Bay City Tattoo & Barbershop is a beachside Wellington studio at Unit 39/70 Kingsford Smith Street in Rongotai, near Lyall Bay, bringing tattooing and barbering together under one roof — with free parking on site. The studio is led by two Samoan co-owners, tattooist Jaco Schmidt (J) and barber Ken Aperila (Toof), who named it after their childhood suburbs of Titahi Bay and Lyall Bay.
Jaco is a multi-award winning tattoo artist with 16 years in the industry, working across Black & Grey, Realism, Fine-Line, Polynesian, Mandala and Geometric styles. His portfolio runs from full Samoan back pieces and Māori calf work to fine-line and geometric designs, and his career has included tattooing Xzibit, sports personalities and members of Six60 and Coterie — though he counts every client who walks through the door as equally significant.
Ken brings 14 years of barbering and is proficient in all types of cuts and fades, known as much for the relationships with his regulars as for the work itself — a career that has included cutting the All Blacks' hair before their 2020 Bledisloe Cup game. Barber hours run Mon-Thu 8:30am-6pm, Fri 8:30am-6:30pm and Sat 9am-1pm; tattoo hours run Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, with after-hours appointments by request and easy online booking via Fresha.
On Kingsford Smith Street in Rongotai, a short scroll up the coast from the waves at Lyall Bay, Bay City Tattoo & Barbershop does two things under one roof: tattooing and barbering. It is a beachside Wellington studio with free parking, online booking through Fresha, and a genuinely personal story — the kind of place where the two people behind the name are also the ones holding the clippers and the machine.
Bay City is run by two Samoan co-owners: tattooist Jaco Schmidt, known to most simply as J, and barber Ken Aperila, better known as Toof. The name itself is a tribute to where they come from — Titahi Bay and Lyall Bay, the childhood suburbs that gave Bay City its name.
Jaco has been drawing for as long as he can remember — he describes himself as the kid in class who drew instead of listening to the teacher. He went on to study Digital Art & Design at Massey University, and fell into tattooing almost by accident in 2008, when a stranger saw his artwork and asked if he would tattoo it on him. That first brush with permanence shaped his whole approach: a tattoo stays with someone for life, it carries their story, and he feels honoured to be part of it.
Sixteen years later, Jaco is a multi-award winning artist with a wide repertoire — Black & Grey, Realism, Fine-Line, Polynesian, Mandala and Geometric work, among other styles. The studio portfolio shows the range: full Samoan back pieces, Māori calf work, a Polynesian hawk, a tiger rendered across a hand, crisp geometric compositions. His career has included stints learning from talented artists at Tattoo City, Taupou Tatau, Sinatra's and Tattoo Machine, and a client list that has ranged from the rapper Xzibit to sports personalities and members of Six60 and Coterie. For all that, he is quick to point out that every client who walks through the door is equally significant to him.
Ken's career started with a hand-me-down: a first pair of clippers, gifted by Mark, the well-respected owner of Kilbirnie Barbershop and an OG of the Eastern Suburbs. Cutting the uso's hair after school turned into a passion, and he hasn't put the clippers down in fourteen years.
For Ken, barbering is as much about connection as craft. He has worked with renowned individuals — including the All Blacks, whose hair he cut ahead of their 2020 Bledisloe Cup game — but he holds the relationships built with his regulars in equal regard. His goal is simple: everyone leaves the chair with a fresh style and positive vibes for the day. He is proficient in all types of cuts and fades.
The studio keeps two timetables. Barbers work Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 6pm, Friday from 8:30am to 6:30pm, and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Tattoo sessions run Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. If neither window suits, after-hours appointments can be arranged by request. The studio is closed on Sundays.
Booking is easiest through the studio's Fresha page, and there is plenty to browse beforehand: the portfolio on the website, plus Jaco's and Ken's Instagram feeds, give a clear sense of what each does best. With free parking on site, it is an easy stop whether you are after a quick fade or settling in for a longer sitting under the needle.
Whether you arrive for a twenty-minute shape-up or the first session of a piece you will wear for life, the premise is the same: two usos, passionate about their professions, sharing that devotion with everyone who takes a seat.