I'll keep this short, since it seems like too many people want to share campfire stories when it comes to tattoo experiences. I'm heavily tattooed. I worked in the tattoo industry for a bunch of years. I've been tattooed at Old City 4 times (3 by Doug, once by Scott). Every single time I've been in the shop, I've been treated respectfully and kindly - whether they can see that I'm visibly tattooed, or if I'm all covered up. The prices are spot on for what I'd expect, and I've been thrilled with the work I've walked out with. Scott and Doug have both tattooed some really lousy spots on me, like elbow, fingers, etc - and all the work has held, rock solid. I'm not exactly friends with these guys (friendly, sure - and a repeat customer - but we don't hang out), and I don't know the majority of the folks who work at Old City. They're not snobby, they're not dicks, and they're really not that expensive. They're skilled tattooers who do really good work - and I'll pay for that every time. I don't give a shit about chitchat or asking if I need a break. i go to get good tattoos, and I walk out with great ones with zero concerns about safety or quality. What more do you want from a tattoo shop? read more

I took my mom here for her first tattoo! It was a simple tattoo so I knew a traditional tattoo spot would do the trick. The guys in the shop were kind and offered words of encouragement to my mom to ease her anxiety. It's a small shop like you'd expect in Old City Philly and was the ambience I wanted to give my mom for her first round of ink. Thanks Scott Smith and shop read more

Olde City Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Had a leg piece done there recently by a guest artist. It turned out better than I could've imagined. The staff there was very welcoming. The shop is very interesting, almost like a museum. Lots of historic flash art on the walls, such as Sailor Jerry designs, and many tattoo reference books. The studio is clean and the banter among the staff made it a very pleasant experience. I felt really comfortable there after only a few minutes. I am seriously considering going back there to have something done by one of their regular staff. I highly recommend this tattoo studio. read more

Walked in and asked for a few small finger tattoos, artist said no and laughed and then changed his mind? I decided against staying though given the initial response lol. Super welcoming read more

EDIT: I just called and asked for the owner and some chic who answered hung up after she said " I don't know you " well genius , im a client, but i guess you don't give as sh*t about clients do you? If you did Scott Smith would not be working there. RUN!!!!! Do not walk, RUN from this place. My friend and I were in town for a day from California and figured any tatto artist worth their weight in Pennsylvania would easily be qualified enough to tattoo a simple state flower . Nope. We have what appears to be a demogorgen on our feet. My friend's man owns the oldest tattoo shop in San Diego and every other artist we've shown this too is horrified. Effin horrified. I am beyond upset and am now waiting for the healing process to be completed so I can have this fixed. Run away from Steve Scott. Disgusting, the owner of this shop should be ashamed of himself. I challenge ANYONE to look at this tattoo and say one positive thing about our tattoos. I feel worse for my friend, her is even worse then mine. She has the white foot. I am BROKENHEARTESD AND HUMILIATED read more

Olde City Tattoo - Stranger things Demogorgen!!!!! - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have had several tattoos from John in the past couple months which was brought together this week becoming a half sleeve John is talented and creative. Trust his vision and you will have a great tattoo. Very happy with the end product that he built combining 3 tattoos into a great half sleeve. read more

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I absolutely recommend this place. The staff is great, and the prices are good. Martin was my artist and his work is beautiful. do yourself a favor and your next tattoo get it from old city tattoo. read more

Olde City Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Love this place and would highly recommend. I got a very unique tattoo and they got me an appointment the next day and knocked it quickly and with Excellence. Very happy with my experience here read more

Came in for a finger tattoo. 20 minutes between stencil, prep and after care. "Artist" told me that no one was in who in shop could do fingers. I understand it's small $ but shop minimum plus tip isn't worth it for them I suppose. Very unprofessional, cramped waiting area and surly service. read more

Everyone is super chill and does great work! Super helpful and warm shop. Very much enjoyed my experience! read more

