This post is a long time coming. I've always wanted a full sleeve tattoo, but for the longest time…read moreI had no idea how to start. Like many people, I thought I could just walk into a shop and ask, "How much is a sleeve?"--and quickly realized that's not how it works. A sleeve takes time, planning, patience, and commitment. My first point of contact at Electric Street Tattoo in Ft. Lauderdale was Nick, and he was incredible in helping me plan, design, and kick off my sleeve with some major pieces. He was patient, collaborative, and made the process enjoyable. His linework is bold and crisp, and I genuinely appreciated the hours spent with him. From there, Nick introduced me to Lexi, CJ, and Lyandra, who each added meaningful pieces to my arm. Every one of them took the time to not only tattoo, but to connect through great conversations that made me feel like part of the family. To this day, I feel like I could stop by just to say hi--even without booking a session. That's how comfortable and welcomed they made me feel. While working on my sleeve, I came across an Instagram video by Carlos Gonzales at Heart in Hand Tattoo in Arlington, TX (also known for his work at Elm Street Tattoo). His video showcased his incredible ability to tie tattoos together with creative gap fillers, making the whole arm flow beautifully. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to make the trip to Texas to have him finish my sleeve. When I finally sat in Carlos's chair, it felt like we clicked instantly. He freehanded with a Sharpie, which made the planning and flow effortless, and he was both meticulous and insanely efficient. If you can handle the pain, he can accomplish a ton in a single session! He tied everything together with gap fillers and larger webs on my shoulder and elbow, and when we wrapped up, I realized he had put the perfect finishing touch on my sleeve. This journey has been deeply personal. My inner-arm soccer player was my first tattoo below the t-shirt line--visible to the world. For me, it symbolized finally being comfortable in my own skin at 40 years old, making decisions for myself instead of for others. Every artist along the way has contributed to that story, and their work is now permanently part of me. I recently saw a video of an older woman explaining why she got her first tattoo at 80 years old. She said, "When I was a kid, I got stickers for being good. I've been good my whole life--I want more stickers." That resonated with me. Tattoos are my stickers, my reminders that I've lived, grown, and celebrated who I am. So, if you're looking for artists who not only create incredible tattoos but also make you feel welcome, valued, and inspired, go see the amazing team at Electric Street Tattoo in Ft. Lauderdale--and if you get the chance, make your way to Carlos Gonzales at Heart in Hand Tattoo in Arlington, TX. These are the people you want on your sleeve journey.

Wifey had been thinking about getting a new tattoo for a while. She had a specific design in mind…read morefor a few months, and during our vacation in Fort Lauderdale, she finally decided she was ready to go for it. While we were having lunch, she did a quick search for a highly rated tattoo shop nearby--and Electric Street Tattoo popped up. After we finished eating, we hopped in a short Uber ride and headed over. As we walked up, two guys were sitting outside the shop and greeted us. Wifey let them know she was looking to get a tattoo, and one of them said, "Come on in." In less than two minutes, he joined us inside, and the consultation began. It turns out that he was the owner of the shop. She shared her design and explained what she had in mind. They went back and forth a bit on placement and size, and he couldn't have been more helpful. He was knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely kind throughout the entire process. This design was something deeply meaningful to her--a reminder to stay centered on her spiritual journey and to keep moving forward with intention. Overall, the experience was exceptional and Josh, the owner, took great care of us. This is definitely a tattoo shop worth visiting. @whatsthenextmemory

Went here on a quick trip we were on , here is my review:…read more Staff friendly , funny and actually listen to what you are asking for. Decent prices great artists. I had a small cover up from a dragonfly to a bat it turned out better than I ever thought it could being so small my artist really did great with the details and you cannot see the old tat at all. I would recommend this place 100 percent its very clean and not over crowded like some shops. Also Bob Ross art videos a bonus. If I am ever in Ft Lauderdale again I will definitely pay them a visit. If you are in the market for a tattoo you should visit them too ...cheer's

Man, what a great experience…read more I had been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo for some time and kept putting it off and naturally the state of the world had me delay it even more. I begun researching it more recently and then received an email notice from Yelp regarding Ink Addiction and what they were doing to stay safe during these times. I called it a sign and put in a request for a consultation. Making the consultation was easy and within a day or two I was over there, talking to the tattoo artist, Mel who would help me design my overall tattoo. I gave her the concept and outline, she did the rest. The consult took about 15 minutes and an appointment was made. There is $100 deposit you must put down to hold the reservation that ultimately goes toward the price of your tattoo. She gives you the rate and then the appointment is scheduled. A few days later I was back. Due to social distancing and such, it was just her and I in the shop. I noticed immediately just how clean this place was. I wish some restaurants looked this good. The session took four hours (exactly what she promised me). And I couldn't be happier with the results. She took her time with everything, applying ointment so my skin wouldn't dry out. She took pristine care of my tattoo and of me. She offered me breaks if needed and was really easy to work with. Honestly, I couldn't be happier with it if I tried. I have zero complaints. I always say after this I'm done, but I'm sure I'm not and I'll absolutely be going back to Ink Addiction for my future tattoo.

The new piercer they have isn't too great or experienced, he gave me the wrong jewelry twice and…read moreisn't healing just rejecting and forming a keloid. The Tattoo artist are excellent but watch out for that new piercer guy!

Great place, very flexible with flash tattoo designs. Really chill environment, everyone was…read morefriendly and attentive.

It's honestly such a pleasure to come here. I've gotten several piercings and had to come for some…read moretrouble shooting and am always beyond satisfied with the service. The selection of jewelry is stunning and the ambiance is great, lots of greenery and even a fish tank! As a medical professional cleanliness I very important to me and this is by far the cleanest studio I've ever been to. Always sterile gloves,everything autoclaved, adherence to the best sterile practice. If you need a piercing this is the only place to go!

