Traveling
Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time and making the effort to come work with me!
I understand that visiting NYC can be a stressful process, so I’ve made this page to hopefully make it a bit less stressful :)
My studio is in Bushwick
Bushwick is a part residential, part commercial, part industrial neighborhood. In true New York fashion it is a very lively blend of many nationalities, cultures, income brackets, and communities. It is gaining a reputation for being the new “cool spot” of Brooklyn and has a thriving dancing scene with clubs like Basement, Knockdown Center, Signal, and Elsewhere as well as hosting a proliferation of bars and restaurants. Bushwick is also known for hosting a lot of Brooklyn’s queer and alternative scenes.
The area immediately around the studio is historically largely Dominican and Puerto Rican; they have done a lot of heavy lifting to make it the vibrant place it is.
Flying
There are really only two airports I would suggest flying into.
LaGuardia (LGA):
The smaller, but most recently renovated of the two. It is also the closest to the studio, coming in at a 20min car ride. The public transit options for LaGuardia are a bit lacking, requiring you to take a shuttle bus to the 7 line that can take you into Manhattan or deeper into Queens. Car is definitely the preferred option.
LaGuardia is great for shorter direct flights from smaller airports, or longer flights from larger airports with a connection. Delta sponsored much of the recent renovation and thus has a significant presence, so if you don’t mind a quick stop in Atlanta it’s an excellent option.
John F. Kennedy (JFK):
JFK is the largest and oldest airport in NYC. It is, in my mind, the only international option. Situated in the south of Brooklyn by the ocean it is a bit of a trek (45-60min by car) to get to the studio; however, you also have a pretty solid public transit option. The A train runs to JFk and can then be used to connect to the L train (Bushwick’s primary train). JFK has the greatest variety of flight options and is also international. I would suggest this as the more budget friendly airport, the trade off being it’s distance from the studio. You can expect a car to cost between $75-$100 to get to Bushwick from JFK.
Newark International Airport (EWR):
Newark is the third airport in the area, but I really wouldn’t suggest flying into it, I mention it here so you know not to do it lol.
It’s a fine airport, it’s just in New Jersey. Taking a car to or from there is prohibitively expensive and the public transit options are a bit convoluted and require multiple transfers.
Just don’t do it unless you have someone who can pick you up.
Driving
Driving is fairly straightforward. Be prepared to pay a lot of tolls as most of the bridges can cost anywhere from $9-$15 and parts of Manhattan have congestion pricing now.
Street parking with alternate street cleaning is the norm in most of Brooklyn, certainly the neighborhood around the studio. Just make sure you aren’t parked in front of any bus zones, driveways, yellow, or red sidewalks and make sure you check the signage near where you’re parked. Some areas are metered, some just have normal street cleaning restrictions, some will be commercial only, and some will be a bust stop. There will usually be at least two or three per block and will tell you when street cleaning is happening for that street (i.e. when your car can’t be there) and have arrows that denote where the parking zone begins or ends. Street cleaning tickets in Brooklyn tend to be around $65, but in parts of Manhattan your car could potentially get towed. Do not park in front of any fire hydrants, those tickets are ~$95.
General rule of thumb for any city applies to ny as well. Don’t leave any valuables displayed in your car. Either make it look really messy or really clean.
Accomodations
Between Brooklyn and Manhattan there is no shortage of hotels. I will only list a few hear that clients or family have stayed at and can vouch for. Alternatively you can get a hotel or airbnb anywhere off the L train and be within 30 - 45 minutes to the studio. Most places in Manhattan can access the L train pretty easily as well if you’re looking for a bit of tourism.
The closest hotel option to the studio, literally a few blocks away. This hotel has had a long history since I’ve been in the area, it started out as an okay hotel, was taken over for refugee housing for about a year, and has recently been renovated and put back into public use. I’ve had several clients stay there, and that is where I put up my mom when she visited. Provided you book in advance rooms can also be pretty affordable (150-200/night). I’ve heard good things about this hotel and generally recommend it first because of it’s economy and proximity to the studio.
Don’t do it. I know it’s so close and cheap, but don’t do it.
I’ve had a few clients stay here and they all said this was a fine hotel, nothing fancy but did the job. It is situated on a very busy street that also has an overground train, so might be loud. The street it’s situated on can often have a lot of… personality. The area directly around the hotel can be loud and lively 24/7, but once you get off of Broadway it’s very chill. My gf used to live a few blocks from there and never had any issues, but it is closer to your stereotypical nyc experience. You can either walk or call a car ($10-$20) to get to the studio, the train next door doesn’t really connect to the L train.
Repeat from Hotel 1080: I’ve had a few clients stay here and they all said this was a fine hotel, nothing fancy but did the job. It is situated on a very busy street that also has an overground train, so might be loud. The street it’s situated on can often have a lot of… personality. The area directly around the hotel can be loud and lively 24/7, but once you get off of Broadway it’s very chill. My gf used to live a few blocks from there and never had any issues, but it is closer to your stereotypical nyc experience. You can either walk or call a car ($10-$20) to get to the studio, the train next door doesn’t really connect to the L train.
I’ve had a few clients stay here, with no disparaging remarks passed on. It’s a short walk to the studio and your classic hostel experience. Definitely a budget experience. I would personally not recommend staying here, simply because you’re going to want a private bathroom for cleanliness after you get tattooed. You also probably won’t want to have to socialize when you’re all wrapped up and exhausted after a long day of getting tattooed. It could work if you’re getting a smaller piece, but overall do yourself a favor and go to a hotel with a private room.
Another perfectly fine hotel, definitely closer to your traditional hotel experience with a big lobby and such. Located on the edge of Williamsburg, which is a very popular neighborhood for food, shopping, and skyline views. The type of neighborhood with a lot of matcha, sushi, pilates, and hot yoga spots. I’ve had a few clients and family members stay here with no complaints. I would suggest though booking directly through their website or calling, as I once made a reservation there for a weekend and when I showed up it wasn’t in their system. That was a specific situation, and they did have other rooms I could use, but frustrating nonetheless. Right next to a pretty classic diner and the Metropolitan L train stop, and thus fairly close to the studio. I’d suggest this if you’re traveling with your family, friend, or partner as they’ll have more activity options while you’re getting stabbed :)
Further Afield
The above hotels are the ones closest to the studio that I’d recommend. You can also use these subway maps to find hotels that are a short commute from the studio.
MTA Train Stops - Useful for cross referencing with Google maps and a standard subway map when searching for hotels. The studio is off the Morgan L train stop.
Subway Map - Useful for figuring out the big picture if you aren’t staying directly off the L train. I wouldn’t suggest staying more than one transfer away from the L, it can get rather chaotic/stressful if you have to make multiple train transfers.