by becca g.
Went here on something of a whim -- more than a lark but less than a planned excursion -- for my FIRST EVER tattoo. i was with another ink-virgin, and in our post-yoga/lunch state of bliss, we decided to wander around the village until we found somewhere that felt right...and so we did.after wandering in and out of a couple places, we settled at Village Diva. It was clean and bright, and the gentleman behind the counter (who, as it turns out, owns the place) was friendly but not overbearing. in addition to lots of books for us to peruse, there were display cases full of flavored tobacco and related hookah products -- you know, fyi.i told him what i wanted -- a lotus on my forearm -- and he immediately brought up a google search so i could be more specific about what i had envisioned. my friend had a smaller order -- her zodiac sign on her wrist. he said both would be no problem, but his artist was on lunch so we could wait on the couch. and wait. and wait. we waited 30 minutes. and of course i'm sure this is an anomaly, and of course the owner was calling his artist every 4 seconds, but still. in the mean time we signed waivers and even got a small discount for all the waiting (a lovely gesture i thought). now i don't know the ins and outs of tattoo pricing, but i think i got the better end of this deal: 120 for the 2x2-inch lotus (black and white, but with some rather excellent shading). my friend paid 70 for her work, which was pretty tiny and basic (she's a leo). the bummer was the tax and "care kit" that we both opted to get (for convenience sake) -- which brought my total up to 172. i get the tax can't be helped, but a travel-size antibacterial liquid soap, some unscented lotion and nice-smelling A D for how much?? a trip to duane reade def would have saved us some dime...so why the three stars? well, while i'm quite satisfied with my tattoo and felt that the healing process was normal (its been two weeks -- still a little dry, but all in all scabbing was brief and peeling was minimal), my friend's wrist looks like she tried to carve a shape into her skin with a toothbrush-cum-shiv. i haven't seen it for myself, mind y'all, but i take the gir's word for it. she'll have to go back for a touch-up -- basically, because the lines on her design were pretty thin, it just looks like sketchy marks instead of a solid line...i'm sure its fixable, it's just kinda crappy that she has to go back.sooo...friendly people, reasonably priced (i think), clean, and accommodating. what else are you looking for in a tattoo shop?
