where they can't be real.
I got a tattoo here 5 years ago. It was your typical spur of the moment decision; I had wanted the tattoo for a few years but had yet to work up the nerve, but a belly full of takoyaki & Sapporo made me brave. All I wanted were two words on my wrist in simple cursive. The artist was pretty whatever about it (see what I did there?), but that was fine. It was quick & painless & I still like it. The drawback was how little the artist communicated with me about my options. Being totally green, I didn't think about things like the ink bleeding/blending over time, or about how thick of a needle I wanted. I would have appreciated some white/nude ink dotted in the loops of the letters to prevent blurring, & a fine needle to make the lettering very clear & delicate. I think it was lack of interest, not experience, that kept the artist from talking about these things with me & that sucks. Even though I didn't get the self-portrait of me in a wedding dress riding a tiger made of dragons (yet), I still wanted my ink to look its best.
Review Source:I lost one of the balls from the 14-gauge curved barbel in my navel and needed a replacement. I walked into a lot of the tattoo/piercing boutiques on this street and this was the only one that had good service AND the product I needed. Since the ball I lost was threaded and they only had receiver balls here, I had to buy an entirely new barbel - but it was only $10. The person who helped me measured my old jewelry to make sure he gave me the right size, and then he sterilized it. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because there were some people (employees?) smoking cigarettes outside the door and, since the door was open, you could smell the cigarettes inside the shop. I'm glad they accept credit/debit cards. If I decide to get another piercing, I will probably get it at this place.
Review Source:Something that really should send a red alarm is when the woman working there is being too loud, pushy, and anxious for you to get your tattoo done RIGHT THERE AND THEN. I went in to consult about my tattoo and she just kept suggesting places where I didn't want it. She tried convincing me to get it done on the spot even after I told her I wanted to think about it..so she was just trying to make me get it right there to make a quick buck.. That's very suspicious to me as it is. I told her I was going to come back another day and she kept quizzing me as to why I didn't want to get it done right there and then. And as I said already, RED ALARM.
The art they had up was pretty nice but the place looks really shady. If there are any places you need to look at yourself instead of only trusting Yelp, they're tattoo parlors.
Oh, they wanted to charge me $150 for a tattoo I eventually got done for $75 at a much cleaner place. Read my review for Inkstop Tattoo for more...
Following the advice of tattooed Yelpers, I went to Whatever for my first tattoo. I had called a day in advance to make an appointment, but the person on the phone told me it would be fine to just drop in... which was exactly what I did on the following night. The place is very casual and chill which helps with nerves. The staff is friendly and upbeat.
Herman did my tattoo for a very fair price and in a short amount of time. My  4"x2" tattoo with two colors was done in less than 20 minutes. One of the best pieces of advice I got was to let the artist do his/her job and try not to dictate the design exactly as I have it in mind. Herman worked with me on perfecting my design and improved on the colors I chose. In the end, my tattoo came out better than I had imagined. Afterwards, Herman was very patient in answering all my newbie questions about aftercare and the healing process. It's been almost 3 weeks and my tattoo is healing beautifully.
I plan on getting another couple of tattoos in the upcoming months. I will definitely consider getting another one done at Whatever.
I stopped into Whatever Tattoo about 3 years ago. Â I had wanted to get a tattoo and decided that I would do it here. Â It was a great experience. Â Herman helped me design it and then made it affordable for the budget I wanted. Â I was in and out in about a hour and a half. Â Great experience! Â Definitely will go back for a second someday. :)
Review Source:* Great place to get some piercing or tattoos.
* Getting my ear pierced was an impulsive decision, while walking down St. Marks. Saw a number of pieces and hoops and finally decided for a small silver piece. While waiting for my turn, I browsed through their tattoo designs. They do have a big selection of tribal tattoos. But I was interested to get some foreign language text tattoo... Although I haven't yet decided what specific tattoo I need to get done, but I have 2 choices ready (the word 'Speed' in russian) or a ninja throwing star.
