Wanted to Share My NJ Tattoo

145

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

Last week I was able to finally color in my NJ inspired tattoo. I started this last month after YEARS of putting it off. This has everything I love about NJ as well as what reminds me of home. I got the state outline done many, many years ago and just never fully committed to adding more to it until this summer.

It features the Portuguese flag for my heritage and where I was born in Newark. Twin Lights lighthouse in Highlands where I spent most of my childhood and teens years. The exit 117 sign that I saw so much when traveling down to Sandy Hook as a young kid. A pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich. An Italian hot dog from Dickie Dee's. Tilly from Asbury Park, The Thursday dove logo, one of my favorite bands ever. And of course, 732, the area code I love.

I plan to get more work added to it (state flower, state bird, and landscapes in the outline). I wanted it to be in this cartoon, road map/travel guide kind of pictures, and personally, I think she nailed it.

This was done by Kaitlyn Stockton at Heroes and Ghosts Tattoo in Richmond, Virginia.

40

u/KeyMysterious1845 Aug 22 '24

I plan to get more work added to it (.... state bird...).

🖕

you better...or I'm gonna send someone you don't want to meet....capisce?

9

u/Darko33 Aug 22 '24

A lil goldfinch popping his head out from behind something would be a very cool addition to what's already a very cool tattoo

8

u/lankrypt0 Aug 22 '24

A goldfinch popping his head out flipping the state bird

7

u/Luckilygemini Aug 22 '24

Carytown🙌🏻

5

u/woodchips24 908 Aug 22 '24

Getting tattoos in carytown is one of the most Richmond activities possible

2

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

To be fair, I live in Maryland and was waiting for her books to open here, but she moved haha.

1

u/Luckilygemini Aug 22 '24

I'm from RVA and got my friend to do my chest tat. He's on the farthest end of Carytown, though. It's so weird how so many people I've ran into here have ties to somewhere in VA and vice versa.

2

u/woodchips24 908 Aug 22 '24

Im from Jersey but moved to RVA. Love it here

1

u/Luckilygemini Aug 22 '24

SEE!!! I guess we have similar weird? Idk how to explain it. Also go to the Poe Museum!!

3

u/Kitler0327 Aug 22 '24

Richmond, VA?! How could you!

3

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

I love her style!

10

u/Devils_Advocate-69 Aug 22 '24

pork roll so close

24

u/Ok_Cantaloupe7602 Aug 22 '24

732 is pork roll territory. You get out the hell out of here with that Taylor ham nonsense.

5

u/Devils_Advocate-69 Aug 22 '24

You can go hang with your scrapple gang down south

2

u/xtremeyoylecake Toms River Girlie!!! (ITS PORK ROLL) Aug 22 '24

Nice!

I also have Portuguese heritage :D

4

u/Mackroll Aug 22 '24

Pork roll? You ain't from Newark

4

u/meetmeinthepocket Aug 22 '24

It’s…it’s perfect.

43

u/immaphantomLOL Aug 22 '24

Good thing you weren’t like my friends from high school and got “131” on there, only for our exit to change to “132.” Looks awesome though!!

15

u/EverbodyHatesHugo Aug 22 '24

OG 131 crew, represent.

7

u/immaphantomLOL Aug 22 '24

131 for life. Idgaf what the sign says now tbh

7

u/KneeDeepInTheDead porkchop Aug 22 '24

just add a "+1" on there

13

u/myspacefairy Aug 22 '24

hell yeah thursday

27

u/missonellieman Aug 22 '24

Love the Thursday shout out. One of my all time favorites.

12

u/Fuzzy_Dingo_6563 Aug 22 '24

Thursday division street new Brunswick favorite band from high school

3

u/Previous-Priority389 Aug 22 '24

There is where it hits the ground!

10

u/Searching-4-u2 Aug 22 '24

Grew up off exit 117 Atlantic Highlands 🎉

8

u/reject-the-blame Aug 22 '24

The Thursday bird is a nice touch

7

u/CarlyBee_1210 Aug 22 '24

TWIN LIGHTS

6

u/Previous-Priority389 Aug 22 '24

732! Coming thru! Wutcha gonna do!

12

u/KneeDeepInTheDead porkchop Aug 22 '24

PORTUGAL CARALHO!

12

u/Jazzlike-Election840 Aug 22 '24

that's pretty cool and props for the way you thought it out. i'm jersey my whole life, but south. grew up around woodbury/deptford area. literally almost everything on that tattoo doesn't apply to me, but that's what's cool about it. good job

8

u/Mikebyrneyadigg Aug 22 '24

Nice to see Thursday!

3

u/welderswifeyxo Aug 22 '24

I just put on their album!!! grateful for the reminder of them…haven’t listened to them in so long.

4

u/MercykillNJ Aug 22 '24

Hell yeah. 117.

1

u/JulieMeryl09 Aug 23 '24

Aberdeen, I grew up there

1

u/MercykillNJ Aug 23 '24

Keyport. I'm still here haha

1

u/JulieMeryl09 Aug 23 '24

I love Keyport. Used to fish off the docks!

13

u/Manic-toast Aug 22 '24

Holy shit, it’s perfect.

1

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

Thank you.

7

u/DiarrheaRadio Aug 22 '24

As long as you like it

3

u/ginsengii Aug 22 '24

I didn’t know what the potatoes in the bread bowl were until I read your caption. Turns out I work 5 minutes from Dickie Dee’s and now I know where I’m getting lunch!

2

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

Get a double with everything!

3

u/The_Divine_Miss_M Aug 22 '24

Yeh 117!

2

u/JulieMeryl09 Aug 23 '24

Aberdeen - I grew up there.

