JR is a true artist in every sense of the word. I've been going to him for nearly 30 years now. he's a good guy, family man and former marine. best shop around. I've never been disappointed with any of his work. Thank you read more

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I am so happy with the tattoo that I got from Steve Kaiser at Vanguard! When I walked into the shop the staff made me feel very comfortable. The first thing I noticed is how clean the shop was. I met the owner, JR and he was a real nice guy. Steve is a great tattoo artist and I would definitely recommend heading to Vanguard for your next tattoo! read more

Vanguard Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Nyack, New York

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The whole staff is great. JR is the best. Immensely talented and makes the entire experience great, with conversation and makes you feel comfortable. Spent many hours together, and have always had a fantastic result. read more

I got a tattoo here in 2016 on my ribs. Kelly was my tattoo artist. It was painful (obviously) and I winced as he did it. He commented that if I found a tattoo painful I "should never try childbirth". It's 5 years later and I have two children and more tattoos. The kids were painful- yes. But looking at the crappy tattoo on my ribs is my major regret. I've had other beautiful ink from female artists. I would suggest avoiding toxic males who tell you what they think "pain" is and what they think "art" is. read more

Wouldn't go any place else to get a tattoo. Awesome creativity! Jr and Cosmo rock!! Clean friendly shop. Check em out! Highly recommend Vanguard Tattoo! The best! read more

I came here a few months ago to get my first tattoo ever. My boyfriend recommended this place and his tattoo looks amazing. When I first went in to make an appointment the guy was very nice, friendly, and helpful. I made my appointment for a week later. When I returned the customer service was not the same at all. The guy behind the desk was not friendly or welcoming, he seemed annoyed when I asked him questions and I got pissed off and made him aware(in a snippy tone) that it's my first tattoo. Kelly did my tattoo. He did a great job but again didn't introduce himself and wasn't friendly. I'm assuming a lot of tattoo artists have this personality? Regardless, I would expect someone to be a little more nicer and even introduce themselves being that they're permanently placing something on my body and it's not cheap. The owner is very nice. For my next tattoo I will be making my appointment with him even though it's about a 4 month wait. The place is very clean and they do a nice job, but I give 3 stars for customer service. read more

Vanguard Tattoo - First tattoo. It was done by Kelly. The saying is in Italian which translates to "I fly with my own wings". - Tattoo Near Me - Nyack, New York

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This place is terrible. Customer service sucks. The dudes that work there are very unprofessional. When I showed up at 5, they told us our appointment was at 6, which wasn't true, they then told us we had to wait. I don't know why they made us book an appointment bc the artist didn't have my tattoo sketched up, which made him rush the design. Really disappointed in my tattoo. I do not recommending getting tattooed by Cosmo, he sucks! Rushed my design and when I questioned him about it he reassured it would look differently shaded in, which was a lie. The owner JR seems like a cool guy and good artist, probably the only thing that place has going for them. All in all, I would never get another tattoo from them again. TERRIBLE SERVICE. read more

Besides being a staple for creating amazing tattoos, Vanguard has been in business for over 20 years. If you ever want one of one work go to Vanguard. Tattoos last and the artists really listen to ideas. JR is a master. read more

Absolutely amazing! JR is an excellent artist who was able to help refine my ideas(and honestly a lot of his) into absolute art. He has done part of my leg and my entire right sleeve. Will definitely return for the other arm soon. read more

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I got my first tattoo here from JR over ten years ago and have been coming back ever since! ALWAYS a polite, friendly, laid back and professional atmosphere. The crew here is always willing to go above and beyond to meet the needs of the customers. Always excellent work coming out of this place. Go get a tattoo! read more

I wouldn't return here unless I had the owner JR do my tattoo....the guy who did the wings on my back was just so uninterested in me and doing my tattoo... I asked for the small wings to be centered on my upper back and by the time I felt something was amiss it was too late...they are about a half an inch OFF CENTER onto the right side... they are also shaded so much that they basically look black.. huge disappointment. read more

Customer Service Is lacking I have been trying to reach a certain artist that I made an appointment with over a month ago to no avail. Customer service is not great. The tattoo artists are talented but expensive. I recommend this place but be aware that you will not be an individual - just another customer. read more

Just got the tattoo today by Cosmo and it was my first. He was very nice and patient for a nervous first timer like myself and the tattoo was done very well. The guys there are very nice and are very reasonably priced, highly recommend! read more

Clean, professional and excellent customer service. The staff at Vanguard are the best around. JR and Cosmo treat all of their customers with respect and are ready to make your ideas come to life. read more

My go to tattoo shop! Cosmo an JR are both incredible artists. They are both super well rounded and extremely accommodating. I've been tattooed by both of them multiple times, and each time exceeds my expectations. Not only do you get an incredible tattoo but the overall experience is great! These two guys always have me laughing and put a smile on my face. Thanks JR and Cosmo!! I wish I found you guys sooner! read more

These guys are amazing. I had an idea and concept that Kelly took to the next level. Kelly and I communicated via email to lock in the design. Very responsive to all my inquires and questions. The entire shop is extremely talented and do excellent work. Great customer service. My design had a lot of detail, Kelly stayed until the job was done. Highly recommend these guys hands down. read more

