Venus Modern Body Arts

As manager of Venus I was surprised and saddened by the recent bad reviews we have received. \r Everyone that works at Venus loves what they do and would never purposely want to ruin someone's experience here. We want you to keep coming back! \r If any customer encounters a problem with their piercing or tattoo we are always happy to accommodate them and do whatever is in our power to remedy the situation. As far as our jewelry goes, the reason it is pricier than other shops is because of the quality and material. All of our jewelry is internally threaded and meets the highest industry standards, and most of our threaded ends are set into either white gold, yellow gold or platinum. All of our gemstones are either semi-precious or precious, we do not carry any fake gems or crystals. We strive to be the best in business. If anyone has or has had any concerns about the work they have received here please, please let us know. We can only make things better if we are aware of what is going on. more

I originally posted this review on the ""other"" Venus citisearch site. It definitely belongs here, instead. Since I wrote this review, I have had a few more wonderful interactions with Marilyn. She really is the best-there is just no one out there like her. Here is the original review: First time there, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place!! I had my first experience at Venus today, and I am SO impressed. I spoke with Marilyn, who was professional, knowledgeable and very patient. She answered every question with confidence that completely put me at ease. Once she actually placed my ""Monroe"" piercing, it was quick and as painless as humanly possible. The other plus: the selection of jewelry is amazing!! (If I sound like I'm gushing, well ...I am!) Pros: Marilyn, fantastic music, great service more

marilyn gave me the most painful piercing i've ever experienced. that said, it was clean and as 'painless' (low-pain?) as it could be because she was quick and thoughtful. she told me how to take care of it, warned me that it was going to be mind-blowingly painful and told me when to breathe, 'cause i had forgotten. the music was good, the jewelry selection was extensive and the setting calming. next time i needed to get pierced, i went right back to her waiting needles and was again pleased by the experience...you know, aside from the pain. my body now has four neat, infection and scar tissue free holes with dainty jewelry in them because of marilyn and venus. venus takes good care and i vehemently recommend it if you're in the mood to test your pain tolerance. \r \r you can take it, i promise. Pros: selection, skill, hotness of employees, Cons: can't think of any. get back to me on that one. more

Speaking for me and acquaintances I know who have visited Venus, this place is NOT WORTH THE TIME OR MONEY. The prices are Outrageous, granted the jewelry is nice looking, but you can go to a place like Cutting Edge or somewhere else and get a much better experience at a third the cost. The wait time can be overly frustrating, it's as if you have to work for the attention of a piercer when, in fact, they are the ones who should be working for you to make sure you are tended to.\r One pal told me she got an industrial piercing there and it never healed and incessantly hurt. Turns out, the ""piercer"" used a bar that was Too Short! and that's the reason her ear kept nagging her. She finally went to another location and there her problem was fixed for a Good price. In addition, the piercer offered her NO AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS! Pretty unprofessional.\r My biggest gripe is that my belly button ring is OFF CENTER! The hoop is more off to one side and it's noticeable, friends have definitely pointed it out. I could have gone to a cheaper place and received a properly placed belly button ring, but I was fooled by the supposedly 'excellent' reviews Venus gets on citysearch. I'm so terribly displeased. I mean, who wants a messed up piercing?!?! Especially since it cost about $100!!!! In this case, I did NOT get what I paid for!\r Another companion got her nose pierced and for some reason it won't heal after many months. My gut tells me her bar may be too short and it's creating pressure on her nose, which has now developed a big red bump near the stud.\r The people at Venus don't at all act enthused to be working there, I refuse to put up with lazy service. The people who work there need to take a few years and brush up on their piercing skills, which they truly lack. It's annoying have to wait a long period of time to be treated badly and to walk away with a bad piercing and dissapointment. I shall never return to this establishment, nor will I allow my friends to go near it. Pros: Nice selection of jewelry Cons: High Price, Lack of Friendly Service more

I've been pierced in many shops across the country and Venus is by far superior. I was introduced to them after a horrible experience with a well known shop on St. Marks. I'd had both nipples and my navel pierced at a shop on St. Marks and paid a high price for gold jewelry. It turned out the jewelry was fake and both piercings were misaligned and got infected. When I went in to ask for them to be changed they refused. The piercer who was in that day (who Id been pierced by previously) refused to help, stating that he was ""tired of cleaning up after his (coworkers) bad work"".\r \r I called everyone I know in desperation and was told to go to Venus. I walked in and they immediately addressed the problem, fixed it and were totally professional, friendly and reassuring.\r Since then I always go to Marilyn at Venus for all of my body mod. She's an extreme perfectionist and always available for follow up. I've had multiple piercings done by her and the placement of each is perfectly aligned and complimentary to all of my other work. \r The staff is knowledgeable about various types of body mod and can answer questions about anything from basic to unusual and hard to do modifications.\r \r Another fantastic point is that their jewelry selection is unmatched. If they don't have exactly what you're looking for, they can make it. Their materials are always top quality and I've never had a problem with any of their jewelry - other than always wanting more.\r \r I send everyone I know to Venus and they've all come away thrilled to have found a place where the staff is so friendly, patient and talented. Pros: Amazingly skilled staff, Friendly atmosphere, Unmatched precision more