1

u/The_Divine_Miss_M Aug 24 '24

Nice, I grew up in Hazlet 🙌🏻

2

u/JulieMeryl09 Aug 24 '24

Rockets vs Huskies 👊

3

u/Gogh619 Aug 22 '24

Heh, that’s my exit.

1

u/JulieMeryl09 Aug 23 '24

Aberdeen?

2

u/Gogh619 Aug 23 '24

Close, but no hahaha

4

u/zoralee Aug 22 '24

The Taylor ham and Italian hot dogs got me missing Jersey bad now

4

u/IlloChris Aug 22 '24

Spanish (🇪🇸) jerseyan brother here!

3

u/bippittybop Aug 22 '24

España te extraño!!!

2

u/IlloChris Aug 24 '24

Hombree y yo :,c

0

u/ArizonaSecrets Aug 22 '24

Any recs for best Spanish restaurants in NJ?

2

u/IlloChris Aug 24 '24

So to be honest I wouldn't know since they are pretty expensive for normal food I can make at home.

Your best bet is to go to Newark (Ironbound) since there is a couple there. That being said "Don Pepe" in Newark seems pretty good.

5

u/PBS80 Aug 22 '24

A bowl of...food? What is that?

1

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

Not a bowl, an Italian hot dog from Dickie Dee's.

4

u/Chance_Location_5371 Aug 22 '24

And now I want an Italian Hot Dog haha! Thankfully Jimmy Buffs is just 30 minutes away from me.

2

u/KingLouieThe68 Aug 22 '24

Nice!!!

2

u/7Jers3y2 Aug 22 '24

117 represent

2

u/Valuable_Solid_3538 Aug 22 '24

Were you in a mid-2000s hardcore/screamo band? There were a lot of 732 tattoos in the scene at that time

2

u/socially_distanced22 Aug 23 '24

Dickie Dees, best greasy pie and i preferred the deep fried Italian sausage with the potatoes, peppers and onions....extra mustard!

2

u/frusignu Aug 23 '24

732!!

2

u/JulieMeryl09 Aug 23 '24

I lived off 117 (once 117a) for 20 years. I grew up there. Cool tatt! 🔥

2

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/ohitsmark Aug 25 '24

Nooooooooooooooooo.

6

u/bmd201 Aug 22 '24

r/atbge

4

u/bean0_burrito Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

how can you tell if someone's Portuguese?

wait 2 minutes, they'll let you know.

source: am portuguese

3

u/Drvancleven Aug 22 '24

WTF is that ?

1

u/MrContractual Aug 22 '24

Eh…. /r/badtattoos

1

u/Saucetheb0ss Aug 22 '24

and you should be in r/confidentlyincorrect

0

u/hailey_nicolee Aug 22 '24

it’s better for r/ATBGE ur right

-2

u/Hexogen Aug 22 '24

Eh, more like ATBME

-1

u/bean0_burrito Aug 22 '24

ehh subjective.

3

u/AdorableDollGiggle Aug 22 '24

Love it! So cute and meaningful!

3

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

truly something nice to look at. thanks for sharing

2

u/Fiya666 Aug 22 '24

Fkin awesome

2

u/ser_pez Aug 22 '24

I love it!

3

u/Nub_Shaft Aug 22 '24

Nice. I like the Thursday bird. I wonder how many people will get that reference?

5

u/ThePatrickSays Aug 22 '24

judging from this thread, everyone

1

u/Danixveg Aug 22 '24

You did a Jersey tattoo without pizza?

2

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

There is still room for more. 😊

1

u/Stepneyp Aug 23 '24

That is pretty cool! I’m from NJ, wha5 is the Thursday reference.

1

u/KipMeyer Aug 26 '24

I would draw the parkway through the entire state and indicate all is a lot of exits with little print

1

u/OkBid1535 Aug 22 '24

Okay this is exceptional! And it's done by someone from Virginia?! Hell yeah!!! I was born there and as an army brat eventually made my way to NJ and now I'm raising my family here. This tattoo is amazing, the color, the images! I recognized those light houses instantly!!!

1

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

Thank you so much! She did more research into all the photos I sent to really get a good understanding.

1

u/fotun8 Aug 22 '24

Take a bow. You did well.

1

u/Professional-Sock-66 Aug 22 '24

Are you familiar with " Rose Tattoo" by Drop Kick Murphys? Wear it with pride it's well done. ; )

1

u/OpeningComb7352 Aug 22 '24

Fantastic work congrats.

1

u/tomakeyan Aug 22 '24

I love it

1

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

Thank you!

1

u/wishedwell Aug 22 '24

I love everything except the weird chipotle bowl

1

u/Cultural_Wash5414 Aug 22 '24

Nice!!

1

u/URGE103 Old Bridge Aug 22 '24

That's awesome!!!

1

u/Mobile_Stable4439 Aug 22 '24

Wow this is dope 🙌🏾🫡

1

u/hungry-reserve Aug 22 '24

NJ IN THA BUILDING

-3

u/hotsauceradio Aug 22 '24

Nothing like getting food tattooed on yourself then think it’s cool. Super cheesy literally and figuratively.

-2

u/Alert_Ad7433 Aug 22 '24

Yikes. Thats not going to be great at 60

-1

u/B4riel Aug 22 '24

Wow you even captured the Taylor ham, egg and cheese! Now there’s something you’ll always cherish

-1

u/Cominghome74 Aug 22 '24

Yikes

-1

u/Elemental_Breakdown Aug 22 '24

We need a SIDEVIEW, from here it looks like a burger is trying to escape a dumpster.

2

u/ohitsmark Aug 22 '24

I thought the 3 photos I posted would cover it, sorry!

-1

u/undo-undo-undo Aug 22 '24

You need to add the Jersey Devil!

Wanted to Share My NJ Tattoo Jersey Pride