On my way into work one afternoon, I noticed a tattoo shop on Tilton Road in Northfield, NJ, that stuck out like a sore thumb. This little shore town that’s only ten minutes out of Atlantic City seemed a little too clean to have a tattoo shop in it. Since I was running a bit early for work, I decided to stop in and take a look, and it turns out that this place was quite the hidden gem in this quaint little town. The name of the shop was Dreamline Ink. I walked into this immaculate shop that was set up like most of the good tattoo shops up in North Jersey; reception desk and waiting room up front and five private tattoo rooms as you made your way to the back of the shop.
I was greeted by a guy named Dave, whom I later found out was none other than artist Dave Haag. It wasn’t clear if he was the shop’s owner or not, but Dave did seem to be the shop veteran and manager. He’s been tattooing for over 20 years and has built quite a name for himself in the South Jersey region. Dave’s even owned several of his own shops in the area before he took the job at Dreamline Ink, which allows him to focus more on art and tattooing. Dave said that most of his clientele are longtime customers who have been following him for years, but he’s always open to new customers and urges new clientele to come into the shop and ask questions anytime.
Dave is surrounded by four other really talented artists and a body piercer. The artists include a six year artist named Jaime, who specializes in realism and portraits, and Justin, who comes from Florida and has an amazing attention to detail. In addition, Vinny “Madman” has 17 years of experience and specializes in bold colors, black and grey work and free-hand custom designs, and there’s also Will, who has this traditional style and seems to be the latest addition to the Dreamline Ink family. The place has a little bit of everything for everyone and they seem to cover all the bases when it comes to style. Oh, and there’s Michael the body piercer, who doesn’t seem to mind piercing whatever he can.
Since this was an impromptu visit more than it was an interview, I will tell you as much as I can about Dreamline Ink. I didn’t really come out and tell Dave that I was a writer who was going to review his shop, but maybe I should have. Then again, I didn’t have my recorder with me either, so just a reminder this is all based on memory! Anyway, Dreamline is mainly a custom shop that is available to tattoo seven days a week. Dave told me that appointments are always needed, but walk-ins are always more than welcome. When I told him that I was looking for the right shop for my next tattoo and asked, “Why should I choose Dreamline?” he responded with the fact that the shop was professional, safe, clean, and family-friendly. He proceeded to show me that the shop includes individual tattoo booths for privacy, and a separate hospital-grade sterilization room, where their tools and one-use needles are prepped, bagged, and sterilized, unopened until used.
Like all shops, there is an age policy. You must be 18 years old to be tattooed with proper ID, whereas to be pierced, you only need to be 16 with a parental consent signature. As for the prices, they are pretty comparable to most shops in NJ and around the country that I’ve visited. They’re not too expensive and they’re not too cheap either, but they’re affordable. According to Dave, they’re also willing to work with you on prices and their consultation on your tattoo is absolutely free.
One thing that Dreamline Ink does offer that most tattoo shops don’t offer is permanent make-up tattooing. Did you ever want natural everyday eyebrows, eyeliner, lips, and eye shadow? I mean, I didn’t, but some girls are interested in this sort of thing. Well, by appointment, Chong Barron, a member of the American Academy and the Society Of Permanent Cosmetics, will come in to permanently tattoo makeup on you. That’s something that you won’t see at just any ordinary tattoo shop.
Dreamline Ink was also recently chosen one of the best tattoo shops in South Jersey. So, they might be worth a visit if you’re anywhere near Atlantic City, say for the Orion Festival? Again, they’re located at 252 Tilton Road in Northfield, NJ. Their hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 12 a.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. You can call the shop if you have any questions at (609) 641-6161, or check them out at dreamlineink.com. Personally, after looking at their artwork, I’d have to say that this was an amazing shop!
Well, I’m off to check out my next tattoo spot! Who knows what state it will be in! If you have a tattoo shop that you want to suggest, please e-mail me the name of the place and whom I should ask for at tim@theaquarian.com.