* After going through the tattoo designs, finally got my left ear pierced with a silver piece. The piercing was done very hygienically and with care. Will definitely come back for a tattoo.
I got my first tattoo done here by Herman today. My tattoo is two small words going across the inside of my upper arm, and costed $80. It took about 5 minutes, and I didn't find the pain to be bad at all. Herman answered all the questions I had and of course explained aftercare instructions, and was just a great guy overall. Everyone who works at Whatever Tattoo is extremely chill, and they know what they are doing. Thanks, Whatever Tattoo! I'll definately be bringing my friends here :)
Review Source:What the hell can I say about whatever tattoo? I randomly decided to get my 10th tattoo tonight, so I went for it! I had the pleasure of letting Mr. X grace my body. Wow, he was perfect! He was very friendly and welcoming and he made me laugggggh up until he was done. I love this guy! I will certainly be returning here, after the pain on my rib cage dies down. Lol. I paid 86 for a medium sized tat that I am in love with. Oh, and when I got there, they were watching Scott Pilgrim, lmao. Anyway, will be recommending this place : )
Thanks Mr. X
This place was awesome!
The piercer, was really nice, quick, and clean. My girlfriend and I showed up fifteen minutes before they closed, we got our septums pierced which apparently is difficult to do straight, but he did both perfect. It was extremely quick and a great first piercing experiencing. I'm very happy with the result and would get pierced there again anytime.
Being the hardcore daredevil I am, I decided spontaneously on a cold October night to get my cartilage pierced (say what?? :O ). I happened to be on St Marks having some sushi, and google places nearby that would pierce well (my last piercing was at another St marks store, sketchy place. Dude didn't let me finish breathing before he pushed me into the chair and started talking sizes).
I walked in, was greeted, and asked about the piercing (originally wanted my 2nd lobes repierced) but after finding out piercings start at 25, I rethought that for a second. My friend convinced me to get one cartilage done, and when she agreed to do it with me, I was all in. Our piercer was so funny, he eenie meenie miney moe'd who'd go first. She did (oh thank god). We signed waivers first, which I liked. He showed us the sterile materials and got right to work. I was terrified because my friend's face during the piercing process looked in so much pain! I didn't want to chicken out though, so I sat down and took it like a man. Luckily, it did not hurt as much as I thought it would, and it was over faster than you can say "I'm a wuss".
We got paper instructions for after care and promptly left to go purchase some antibacterial soap and sea salt. My friend already wants to go get another! Ha! (so do I, but don't tell anyone).
Herman, you're pretty frickin' awesome.
This place made me happy. Â Accomodating, affordable, quick, and I got to sit there and listen in on some darn entertaining conversations between the staff members while my impressive and relatively painless permanent souvenir was etched into existence.
Went to one of the pricier places first - they were remarkably unwilling to work with me, and expected a ridiculous deposit without having perfected a design. Â Didn't quite feel like paying extra to inhale incense and be condescended to, so I wandered into Whatever, where Herman made time to chat and perfect a design I was completely pleased with.
While the interior of this place is underwhelming, everything else about the experience made up for that. Â Go here. Â Next time I'm in town, I'll throw them my business again.
This place was awesome. I got my first tattoo here. I was recommended this place by a friend. I pretty much went scavaging around the whole city getting my tattoo priced. This was the cheapest place I found. They are definitly decently priced. The place is a bit small but when I walked in there was no wait. The guy who was going to be doing my tattoo stepped out for a quick bit and the staff, no lie, made me feel extremely welcome. The place is so chill and laid back. One of the artist even reccomended I go next door and get a coke and asked if I had eaten. Herman was my tattoo artists and he was great. He was quick and the process didn't feel as painful as I thought it would. He was also really funny. He gave me very good tattoo care instructions and even gave me a card with all his info and told me not hesitate to hit him up with any questions.