Olde City Tattoo - Henry Hablak - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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was it just at a tattoo shop or in Lululemon? First artist says he "isn't comfortable" with a medium size tattoo on my neck because of the size of "his hands." Next artist can't "commit" to giving me the artwork in supposed to pay several hundred dollars for (of course with a minimum 20% tip) by any particular time prior to my physically showing up for it. Ladies! Try to manage the difficulty of having an amazing job and skill set. I know it can be hard. People just don't understand us artists read more

I absolutely recommend getting a tattoo here. They were super professional and clean. Scott did my tattoo (my first tattoo) and knew how to keep me calm. He was super nice and helpful. He did an amazing job and I'll definitely be coming back. read more

One of the most fun tattooing experiences I've had! These guys are talented and were really fun and great to talk with, 10/10 would recommend/go back read more

Olde City Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Never ever again will I come back here. Went in for my first tattoo and the artist blew them both out and now I have a black hole on my wrist. I wanted a yin yang and it's mostly a blob. I'm not sure the guys name but my friend got the same ones done by someone else and they came out great. This guy was acting like he ran the show. The wrist is supposed to be a star since I know no one will know what it is. Beyond pissed off none the less I had to pay $100 for these pieces of shit read more

Olde City Tattoo - Update on how it has healed - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Walked in and left within the hour with a nice tattoo. Shop was clean and staff were friendly.

Walk in that got wrist and finger tats by Scott Smith. Reception dude was friendly and knowledgeable about finger tats. Originally wanted rings around finger and they said they didn't want to because it gets crappy after - I respect the honesty. Pretty clean workstation, appreciated that Scott didn't try to make small talk so much, and he made sure I liked placement of sketch and size. Scott asked if I had any tattoos before starting to make sure I knew what it felt like (I have some already) and he was nice about the whole process. Reception dude explained after care. Reasonably priced for location. I would recommend if you're looking for something simple or not too complicated as a walk in. read more

Decent artwork, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't make up for the staff. Called ahead at around 8 to see what the wait would be. They said "there's an artist open, but we can't for sure give you a time estimate". Understandable - I get that if someone walks in right now they would get seated. Problem is we live 30 seconds away, get there 2 minutes after we called, and they said it would be a couple hours. Well, it was 3. We called approaching the third hour and they said they we're booked all night. Annoying. Came back the next morning, empty shop. The staff was plain rude and standoffish. Not exactly the welcoming feeling you want when you're about to pay them 200 dollars to get something permanent on your body. Another person we were with was considering getting one but we left after the first because of the staff. read more

Olde City is AWESOME! Went to Jason Goldberg last week (my husband goes to him & Martin and have sent many friends there) Mike at the front was very cool and easy to work with upfront (re paperwork, emails, v/m) Jason is super friendly and chatted with me as I was openly freaked out re pain from getting my spine done. He took my ideas and put his spin on it, discussed a few options & sketched out a few too... Couldn't be happier!!!! It hurt like hell at moments, but was manageable as he kept me distracted and walked me though the whole process. The banter between artists in the shop is great, music is what you'd expect for an old skool style shop, Motörhead etc... Which lends to the overall experience... I loved it & was sad when it was over. Cannot wait to go back for more... Totally addicted to the entire experience!!! Per others comments everyone has bad days, not everyone's personalities click, not everyone likes old skool rock & roll style and may feel intimidated by it. Don't be, they're really cool and do great work! BTW... When I was there 2 walk-ins came in and they treated them great. Mike met w/ them first and showed them the various artists portfolios so they could decide on style etc! Again... Cannot wait to go back... I'm feeling a withdrawal... -h read more

Been going to Olde City Tattoo since 2008. Ive had Marty complete my first tattoo and have been going to get other work done by him since. My left arm is fully tattooed and everywhere I go I get compliments, it occurs so much my Girlfriend is like ohhhh another compliment, it annoys her a little I get a lot of attention for it, Marty does amazing work and is very talented. Go see Marty if you want some Traditional Japanese or American. By far the best choice in the area for these styles. Prices are extremely reasonable for the very high quality work you receive. The shop and stations are very clean. Staff are helpful and professional. Every time I've been to Olde City Tattoo its always been a great experience whether your listening to funny stories being told by everyone or enjoying Black Sabbath with Marty in the back. Get in this shop and get tattooed. read more

