minutes away —Tattoo Shop near Kensington Market

A five-minute walk from the Market

Kensington Market is one of the most-loved corners of downtown Toronto — a pedestrian-friendly tangle of vintage racks, produce stalls, patios and murals bounded roughly by College to the north, Spadina to the east, Dundas West to the south and Bathurst to the west. We're right off that southern edge. From the heart of the Market on Augusta Avenue, it's an easy stroll down to Queen West, then a couple of blocks to our door at 499 Queen St W, near Augusta and Denison. Realistically you're looking at a 5-8 minute walk depending on how many times you stop for a coffee.

That means you can spend the afternoon thrifting and hunting street art in Kensington, then wander over and walk in for a tattoo — or come get inked first and go celebrate with tacos after. We're open until midnight, so late-night sessions after the Market winds down are completely normal here. Browse our tattoo services before you come by.

The Market's DIY spirit fits how we tattoo

Kensington has always been part gritty, part chaotic, all personality — the kind of place where the Garden Car (a mural-covered car with a garden growing out of it, unofficially one of the city's smallest public parks) counts as a landmark, muralists like Elicser Elliott have left their mark up and down the lanes, and Pedestrian Sundays shut the streets to traffic on the last Sunday of the month, May through October. That independent, hand-made energy is exactly the crowd we draw. People who love Kensington tend to want tattoos with a story — something as one-of-a-kind as a Nassau Street vintage find — not off-a-poster flash they've seen a hundred times.

Our artists work across styles, so whether you found inspiration in a mural on Kensington Avenue, a record-shop poster on Augusta, or a vintage patch on Baldwin Street, we can build something that's yours. We'll sit down with you, sketch, and refine until it fits — no rushing it out the door. Have a look at the styles we tattoo, meet the crew on the artists page, or scroll our gallery to see recent work before you decide.

Getting here from Kensington Market

• On foot: Head south out of the Market to Queen St W — roughly 5-8 minutes from Augusta or Kensington Avenue.
• By streetcar: The 510 Spadina runs down Spadina Avenue along the Market's east edge; hop off near Queen and walk a short block west to 499 Queen St W. The 501 Queen streetcar runs right past our front door if you're coming from further east or west.
• By bike: Quiet side streets like Denison and Augusta make the ride down a breeze, and there's bike parking along Queen West.

If you drove in for the Market, know that parking around Queen West is tight, so leaving the car and walking the last few minutes is usually faster than circling for a spot. Not sure what you want yet? A free chat costs nothing — book a consult or just walk in and we'll talk it through. We're used to Kensington visitors popping in on a whim, so no appointment is fine.

More than tattoos — one stop off the Market

Because Kensington folks tend to make a day of it, it helps that we're not only a tattoo shop. Under one roof at 499 Queen St W you can also get:

• Piercings — from a first lobe to a full curated ear, with quality jewellery.
• Tooth gems — a quick, sparkly add-on that pairs perfectly with a Kensington vintage fit.
• Barbering — a fresh cut before or after your session.

It's a short walk from the Market and everything's in one place, so you can knock out a cut, a piercing and a tattoo in a single afternoon.

Make a day of it: eat, thrift, then get inked

Half the fun of coming from Kensington is that the Market gives you the whole day and we're the natural last stop. Thrift for a fit along Kensington Avenue, grab produce or a pastry off Baldwin, catch some street art on Augusta, then walk south to us for the piece you've been thinking about. Because we're open until midnight, there's no rush — plenty of people finish dinner in the Market and wander over for a late session.

If you're bringing friends, it works even better: one person can walk in for a tattoo while another gets a piercing or a fresh cut. Everything's under one roof at 499 Queen St W, so nobody's left standing around on the sidewalk. And if you're new to tattoos, the Market's low-key, come-as-you-are feeling carries right into our chair — no pressure, no attitude, just a good conversation and clean work.

One studio, Queen West — not a Kensington branch

To be straight with you: we don't have a shop inside Kensington Market. Yes Electric Tattoo has one home, 499 Queen St W in Queen West, and we're proud of it. We're just close enough that we're the natural choice when you're in the Market and the mood strikes. If you're exploring the west side, you might also be near our write-ups for Chinatown, Trinity Bellwoods and Ossington — all a short streetcar ride or walk from the same studio.

Questions before you come in? Call us at (416) 364-8545 or check the visit page for hours and directions.