Ridgewood Tattoo is a New York tattoo and piercing studio founded on a simple idea: the work should be taken seriously without making the client feel intimidated.
Owner and lead tattoo artist Mara Delgado spent the early part of her career working around New York, first assisting in busy shops and later building a steady tattoo practice of her own. She loved the craft but kept noticing the same gap. Some studios produced excellent work while making new clients feel like they had to prove they belonged there. Other spaces felt approachable but did not spend enough time explaining how size, contrast, placement, and long-term readability affect a tattoo. Mara wanted to build something in the middle: technically serious, personally relaxed, and honest about what will or will not work.
Ridgewood was a natural place for that idea. Mara grew up with family on both the Queens and Brooklyn sides of the area and spent years moving through the neighborhoods around Ridgewood for work, school, family dinners, and eventually tattoo appointments. When she opened Ridgewood Tattoo, she wanted the studio to feel connected to that everyday version of New York: different backgrounds, different aesthetics, and no expectation that everyone walking through the door should want the same style.
The studio grew slowly around repeat clients and larger projects. Tattoo artist Jonah Kim joined after he and Mara repeatedly crossed paths through mutual clients and drawing sessions, and piercer and studio coordinator Kiara Morales later came on to build a more thoughtful piercing side of the business. The team still works with the same basic rule Mara started with: listen first, explain the tradeoffs, and make work that feels considered rather than rushed.
We focus on Black And Grey Tattoos, Piercing, Fineline Tattoos, Sleeve Tattoos, Color Tattoos, and Portrait Tattoos. Each service has its own page so you can see exactly what is involved before you call.
We are based around Ridgewood, NY and serve New York, including Bushwick, East Williamsburg, Glendale, Bed Stuy, Stuyvesant, and Cypress Hills.
Clients should understand why we recommend a certain size, placement, amount of detail, or project sequence. Good guidance is more useful when it is clear.
We think about movement, shape, scale, contrast, and healing rather than judging a tattoo only by how the drawing looks on a screen.
No one should feel embarrassed for asking a basic question. We work with first-time clients and experienced collectors with the same straightforward respect.
More detail, more color, and more size are not automatically better. We recommend the choices that strengthen the idea.
Meet the people who answer the phone and do the work on our Meet the Team page, or see how to join us on our Careers page.
Ready to talk through an idea? Share the style, size, placement, and any references you have.
Free — no obligations