What a fabulous piercing experience! From start to finish, counter assistance to pick out my stud,…read moreto the piercing itself, and then back again for the downsizing. Vee was amazing! The shop is so clean and the owner was so kind when I needed to change out the downsize again. The nostril piercing by Vee healed incredibly fast with no swelling, and no issues whatsoever. I seriously cannot believe how quickly it healed - within two days it was like I'd always had it! I place that directly on Vee's expertise and professionalism. Can't wait for my next one!! Highly recommend that if you're looking to get a piercing, go to Athena!

Dana made the process easy n smooth. He was quick & professional. Clean shop & reasonable prices…read more Definitely recommended.

6 hours in the chair full color but it wasn't that just that it was just expertly done, I was…read moregrieving the loss of my husband and Allan made the experience beautiful spiritually important and amazing. The Tattoo is incredible and beyond special. He followed up with me to see how I was healing too highly recommend!!!

My husband and I have had many tattoo experiences at many different shops, but this visit was going…read moreto be different....it was our first family tattoo with our two sons (and their very first tattoos). We are so grateful to Juliano and his staff for the amazing experience. This was so special and important to us. We knew conceptually what we wanted but weren't sure how this could be executed...man, did Juliano nail it. We had done our research and were amazed with his Polynesian style freehand tattoos and the work was stunning. He spoke with us for about an hour...I will speak for myself (as the mama!) and say I was very apprehensive. This was a very big deal ...and I needed to be 100 percent sure that our artist would understand where we were coming from and why. These might be nearly grown men, but to me, they were still my "babies". I can say with absolute certainty that I know I put them (and us) in the right hands. Juliano did beautiful, authentic designs, incorporating what we wanted with his own ideas and we ended up with 4 gorgeous, unique yet unified, tattoos. As if this weren't enough, his other artists (Alexa and Max) were so friendly and pleasant. His wife, Thamy, who does the laser tattoo removal and piercing, was an angel. (Since I was there all day, I spontaneously decided to get some lobe piercings with her. She was patient, gentle, professional, and helped me choose what I wanted to do.). Their two daughters were hanging out in the shop all day and even they added to the experience with their sweet dispositions and amazing behavior. A truly family owned, family run, loving and amazing business. Juliano is a master at his art, and he is sweet, funny, and authentic while doing it. The best energy and vibes ever. Thank you guys!

The owner asked for me to edit my review to include where she apologized…read more Here's my edit. I never spoke with the owner. I never texted with the owner. I only messaged with the front desk person and as you could see, she said I'm really sorry her car broke down. The owner wants to pretend that they reached out to me and apologized and did whatever. That never happened.

Gil is amazing! He exceeded my expectations and was meticulous and gentle. I'll definitely go back…read more Would recommend.

I am beyond happy with my Tattoo Erik Dennis did an amazing job. He was patient and he made sure I…read morewas happy with the design. I just called the shop and I guess I got pretty lucky for the first time going there. Thank you so much Eric for your beautiful artwork.

One of the best tattoo shop's that i been too. Good prices n even better work! Jimmy's the man!read more

Rob was excellent. Easy to work with, he freehanded the design of my first tattoo and I love it…read more Was specifically looking for someone with experience with Polynesian designs - cant wait to go get more.

Aja did my fine line tattoo and it came out amazing!!! Will definitely be using her from now on!…read moreHighly recommend this place!!!

It was my first time there getting a tattoo and I absolutely loved it. The 2 guys that were…read moreworking at the time were so cool! They also sell piercing jewelry they also Pierce there and they listen to great music it's a great atmosphere and I will definitely go back again

I came in wanting two rose tattoos and a bible verse on my shoulder/chest area. The main artist is…read morenamed Paul. I was sitting there for a LONG time patiently waiting on him. He did have another person he was working on but KEPT taking cigarette breaks with that person knowing that he had another person to tattoo. Finally, the time came for him to work on my tattoo (mind you it's dark out and almost closing time). He was in a rush (which I could see). I did show him another picture of the verse that was more detailed, but he came back out with the same verse that was shorter & less detailed. He could've told me to come back tomorrow instead of rushing on my body MESSING up the words and NOT saying anything. I feel like he didn't rush the tattoo would've come out perfectly. He KNOWINGLY messed up on the first part of the verse and CONTINUED tattooing WITHOUT SAYING A WORD. He made me pay $200 upfront and let me walk out of the shop not saying anything. I had to wait a week and a half before going back to fix it. If he would've just been upfront and honest right then and there, I wouldn't have been as mad. I would've just told him to cover up the mistake with a feather or something. The part that I wish I realized sooner than later was when I was paying, he had this worried look on his face and he kept looking at my tattoo. I didn't understand why until I got in the car and my cousin took a look at my tattoo and said "Omg, he messed up!" I was HIGHLY upset and sad!! I had to text him and he tried to "justify the correction" he did on my body. The verse MADE NO SENSE after he was done. Also, during the tattoo session when he messed up, he kept stopping and making grunting sounds. My cousin was sitting in front of us, but she couldn't see because he COVERED UP THE MISTAKE WITH HIS ARM SO SHE COULDN'T SEE WHAT HE DID WRONG. He did fix the tattoo for the original price of $300, but now that the tattoo is healed the shading on the rose and butterfly is kind of ugly now. You can tell it's a coverup because the shading goes straight across and is clearly darker. I'm looking on getting that part removed or maybe lightened so I can have it done over by someone else (hopefully).