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iI walked in to get a tattoo and was left aggravated. I had an idea of what i wanted but was kepted being told it cant b e done with out an appointment and was told numerous ways it could be done none of it was how i wanted it. instead of giving me an appointment they kept tying to steer me to the artist who had the walk ins for the day. I left there aggravated and disappointed. My wife made the mistake of getting her's there while I tried to get what I wanted. She also wasnt happy with the treatment nor the final product. on top of that we were told 150 but when all said and done charged 180 for a tattoo that took less then 20 mins. i'd never go back there nor would i recommend this place. I walk a block away and got exactly what i wanted at portside ink picture included in. Olde City Tattoo over all sucked A** read more

Olde City Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

So, I'll start off this review by saying this place has a good reputation, and a lot of people note how good some of the artists are here. I am not by any means reviewing the tattoo artists, I'm just reviewing my experience. I called ahead for an appointment for 4 of us, including myself, to get tattooed. For two of us, we had already been tattooed, and it was a first for two others. Walking into the shop, the guy with very long hair who was running the front, seemed super jumpy and almost overwhelmed. I have no idea why, as at this time there was only ONE person getting tattooed. We were also not pressing him, and were in no rush, but it seemed like 4 of us coming in made him flip out a little bit. One of us wanted script, which the artist came out and said had to be a certain size which was huge. She then showed him the script on my back which was smaller and more feminine looking and he just said that he wouldn't do it. My friend who has other tattoos was so turned off she just said never mind. The other person we were with wanted an artistic tattoo involving her sons death. It was pretty simple, she just wanted some ideas. They came back with the most uncreative design ever. It was a big butterfly with HUGE writing of his name. It seems like they want to do the same exact giant script for everything. They went back and forth until they found something she liked. My tattoo was something small by my elbow. I got a bandana for my dog. He frantically was running back and forth from the artist to us and not really listening to what I wanted. After being in the back for a while, I found the image that I wanted and walked back to show him. He flipped out on me saying that I needed to "step back" and that there was "too many people in there" for me to come into the shop. Again, confused as no one was in there. The guy who did my tattoo, Johnny, was very nice and professional. He did a great job giving me exactly what I wanted. However, the vibe of this place was terrible. No one even cracked a smile and they have the "we are just too cool" thing going on. I think the desk guy caught on because at some point he went outside where my friend was waiting and asked if "everything was cool." Needless to say if this were my business, I would not be happy at all with the way it's run. I will not be returning for more tattoos. read more

To properly celebrate my 300th review Off I went to Olde City Tattoo Clean and friendly Quick and gently I have something I'll never show you. read more

Went here with a sketch I wanted to get done. Note this isn't my first tattoo, so this is a review from someone who's been around the block. Made my appointment without worries, and put down a $60 deposit. Reasonable, from what I've experienced. For reference, I got a 3" x 3" tattoo with one color and the usual black outline. On tattoo day, my artist was 40 minutes late because the person who scheduled my appointment didn't give the artist a heads up. Annoying, but I can deal. The tattoo itself got underway after that, and I had no problems with the cleanliness of the office or the thrash playing or the fact that I was a chick in a room of dudes. I did have a problem with the fact that my artist took 10 minutes to move his motorcycle and smoke a cigarette in the middle of my appointment. I also have a problem with the fact that I got some judgment for bringing in my own design vs. having one of them create something for me. Went to pay for my tattoo, and even though they take credit cards, the guy behind the counter would not let me pay in anything other than cash. To top it off, the guy also charged me $20 more than I was quoted, though nothing changed from the design I brought in while scheduling the appointment to the day I got it inked. Bottom line: I'm going somewhere else next time, and I'll be recommending to my friends to do the same. read more

Don't ever go here. Unhelpful and unpleasant workers. Ripped me off for a 2 inch, simple tattoo, that should've been around 100. Instead it was 250$. Would never recommend to anyone. Con artists read more