Review Source:LOVE THIS PLACE TO DEATH!!! Â My best friend introduced me to the place after going there for a piercing. Â I have yet to get a tat here but Tino is my favorite and only piercer that I really trust. Â He fixed my daith for me, pierced my nose and gauged both my ears. Â The pricing is great, the rest of the staff is wonderful and the atmosphere is so laid back.
Review Source:I got my first tattoo here back in April 2009. This place is small and tattoo artists usually hate it when you're all up in their space but mine let my friend stay close enough to hold my hand. My tattoo artist was actually watching American Psycho as he tattooed me. This should have worried me at the time but I was too nervous about getting inked to care.
I got a small 1.25 x 2 inch black ink tattoo for about $85 + tip. I know of places where mine would have cost significantly less but I don't expect anything to be cheap in New York.
My tattoo healed beautifully and I didn't run into any issues thereafter so I'm satisfied.
First time I've been here was for my first tattoo. The St Mark's location was actually too crowded and the wait was over 2 hours. My friend and I were about to leave till one of the staff said that we can go to their 2nd location (near W4th). There was no wait there at all. AND that staff even cabbed it there with us and paid for it. How nice!!
I then got my 2nd tattoo at the St Mark's location. It was quick and not painful. My guy was pretty awesome about it too. I like their service and prices. It was pretty clean and sterile too. I got my 3rd tattoo at Adorned, which I thought was TOO expensive for the quality of it. It's smudged! Now to yelp about Adorned...
A group of friends and I came here while we were in town. I wanted to get my conch pierced again after I took it out the first time. The price was surprisingly cheap, $25 including the jewelry where as in DC it would be $55; $15 if you bring your own jewelry. They had me fill out a release form with all my information and didn't bother checking my ID.
The place is small and a little crowded, but it seems clean. The piercist was Tino or something like that, not a friendly guy. The entire thing took less than five minutes, but it felt much longer as he was silent the whole time. There was no warning, no explanation about what he is about to do, just bam, jewelry in. He stood up, gave me the aftercare instructions and explained it a little. I felt like we were getting kicked out, so the group of us left quickly, In retrospect, I totally forgot about tipping but I don't feel bad about it.
Me and bf walked in and Herman was able to take us right away. He even helped modify my bf design and made it look even better than what we thought it could look. He was professional and gentle and it never hurt one bit. Some drunk underage douchebags walked in during my tattoo and everyone handled it great by immediately kicking him out and then hermans entourage finished his lightwork by kicking his ass. Lol. Also some drunk blonde weirdo stumbled in pretending to need advice on her poor tattoo that she got down the street....but in the end she just wanted a friend....and the guys at whatever tattoo were nice to this trashy woman. So sweet! Â
Kudos again to Herman for being friendly with no traces of arrogance unlike the cocky untalented d*ckheads you find in Dallas where I'm from.
I have had no problems with this place. Haven't had anything too extensive done here...just 2 different piercings on 2 seperate occassions. The Spanish dude with the ponytail is great! Has a good sense of humor and is very experienced. Definitely knows what he is doing and I trust asking for his advice when it comes to choosing gauges or placement. I've never had an infection or problem with neither one of my piercings. I've gone back for help when I've needed it (once when one of the little balls got stuck and another when I had a lot of trouble changing to a new barbell) and he was happy to assist free of charge. Of course I did tip him generously though. Check them out!
Review Source:I got my cartilage pierced here a while ago (feb '09, if I remember correctly). My piercer's name was Gabriel, and I think he did a pretty bang-up job. He was nice enough to tell be how to make the saline solution (as opposed to paying 13 bucks for a wee bottle).
The environment is clean and sterile. In the event I want another body piercing, I would most definitely come here.
Dispite the crude photos on the wall & what I felt was a weak selection of body jewelry options, this LES tatt/piercing parlor is pretty dope! Gabriel, the "piercing guy", was totally helpful and friendly. He talked me out of an oversized hoop nosering and pierced me with a cute, diamond stud. It was practically painless and his aftercare directions have not failed me. My nose is healing up great and I suggest anyone interested in a great piercing go check it out and ask for Gabriel.
