Tattoo ideas perfect for any born and raised New Jerseyan

I saw earlier this week that a woman in New Jersey got a tattoo of the dreaded spotted lanternfly.

Her justification?

"There was really no inspiration for it. If anything, it represents the last 2.5 years of chaos. When I get older, and my kids and grandkids ask why, I can say, 'Well, let me explain the insanity of 2020.'"

I don’t know why anyone would want a reminder of the last few years permanently on them, but I do like the design of this tat! Plus, if there’s any insect to ink onto your body, the spotted lanternfly is one of the better-looking bugs.

So I got to thinking… what other Garden State-centric tattoos would be good for a proud New Jerseyan?

We’ll get the obvious one out of the way. Of course the shape of NJ would be an easy homage to our state.

How about these?

Your exit number

You know the trope: you find out someone is from Jersey and your knee-jerk reaction is to ask “what exit?”

Cut to the chase by proudly displaying “Exit 124” on your forearm.

A Violet flower

Flowers are a common tattoo idea, so the NJ state flower, the common blue violet, is a given.

Tillie

Anyone who’s been to Asbury Park knows the iconic smile of Tillie, he’s basically the unofficial mascot of the shore town.

“PREC/SPK”

Alternatively “THEC/SPK,” depending on whether you’re a “pork roll” or “Taylor ham” person. Anyone who asks what the “SPK” stands for is obviously an outsider.

It’s “salt, pepper, ketchup,” for the record.

An American goldfinch

Looking for a more subtle way to represent the Garden State? Look no further than our state bird! Bonus points if it has a slice of pizza in its beak.

The Jersey Devil

For those looking to represent the darker side of New Jersey, what could be more badass than the Jersey Devil?

Maybe Tony Soprano …

Have any other NJ-themed tattoo ideas? Let us know in the comments!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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