I went here upon recommendation of a friend and had heard good reviews.. but I really didn't have the best experience here. I wanted something relatively simple and small -- a small detail of the face from Hedwig and the Angry Inch's "Origin of Love" in plain black outline, with a small pink outline around one half and a small blue outline around the other. I was told that it was impossible to do. I also wanted it on the underside of my wrist, and was told that that would be impossible, as well. After begrudgingly changing my design and location, and Gus begrudgingly did the tattoo. He shaded both halves unevenly, went out of the lines in one spot, and charged me $150 for something I felt was nowhere near worth that. It doesn't look too bad, and I'm still glad I have the tattoo, but I'll never go back here again. When I get a body mod done, I want the people who are going to be permanently altering my body to be nice, personable -- people I can trust to do the requested service. And I want them to talk things over with me as if I'm a valuable customer and not an annoyance. And I definitely didn't get that here. They just didn't seem to like me from the get-go. read more

I got a large, custom designed tattoo by Marty and I am extremely happy with it. The atmosphere is fun and comfortable, but very serious about what they are doing. It is very clean and they are all very friendly. Go here when you know what you want and are willing to let the artist do what they know best. They will guide you into the best possible tattoo. They are professionals and their advice on size, colors, placement etc is as important to them as it is to you. Yes, it's on your body forever, but it's their rep on the line with everyone who gets inked there. The flash on the walls is varied and covers many styles. They will give equal care and attention to the small pieces, but the real deal is to let them create a design or interpret yours for something personal and unique. My tattoo took 5 or 6 sessions and they were always on-time and ready to go. If you are looking for a bargain or feel that the quote you get is too high, go elsewhere, or better yet, save some $$ and come back when you can afford it. Highest recommendation. Update: Went back a year later to add on to the work already done. Same great service, professionalism and, of course, spectacular results. read more

I got a pretty simple, small tattoo here that I had already planned out. I guess that's why I didn't get the greatest vibe from the place. It seems from other reviews that they enjoy being more artistic and coming up with original pieces. I didn't get any chit-chat or even light conversation to take some of my anxiety away. It wasn't my first tattoo, but it's never really a completely fearless thing! Some feigned interest would have been appreciated. A couple positives: I got a same-day appointment. The place is clean. However, if and when I decide to get more, I am very open to new places. read more

Well, I finally took the leap, gathered enough courage (I walked around the block about three times) and got my first tattoo. What an absolutely comfortable, clean and cool place to get a tattoo. After many recommendations, I decided on Olde City Tattoo. My friends and colleagues were dead on. This place is just awesome. I ended up walking in with my dorky picture of the Atari logo, showed it to the friendly girl at the counter and she immediately hooked me up with an artist, who quoted me a bit expensive, but overall ok price. I'm willing to pay for quality. These guys were absolute professionals. They worked with me to get the exact size that I wanted. It's a very laid back atmosphere. I spent the entire time talking to the guys about video games. I never thought I would end up in Olde City Tattoo surrounded by gamers. These guys eliminated any fears/reservations about getting a tattoo. As a result of a the spectacular experience I had here, I find myself extremely excited to get another tattoo...And you can bet it will be at Olde City Tattoo. read more

