Greenpoint Tattoo Co. (131 Meserole Avenue) was started by John Reardon in 2011. The shop’s interior walls are covered top to bottom with sheets of tattoo flash designs. Almost all the flash displayed is custom painted by the crew of artists who works there. So just because you choose a tattoo off the wall doesn’t mean it’s generic. If you’re just in to browse, they’ll let the books full of artists’ work and flash tell you what you need to know, or you can follow them on Instagram and browse from home.
The shop does about half walk-in appointments and half custom work. Their custom pieces are impressive, and the way they celebrate their walk-in clients makes them stand out. You’ll feel equally comfortable if you’re looking for a small design or if you’re planning a three-foot cobra on your leg.
While the shop focuses mostly on classic and new American designs, individual artists’ Instagram accounts reveal a broader range of styles. Chuck Donoghue can still be found there once a week, but the artists you might encounter on any given day are: Franco Maldonado (who has done many “haircut” skull tattoos, and a hand poke here and there; unfortunately his Instagram account disappeared), Jason Ochoa, Matt Bivetto, Will Sheldon and of course John himself. Guest artists are often announced on the main shop Instagram.
The shop lets you know you don’t have to spend months planning (though you’re free to do so) to get an impressive tattoo, and much of the flash is unique enough you might very well choose that route. A consistent trail of glowing customer reviews on Yelp shows they are really great at what they do.
Greenpoint Tattoo Co. | 131 Meserole Avenue | Open Tue-Sun 12:30-8pm
Check out our other posts about tattoo shops in Greenpoint:
Evil & Love
East River Tattoo
Three Kings