THIS REVIEW ONLY DISCUSSES AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE PIERCING SERVICES HERE, I'VE NO EXPERIENCE WITH THE TATTOO SIDE OF THIS BUSINESS. I went to Venus for my 19th piercing after poring over the impressive reviews (I just moved here from Chicago and left behind my trusted body mod resources!). I wasn't terribly impressed: in spite of being the only customer there, the piercer ignored me for a good 5 minutes, answering a phone call and doing something on the computer. Whatever. When I began to explain to her what I wanted done, she interrupted me and generally made it clear that she wasn't interested in answering my questions or concerns. Fine, we've all experienced brusque piercers. I agreed to the piercing and the (rather steep) price, figuring I was used to Midwestern prices and hospitality. HOWEVER: when she pierced me and inserted a VERY SHORT stud into my new Monroe piercing and said ""you won't swell up, this'll be fine"" I became concerned. I've been pierced 18 previous times, I know my body, and I asked if I might need a longer stud for the swelling. She completely dismissed me and told me I ""didn't look like I'd swell up too much"" and walked me to the counter to pay. I decided to give the pro the benefit of the doubt and went home to ice my piercing. Long story short, I woke up the next morning with the stud practically embedded into my face. I was too embarrassed to go back to Venus and deal with this woman's attitude, so I went to some generic dump on St. Mark's - surprise, I was treated politely and professionally, they pried out the practically embedded stud and inserted a longer one for me and charged me a third of the price Venus charged for their rude, unprofessional service and overpriced jewelry. I went to Venus in the first place to AVOID going to one of the sketchy looking, teenage kid-filled tourist shops on St. Marks, guess I got conned into thinking a bigger price meant better quality. NOT TRUE. I won't be returning. Pros: Location, jewelry selection Cons: Attitude, price more

'Eh' is relaly the only way to describe my first visit. I felt a little as though i had to have my ears gauged and red hair and some tattoos riding up my arm to get some attention or some respect but that's totally understandable. I asked if I had to bring in my own drawings of what i had in mind etc. and i got a 'well duh, wtf did you think?' type face from the owner. (Sorry?geez.) I would have gone back, regardless of the inasnely high price for even something small, only because the artist's work looked amazing..all of them. What it comes down to is having a good experience though, so I'd rather find somewhere that respects everyone and how they are, and will take some time to help them out. Pros: Great artwork Cons: If you don't fit the look, expect to get looked over and ignored a bit. more

Basically, I will follow this woman anywhere. Her work is 100% worth it. I used to get tattooed by Joy in Brooklyn at Pure Body Arts, cried for three months when she left, and now I am elated that she has come back to New York and found a new place to work out of in the city. I have never met a tattoo artist who is not only so talented, but SO NICE. And I know it's not just because I'm a repeat customer, I have sent many first time tattoo-seekers to her and they've come back to me with nothing but rave reviews and thank yous for recommending her. She's a real pro, in my opinion she can tackle any kind of work, but she will not hesitate to recommend you to another artist if she believes they can do a better job with what you want than her. She's very good at ""getting"" her clients, she really works with you to make sure you're getting exactly what you came to her for, especially concerning custom work. She has done over 50% of the work on my body, and now I can't imagine going to anyone else. If you're going to Venus to get tattooed, I highly recommed JOY RUMORE!!! more

For my 18th birthday I was looking to get a tattoo in NYC. After a little bit of research I found Venus Modern Body Arts. Everything about the place is excellent. The environment the shop and the people were wonderful. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful and really tried to make the tattoo exactly what I wanted it to be. For any additional tattoos I will go to no other place than Venus Modern Body Arts. Pros: Great Staff With A Ton of Talent Cons: If you don't make an appointment ahead of time, you are in for a big dissapointment more

Just a small correction in reply to the post before last. \r Matt is a wonderful tattoo artist at Venus but he is not the owner. \r All the tattoo artists at Venus are independent contractors.\r Maria Tash has been the owner and President of Venus Modern Body Arts since it's opening in 1992. more

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I went to Venus to get my first tattoo about a month ago at age 23. I consulted with Matt, the owner, and gave him the design that I wanted. We set up an appointment for a couple days later for me to come back and get it done. When I went back, Matt had drawn the design I gave him as well as one that was a little bit larger to compare which size looked best on me. I ended up going with the larger size so I'm glad Matt had the foresight to prepare for it. It being my first time I was obviously nervous, but I knew I was in good hands just by looking through Matt's extensive portfolio. It was such a relaxed atmosphere, not like the biker bar setting that I had envisioned. Finally, Matt prides himself on running a clean and sterile shop making it obvious that everything from the work area to the needles is sterilized. Like he said, ""It's not that hard to sterilize. I don't know why it is an issue with some places. "" Trust me, stay away from the places on 6th Ave. where they treat you like branded cattle and go see Matt and his crew at Venus if you want your tattoo done right. Pros: Personal attention, relaxed atmosphere more