***I'LL START THIS REVIEW OFF BY SAYING THAT MY REVIEW IS THE REFLECTION OF A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL AT THIS ESTABLISHMENT, AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE TALENT OF OTHERS HERE*** I came to Olde City Tattoo for my first ink ever. The first draft of the tattoo came out almost perfect.. However the person who tattooed me, the person they call "The Gus", was nothing but a complete a-hole. When I had originally shown him a drawing that I had found on the Internet, he was rude and complained and kept criticizing the art that I wanted.. he made the consultation so uncomfortable that i almost completely walked out.. Eventually, I had him do the tattoo anyway, since his book of previous work checked out, and I saw that Olde City Tattoo had a decent reputation. During the initial tattoo, he didn't ask me how I felt once, he didn't ask me if I needed a break, he didn't talk to me at all, didn't joke, or say anything friendly or reassuring.. the tattoo came out almost perfect... Almost. The only one thing that came out a little strange was that the one part of the tattoo wasn't as symmetrical as the other side... It was a minor detail, but something that was important to me for my first tattoo. I waited a week and a half for it to heal, and went back to him to see if he would be able to simply straighten out a few lines and edges. He was extremely rude and angry that I had came back to have a touch up done, and kept yelling that he didn't see what I was talking about, when it was clearly supposed to be a symmetrical tattoo. I understand that a drawing will not come out exactly on skin as it is on paper, because of the different media there... But any good artist should be able to compensate for this. So I went back to him to straighten out this minor detail, something that should only take him 45 seconds to do... And he ended up almost completely ruined the tattoo. now it had become way more unsymmetrical than it previously was. When I looked in the mirror and saw it, I was scared to have him do anymore on it, in fear that it would come out even worse. So I left, went home, looked in the mirror again, and decided that I couldn't just be silent and that it had to be fixed. I returned back to the shop about 30 minutes later, asking him if he could just straighten out what he had done and just make it symmetrical like it should've been... At this point, he is almost yelling at me... Saying that I have no idea what I'm talking about, and that he doesn't see what I'm talking about.. when it was so blatantly obvious, that anybody could've said that one side looks different than the other. It was a simple matter of just having to sharpen sharpen up some edges, and thicken up some lines.. Now, he is angry and tells me that he is going to charge me sitting fee for this.. Unbelievable. He told me to get back in the chair and he would do his best... I told him that this time around, I was going to have him draw it on so that I could approve of his next alteration, before he did any more damage. It basically took us maybe 8 different tries before I finally found what I was satisfied with... Each time I asked him to redo the marker, he got more and more angry, rude, and made it extremely uncomfortable for me, huffing and puffing and whispering under his breath to the other guys that were sitting right next to us. I'm sorry, but to me, if I'm putting ink on my body that will be there forever, I want to make sure that it's perfect and symmetrical, the way that I intend it to be.. At one point he told me that he was going to give it one more shot and if I didn't like it that he wasn't going to do anything at all.. Finally, we were able to reach an agreement on something that satisfied me.. So I get back into the chair, and I quickly apologized to him if I've been any bit of a pain.. I told him that it was my first tattoo, and it was just very important to me that it was perfect.. The next thing he says, almost literally blew my mind... he said, and I quote, "WELL DON'T COME BACK TO ME FOR YOUR SECOND TATTOO".. I laid there in silence.. Finally he was done doing the alterations, and told me to get up and take a look in the mirror.. I told him I was satisfied with it.. He bandaged me up, still huffing and puffing, and said I'm good to go.. I waited a second to see if he was going to bring up the additional charge, but I decided not to wait or ask, and so I quickly left, barely having my shirt on all the way before reaching the door, eager to remove myself from the situation.. For the most part, the tattoo came out nicely with the small exception of a minor detail I wished to have fixed.. From what should have been a simple alteration to a great tattoo, turned out to be a complete nightmare.. I will not be returning to this place ever again, and pray that my tattoo heals up alright.. "The Gus" really needs to work on his people skills, and be a lot more patient when dealing with people who are adding permanent ink to their body. read more

Alot of guys in Phlly have been raving about this place, so I decided to give it a try. Also seems u yelpers also highly recommend this place. When u walk in you are greeted by a very helpful aand friendly asian girl who walks through the whole process with you. She has some crazy tats so its safe to asssum she is an expert in the whole process. Oddly she hasnt got a tattoo there. Well, I decided to get my tat there and boy was i impressed. Steve tiberi is great. He does great custom work and actually became a tattoo artist the old fashion way: apprenticeship. My tattoo came out great and is healing very nicely. I was so impressed i actually put a deposit on a second tattoo the same day. And guys dont forget to tip your artist!!! read more