This place is very clean. The staff and artists are professional and welcoming. They treat everyone like a loyal client even if you've never been there and don't yet have a tattoo. They listen to your ideas and take your concept to the next level by creating something amazing. The finished product is always what you agree on and never something different. They answer all questions with respect and make you feel at ease and comfortable from the moment you walk in the door until you leave with your fresh ink. JR, Kelly and Ian are all amazing so you really can't go wrong. Ian does my crew's work and everything has come out sick. Smiles all around and you will be too. Feeling spontaneous? Go to "Walk-in Friday". read more

JR and Kelly are excellent tattoo artists and Rob, who makes the appointments is friendly and helpful. Based on my brother's excellent tattoos done by JR, I first tried to get an appointment with him but was told he had nothing available for about 3 months (based on his work that is not surprising). Rob suggested Kelly and I was extremely happy with my tattoo, which came out much better than I envisioned!!! The detail and color were phenomenal! Very clean and welcoming environment!! Can't imagine getting anything better! read more

Don't waste your time!!! I've been trying to make an appointment since JANUARY!!!! No one returns emails or phone calls. Ridiculous!!! Places that appreciate business get back to their customers. read more

Had a new tattoo done by JR (walk-in Friday's are amazing) He's crazy talented, I'm in love with it. He took my crappy cocktail napkin sketch and transformed it to another level. His experience/knowledge is so apparent. I do have to say though, it's not the type of place where they'll just do whatever you want them to... which is a good thing. He had his own "rules" of placement & context which combined with his skill level made it the perfect tattoo. Awesome place, check it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

I am a 56 year old mom. I've been contemplating a tattoo for quite some time now. What to get, where to place it, and of course, finding the best tattoo artist around to accomplish just that. I've read reviews, read articles about placement, even read that women over 50 are getting more and more tattoos. I've done my research. Vanguard Tattoo in Nyack has GREAT reviews. I LOVE Nyack, used to live in Nyack, so Vanguard was the natural choice. Until I actually went there tonight to ask a few questions. The only positive thing I will say is that it smelled good from the Yankee candle burning on the counter. The man behind the counter was rude and not welcoming AT all. Condescending even. When I mentioned my thoughts and ideas, questioned placement, laughter was the response. From him and the other guys in the shop. A few jokes ensued. I felt uncomfortable. SO, I sat with my husband to look through the books of different designs, and decided this shop was not for me. On my way out the door, there were remarks and more laughter. When I decide what I want and where I will choose to wear it, it will NOT BE DONE at Vanguard! Renee B Rockland County NY read more

Some of the best tattoo artists in the area. Takes a while to get an appointment, but worth it.

This place was not consistent with price quotes/estimate at all whatsoever. I was way over charged for a small tattoo piece. The artist gave me a quote on my tattoo then increased the price to another $50 at time of payment. read more

My wife just got a tattoo from Kelly Krantz yesterday during their walk-in Fridays "promotion". She purposely went for a walk-in because she had a very simple mandala tattoo design that she wanted on her shoulder to cover up a surgery scar. She specifically requested that it not be shaded because what she liked most about the tattoo was the delicate, clean lines and negative space. He agreed that he could do the tattoo for her so she went ahead and got it done. After taking off the bandage and cleaning up the smeared ink, she noticed that it was completely shaded in. When she called to ask why he shaded it when she had an un-shaded sample picture and made a point to specify why she didn't want it shaded, he said "Oh I know you liked the clean lines and negative space, and I know that's becoming a trendy look, but I think it looks so much better shaded and I wanted to make the tattoo pop." My wife pointed out that he's not the one that has to have a bold, dark tattoo instead of a light, delicate one he responded that she is just going to have to get used to it and learn to like it. This guy is a complete asshole and if you get a tattoo from him, be prepared to find modifications to what you requested based on what he feels like adding. He didn't even do the outline like she asked and then ask if she's sure she doesn't want it shaded...he could have checked with her before giving her a tattoo that he liked better than the one she liked better. I will never go back to Vanguard tattoo, and I will never recommend them to anyone-I would have given 0 stars if it was an option. read more

I'm a 58 year old guy who decided to get my first tattoo for no good reason. I had some ideas and shopped them around to various tattoo artists well recommended on Yelp...in williamsburg, the east village, etc. Got a lot of attitude and no real interest. I live in westchester, so I decided to check out vanguard. Ian was awesome, friendly, receptive, and willing to give my idea a shot. After a few sketches, I had a whole other idea that Ian really loved and we went with that. It took two sessions of 2-3 hours each to get it done, it's a big ol tattoo, but he is completely friendly mellow and easy to hang out with. I love the tattoo, even my wife loves it, and I get big ups whenever anyone sees it. Its hidden during the workday, but I feel like a secret badass. We listened to all kinds of odd music while I was there, I kept on asking them about it and we had some good conversations. Its a nice relaxed scene, very clean and professional. It wasn't cheap, but they earned their money for sure. Can't help but thinking what might be next... read more