Review Source:There are plenty of dive tattoo joints in the East Village. On the outside, Whatever Tattoo looks the same as the rest. Inside is a different story; this isn't some place you can just walk in the door and get tattooed without ID. The staff are knowledgeable and talented. My artist was Xavier, and he was amazing, from sketching my tattoo to picking out the perfect colors. He is meticulous with his colorwork and shading, so he makes everything look great. The pricing was also incredibly cheap. Highly recommended.
Review Source:Tiny typical Tattoo shop you can find anywhere, the kind of place that commands little respect. The walls are plastered with tattoo designs and books of ideas of someone stumbling in trying not to be original at all. They're also a one stop shop for piercings and pipes as well. They might do alright tattoos but I definitely wouldn't get a tattoo from them, especially when some of the high end tattoo parlors charge relatively the same prices (they only difference is a place like this doesn't have a minimum where other places might). If you want a little butterfly on your foot or I Love Mom on your ass then maybe this is place is just up your alley. There is a couple cool guys working here and it's nothing personal against them, I just have a thing about tattoo shops like this. If I had to rate them for piercings I might have given something much higher like a 4.
Review Source:So far I've gotten 2 piercings here, no tattoos. First was my nape back in November, they were very friendly/helpful and it healed very quickly. Had a cartilage piercing done on Friday, done quickly & the prices are reasonable. The store is right in the middle of St. Marks & opened late; Store overall can be organized a little better but I would definitely go back & recommend it.
Review Source:On the last day of summer, I wandered down St. Marks to have a final fling with Pinkberry before my exile to New Haven. Â I was feeling especially whimsical and the many tattoo and piercing parlors along St. Marks tickled this whimsy. Â By the time I reached Whatever Tattoo, the whim had grown to near-resolution, and enticed by the simple lettered sign that matched my mood, I walked in. Â I asked how much it would cost and how long it would take to get a cartilage piercing, and a man with a relaxed and relaxing air to him told me it would be $25 and 5 minutes.
I asked how long they'd been in business, got a satisfactory answer, saw that the place was clean, and decided to go for it. Â I got a little nervous, but I picked out a little hoop (included) and my ear was pierced within 5 with a quick, fairly painless thrust of a needle. Â The piercer instructed me on how to take care of the piercing, I paid, and another 5 minutes later, I was sitting outside of Pinkberry chowing down on a king-sized frozen yogurt. Â I've had zero problems with pain or infection, and if I get another urge to pierce something, I will gladly go back.
I got my first real tattoo here! Real as in my first official tattoo was getting super drunk on scotch and letting my friend poke me with a safety pin dipped in cigarette ash and ink. But anyway, I came here to get a tattoo and X took care of me. He was super sweet and did an amazing job. It didn't hurt at all! He also tatted my boyfriend! I would definitely come back and have X do my next tattoo. I got two letters and it was overall the size of my thumb for 60 bucks plus tip.
Review Source:On a particularly spontaneous night, I decided, randomly, to get my cartilage pierced on St. Mark's. The site of this piercing ended up being Whatever Tattoo, and though at first I was a bit terrified by the slight shadiness, the politeness of the staff won me over. The piercer, a woman with long, luxurious black hair, talked me down from my panic attack, so a bonus star for that.
The interior is very clean, as is the equipment. Gloves are used and all safety precautions taken, including letting someone hold your hand. The piercing went smoothly with nary any prolonged pain, and my piercer cleaned it up nicely and explained precisely what to do to keep it from getting infected. That I neglected to listen to her (and hence am now without a cartilage piercing) is my own damn fault, so I was out about $40 for nothing.