After having a terrible experience at another tattoo shop [see past reviews] I went to Old City - still aggravated from experiences earlier that morning - upon recommendation from one of my friends. She has a couple of simple but meaningful tattoos and always gave the place a good review. I was surprised at how small the place was but quickly found the staff cool, laid back, and super understanding of the designs I was trying to replicate. It was an original design I had come up and was told at another shop that it "wasn't possible because you can't do fine lines" in the area I had wanted it. The guy told me that was bullshit and that I should have given her the finger. Lol. Anyway, I was told to come back at 6-ish for my appointment. When I came back he had taken my little sketch and drew exactly what I had wanted but couldn't get out on paper because my art skills don't extend to drawing very well. The fine lines and shading are unbelievable. If you see me on the street you have to check out my leg - meaning the tattoo you pervs! I absolutely love my new ink and will definitely be back for more! read more

OK experience but way too expensive. Called first to see if they had walk-in availability and they just didn't tell me. I clarified I was going to be in the city within the hour and wanted to make sure they weren't fully booked for the day. Then once me and a friend were there we only wanted small Roman numerals on our lower thigh that should have been $100 at most. They charged $200 for a 20 minute tattoo, walk-in was such a rip off for a straight line tattoo. They had multiple artists in there not doing anything and almost complained when we asked for these tattoos. Convinced they only charged that high because they thought it was our first tattoo but once I sat down and told the artist I have a sleeve but it's covered by my sweatshirt he got quiet after they just told us it's $200. read more

Why would you go anywhere else? Really? This place is amazing. I went in to get a tattoo to celebrate my remission date. They had me look in each artist's book to see which one matched the style I was looking for. Each one of these guys does different stuff, which is awesome. I decided on Jay, who is the owner of the place, and was scheduled over a month out. I thought for a second and wondered out loud if I should go with someone else to get it quicker, but the guy there said if that's who I wanted it's worth the wait. So I did. Tattoo day - All I can say is 'wow'. Jay was incredible. I had these thoughts in my mind, and he drew it out perfectly. What was even cooler is that as he drew we talked, and he was changing things on the fly, and a lot of 'what about this' was thrown in. The end result - Perfection. I have some scars on my chest from treatment and such so I put the tattoo there so I had something better to look at. Every morning I find myself staring at this piece, and less and less at the scars. Couldn't be happier. Jay - You were incredible - Thank you. - The DragonSlayer- read more

I went here for my third tattoo and let me tell you I am beyond impressed with this shop. All of the artists were friendly which really put me at ease. You can tell that they genuinely love what they are doing. I personally believe that the attitude of the artists at a shop is extremely important. The man who helped me at the front desk wasn't busy and he came back and chatted with me for awhile. It was nice to have someone there willing to joke around and take your mind off of the pain. Too bad I'm not friends with them in real life. Marty did an amazing job. My tattoo was everything I wanted and more. The shading and intricacy of the design exceeded my expectations. I would trust Marty with any tattoo and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. It is pricey, my tattoo took about a hour an a half and cost $250. The quality of the tattoo was worth every penny. I'll be adding a picture of my tattoo soon. Don't let their alcohol collection in the back scare you. The shop is clean and the artists are professional. My roommate also got a tattoo at the same time as me. She got a quote in Hebrew on her shoulder. She had a difficult time explaining the letter ordering and splitting the quote into ordered segments. Not once did either of the staff members who were helping her get frustrated or impatient. I'm not sure who did her tattoo but he did a great job. read more

These guys are an institution in the tattoo game. International phenomenons that represent Philly to the max!

If you're looking to get tattooed and you want quality work from artists who know what they're doing and have been around a while; look no further. I've been tattooed twice by Gus and each time I like it here more and more. I can come in with the most basic, half-assed idea for a tattoo and he will make it look amazing. The atmosphere is welcoming and not intimidating like at some shops I've been to. The artists have a reputation of sorts of being "dickheads", however I couldn't disagree more. Gus is always super friendly with me, as well as the other artists when they weren't tattooing a client. Yeah, it's a little pricey, but if you're going to get something permanently on your body, don't you want it to be quality? In closing, as long as I live in Philly, I doubt I'll get tattooed anywhere else. read more