DISCLAIMER: I'm one of those clients all the hardcore piercing-and-tattoo kids hate.\r I'd wanted to get my nose pierced since I was a sophomore in college, but at 23 it was my New Year's resolution to go get it done, already!\r After reading the reviews on Citysearch (only the best for me, thanks) I went in to see Marilyn. I picked out a CRAZY-EXPENSIVE but beautiful stud, a blue diamond set in platinum, and within an hour I was finished and in so much less pain than I imagined. \r Marilyn was fantastic. She walked me through everything, had a great sense of humor and sterilized the hell out of everything. I would definitely recommend her and Venus Modern Body Arts despite the hefty price tag. If you can spare the change, it's worth it because they take care of you.\r \r I was put off by one of her co-workers' attitudes, but I'm sure he just saw through my yuppie facade and wanted me out. Pros: beautiful jewelry, Marilyn!, great after-care advice Cons: my jewelry price, employee attitude, decor was lacking more

I'm what you would call a ""collector"", so I pride myself on my knowledge of tattooing and the artists that I get work from. I have about 70% of my body covered already from artists all over the world. When I knew I was coming to N.Y. I knew I would come to see Ronda. I was treated with A-1 importance while setting the appointment by Nicky, who is Ronda's husband / agent. It was a fairly large, intricate piece, that she aced from begining to end with the precision of the veteran tattooer that she is. I left N.Y. with one of my favorite tattoos ever, and that's saying a lot!! All in all, if your going to Venus, see Ronda or don't bother... Pros: The tattooing is done downstairs, away from the trendy piercing clients. Cons: Trendy, yuppie, wanna be piercing clients. more

I was a nervous wreck when I walked into the Venus to get my first tattoo as with any other first timers. Matt, the tattoo artist, was very patient with me throughout the whole process & showed me the prepackaged sterile needles. He was personable and pleasant. If I dare to get a second tattoo, I'll go back to Venus. Pros: Clean room, great service Cons: little bit pricey, but you get what you pay for! more

Awesome place! The guy who pierced my lip, Eddie, he's so freakin awesome! he's so chilled out, knows what he's doing and really cares about the customers. He also lays out all the tools, takes out the fresh needle out of the package (in front of you)...in other words, clean, very friendly, definitely knows what he's doing. \r \r He's also hilarious! (or, maybe I just find him that way). \r Pros: they're all pros! no waiting.. walk right in, and walk right out! more

My husband has bugged me for years to get my nipples pierced. So for our 25th wedding anniversary, we went to Venus and met Marilyn. I was a little nervous but she was wonderful. She was actually just getting ready to close, but she stayed open for us. She was so professional and the sterilization process impressed me. It hurt like hell, but then the pain was gone in no time. She talked me through the whole process and within minutes, I was all done. I'm sorry I didn't come here sooner!! Pros: very clean, no waiting more

A few days ago I was walking by by Venus and noticed they did tattoos. I went in and Talked to Matt about doing an Asian koi fish that i've wanted for quite some time . He was really excited about doing the tattoo and two days he had a custom drawing ready for me to see. I went in and it was exactly what I had in mind. The next day I went back and he tattooed me. WOW! What a super light hand!\r Matt's bedside manner was great and was very patient with me throughout the process. \r I have quite a few tattoos and I feel that this will not be the last time Matt will tattoo me. If you are thinking about getting a new tattoo or even a cover up, Matt is the man to talk to. Pros: Very friendly staff. Cons: Could use a better tattoo sign. more

I went on Citysearch to find who had the best reviews. VENUS was it. Off I went to the Lower East Side to get my Septum pierced. The Store itself is simple BUT special. They have comfy couches, a water fountain, a seperate room, where you have privacy while getting pierced & beautiful jewelry. I met Jeff-the Piercer. I told him what I was looking for & I'm glad to say that he REALLY knows his stuff & explained everything in a very non intimidating way. He gave me his 100% undivided attention & was sweet enough to ask me throughout the process if I was okay. He even cleaned off the purple marker line on my nose! It's hard to find good places in NYC that TRULY are gems. . .Venus is this special place. Pros: Clean, Friendly, Beautiful jewelry Cons: None! more

Simply put, Ronda is the only person in NYC to see if you're thinking about getting a tattoo. I went to see her because I wanted to get one of my tattoos modifed and she patiently sat with me, offered suggestions, and then created a design that was beautiful. She is the ultimate professional and I love, love, love my new tattoo!!! Pros: , more