This place was awesome, and I know that in my review for whatever tattoos II that I would go there for my next piercing, but I figured if I went here it wouldn't make me too much of a liar. Â So me and my best friend stumble in here straight after I got off of work. Â The woman who rang me up for the piercing and saline spray was awesome, she was this little asian woman, who kind of reminded me of my friends mom, but instead of a strict conservative she was wearing a vintage dress and sporting 20 gauge plugs in both her earlobes. Â The piercing (my rook) only cost about 35. Â She also gave me the stores card and instructed me to call them should I have any problems with my piercing and get it sorted out, this I was very impressed by, seeing as though at the other piercing place they offered no such service; but which is something which realy should be customary.
I always get a little nervous right before someone sticks a needle in me, and this time it was going through cartlidge, but the guy who did the work (can't remember his name for the life of me), chatted me up while he got everything ready, and by the time it came to it, it happened so quickly and easily I barely felt anything, Â Granted my ear felt sore the next few days, and is still to new of a piercing to be comfortably playing around with it, I clean it religiously, and all is well.
Also I enjoyed my piercer so much that I asked him more about microdermals and nape piercings, he said he had experience doing microdermals and that he would gladly pierce my nape with two microdermals, gave me his cel number and told me to just go ahead and call him when I wanted to make and appointment for it.
:)... friendly people, good prices... reminds me of high school (in the good, soul-warming way-- not the hate-my-life way). there are multiple photos of my friends lining the walls so whenever i'm lonely that they all left me for college i can pop in, see who's still working, and remember the good ol' days.
i brought some of my college friends here at various times and always got a very good price and great service. one of my friends got his lip pierced and it was probably the quickest anyone has ever done a piercing. another friend wanted to get his web pierced. you know, that bit under your tongue... yeah. that was a bit harder. it took the girl a few minutes to get the ring through. i'm sure it was very uncomfortable for him but he didn't complain at all. he swallowed it the next night in his sleep, but it was his fault, not whatever's. the hole had actually healed so well in about 36 hours that he found another ring and was able to salvage the piercing before it closed up.
i'd recommend this place to anyone, and i'll continue bringing friends here til they give me a reason not to.
also-- if you're really low on cash, it's cheaper to bring your own ring and they'll only charge you for the labor. sometimes you can haggle with the other stands on st marks and end up saving $5-10 total on the whole thing.
I went there when I went to visit my brother in NY. we walked up and down the street trying to figure out which shop to go into, well we chose this place bc you could see inside. It was a bit small. but rather clean. The people working there were very nice. I got an industrial done there, it was fine, but my brothers head smashed into it two days after, and it turned all red and swollen, not a pretty picture if you can imagine. So we went down to the shop, and guy who pierced me, Gabriel, was really really nice, and was very caring of me. He walked me through everything. The procedure was rather painless. I've had my piercing for about 3 weeks now, and it's looking great!
I would definitely recommend this place.
I've had many a holes put in my body and the 2 i got done here are my favorites as far as piercings go. Â I had my tragus done one slightly drunken night (7/07) with a group of just as drunk friends.... the group of us came in and lined up - she got thru all of us quite quick - and we all loved them... no one had any issues at all.... and the price was right.... we all payed about $30 each - i think it was a group rate ( 2 nostrils, 1 tragus, 2 nipples and a monroe) - for the life of me i can't remember the girl's name, but she was great. Â i didn't feel a thing ( and i thought it was the alcohol lol )
went back in feb 2008 for my septum.... sober this time. Â she actually remembered us ( there were 3 of us, only 2 from the original mom's night out crew) - and this supposed 'painful' piercing - was not even close! Â she was really quick and did her thing.... and it healed beautifully.... my friend had her eyebrow done.... and same deal - quick fast and perfect.
i cannot speak for other piercers or the tattoo artists - but this young woman can put a hole in me any day!
I got my ears pierced here, and my boyfriend got his tracus (spelling?) and his industrial done here all of which have turned out just fine. Â They're not that expensive and although they come off as kind of sketchy and I doubt i'd get a tattoo here, they do perfectly fine as far as piercing go.
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