I don't even know where to start with how amazing this place and the artists are..... Went in with the BF, who was looking to get a tattoo comemorating his remission date, so as you can assume definitely a huge deal. Right off the bat one of the artists there was willing to help us look through the artists portfolios and give input. Being tattoo virgins, he made it very easy for us. Originally we planned on viewing a few different places but after spending about 20 minutes browsing and talking with the staff he was ready to sign up. We decided to go with JAY, who is actually the owner, and booked for a month later. Tattoo time- Jay is a true artist. The BF came in with a vague idea and Jay not only brought it to life but designed an incredible piece that exceeded both of our expectations by far. He was professional, hilarious, quick, and skilled. We had a blast for the 3.5 hours it took and it is all due to Jay. I would recommend everyone and anyone who is even thinking of getting a tattoo and I know if I ever decide to take the pluneg OCT will be where I go! read more

I just got my first ever tattoo at the beginning of June. I asked around, read reviews, and finally settled on Olde City and Marty Lacasse. He is pretty booked up, so I had to make an appt about 6 weeks in advance. I'm no artist, so I brought in a picture of what I wanted (a lotus flower - I thought I was being *so* original!), along with some "inspirational" things so he could customize the flower for me. Everyone said that getting the ribs tattooed is like super painful - it honestly wasn't that bad, but maybe it's just me? Anyway, the girl at the front of the shop is so sweet, calling everyone "sweetie" and the like - super helpful for someone like me who has no idea what to expect of the big, bad tattoo shop. Marty was also so nice and patient with me - I'm sure it's hard to be handed some pictures and told "I have this idea of what I want, but it's in my head." :) My tattoo is beautiful, great use of color, and healed without any incidents. I actually just saw my dermatologist today, and he commented on the high quality of the color and the tattoo as a whole. read more

Having 10 tattoos, I am no stranger to walking into strange tattoo shops. I have probably had my last 4-6 tattoos done here. Never have I had a bad experience. I generally tattoo with Steve (although I have used other artists at Old City) and he does an awesome job. Each and every time, even when I could not articulate my design, he has come through for me. He has talked out designs with me, let me know what position or location would look best and best of all, he gave me his input. He is the artist, he would know what will work best. You want your artist's input if you want an amazing piece. They all have different styles that they are comfortable doing and they all have techniques that they may be more skilled at accomplishing. Let them give you their input artistically and you really cannot go wrong. He (and the rest of the staff) has always been personable and talkative making the time fly by. All the staff is fun and try and make you feel comfortable, even the people who handle taking appointments. I was there for a total of 5 hours, while me and my friend both got tattoos. Mine only took 30 minutes, but his took about 3-4 hours. They let me sit in the back with them and not in the waiting area, they talked to both of us about a ton of stuff, not just tattoos. They are likeable, and funny, guys. I will never go anywhere else for my tattoos. I send all my friends here every time they ask me about any of my pieces. Don't get me wrong, these are tough looking, tattooed guys and they can come off as being indifferent. But give it a few minutes and let them warm up to you. Imagine how many people they see in a day, a week, a month. They probably find it easier to just shut off socially and get their job done. But I have never had an experience at this shop like that, although some of you have based on the reviews. Honestly, I could not give a better recommendation. As for the prices, I have been to other shops on South Street and compared to them shops, Olde City Tattoo has the best prices in the city for the quality of work you are getting. I always go in expecting to pay $50 - $100 more than what I actually end up paying. You really cannot get any better. Anyway... Awesome shop. Will be there this weekend for tattoo # 11. read more

Olde City Tattoo definitely has some of the best tattoo artists in Philadelphia, but my absolute favorite artist there is Joey Knuckles. I started getting tattooed by him when he was at Philadelphia Eddies, and followed him when he switched over to Olde City. He's amazing at doing large scale custom pieces, and the pricing is pretty fair considering how high quality his work is. Right now I'm in the process of getting a custom designed geisha tattooed by him, and people are always stopping me on the street to compliment it and ask who does my work. Another reason why I love getting tattooed by Knuckles is that he does a really good job at creating a comfortable, laid back atmosphere while still remaining professional. I would totally recommend Knuckles to anyone looking to get some amazing tattoo work. read more

Olde City Tattoo - The beginning stages of an awesome geisha done by Joey Knuckles. - Tattoo Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania