I went to this place to get my belly button pierced and my experience was very good. the atmosphere was very relaxing and welcoming. Mati who is the piercer was very nice and explained the whole process throughly and opened the needles and jewelry in front of me. one of the bonuses was that he didn't mind i was 13 bc almost every other places wouldnt pierce me even though i had mom to signit's been two months and my piercing is healing perfectly Read Less

I had a great experience getting my cartilage pierced by Matty![Experience] Before entering the shop, I had called Keys on Kites to make an appointment for piercing. The person who picked up was very friendly and said that we did not need an appointment for piercing. She told me when Matty will be available and ended by asking me if she could help me with anything else. Great!Upon entering the shop, my friends and I were helped right away. For my personal experience, I was nervous about the cartilage piercing since I knew they tend to hurt more than the earlobe piercing. Matty made sure that I liked where the piercing would be before marking the spot. He was amazing by guiding me on when/how to breathe as he pierced the cartilage. It was over in seconds, and it was pretty painless. Honestly, I felt like it hurt less than my two earlobe piercings that I got at Claire's.He also told us about the aftercare. Don't be afraid to ask questions![Shop] The shop is very clean and open for people to enjoy the experience (even if they don't get piercings or tattoos). In the piercing room, everything was laid out so the customer can see the equipment. Matty sterilized everything as I sat there, so I felt confident that everything was clean. Read Less

I just got my first tattoo here and I love it so much! Eric was very friendly and professional, and made me feel totally comfortable before, during, and after. The rest of the employees were friendly as well, the pricing was fair, and the shop was so clean. I will definitely come back to Keys on Kites for my next tattoo! Read Less

I've been coming here for 2 years. As I write this I am currently waiting to get my 5th tattoo by Jeste. He did a fox for me, which ultimately led me to get my crow and Joker and Harley pieces. His portrait / gray scale work is impeccable. I had my first tattoo at 19 at another shop and the guy was so heavy handed I ached for a week. It took me over a decade to come back to a shop and only at the behest of a friend who highly recommended this shop. I love my tattoos and get compliments on them all the time. The artists are also mid range - no $250/hour nonsense here. Just crazy good talent. Darius does traditional work that's out of this world good too. Rob does beautiful detailed pieces and I believe color work. There's different style artists here and they won't just take a tattoo to make money. They'll happily refer you to someone in the shop who will do it best or tell you what will make it better. I can't say enough good things about this place. Definitely stop by, but don't hope for same day. Most of them book out several months in advance. Read Less

The staff here is very friendly and helpful. The shop is clean and I felt comfortable as I waited for the piercer to set up to begin the process of stretching my ears. The process was quick and painless. I do plan to return for a new tattoo in the future! Read Less

I've been tattooed by both Jeste and Darius and also had Matty change out a piercing for me and had good experiences with everyone. I felt welcome by all the staff at the shop especially the people I worked with and was very happy with my artwork. I get compliments on my large piece by Jeste constantly and am proud to wear his art. I'm usually a picky bitch but this is a great shop Read Less

Professional, clean, friendly operation. These guys Rock, beat experience ever. I highly recommend this place for all your ink needs. Family friendly. There are so many tattoo shops around, however if your like one of the cleanest, and honest people this is where you go. One of the best artists and talented owner. Read Less

Worst place to go ever!!!! It may look clean but they fool you. Went in with my father, they asked what I wanted to get, I mentioned I want a small tiny cross on my right wrist, something simple. They asked my father if he had any tattoos and he said no he does not. At that point they all thought to scam me. Darius came out and showed me different sizes and I picked a decent medium sized cross. He went into the back room and then called me in. I did NOT see him open the needle out of the package so that’s a no go, could’ve been a dirty needle for all I know. He ended up putting in on my vein.... CROOKED!!! Did not give me a care card, told me what to do in person but not on paper as if I were to forget and couldnt remember. Oh and when he put the stencil on, he wanted to do it upside down ... creepy. When I was checking out they ranged the price at $107 !!!! WHAT THE F! And my dad took out cash out of the ATM and gave $120 with tip included. Ripped us off big time! Not worth getting a tattoo here at all. Bad business. Read Less

I would highly recommend this place. When i walked in the staff was very welcoming. The shop was clean. I saw Eric and he is amazing. I gave him a bunch of ideas and he made the absolute perfect owl tattoo. I will definitely be back. Thanks Keys on Kites!! Read Less

got my first tattoo here, and couldn't have asked for a better experience. Incredibly kind staff, were really open to helping me figure out what was best for me to get. Am definitely going back here for number 2 in the future!! Would absolutely recommend to others seeking to get quality stuff without having to break the bank Read Less

I've now been to Keys on Kites for 3 of my tattoos. One small calf piece, and two large thigh pieces - all done by Jeste Gloria. He does black and white portrait type work and to say he is talented doesn't even cover it. I've received an insane number of compliments on the level of detail and lifelike quality of them. He is meticulous as hell and super soft hand. I don't walk away sore and aching for days. He's also really concerned with each of his clients and making sure that what you want is in his wheel house - and if it's not who in the shop can. All super nice guys - Darius and the others - very welcoming and don't make you feel put off. Highly recommended. Read Less

Great shop!! What impressed me the most was the professionalism and skill of the artists!  It is also the cleanest shop I've been in, which is very important to anyone considering a tattoo or piercing!  Love this shop and would definitely recommend Keys On Kites to anyone! Read Less

My friend and I went here to get our piercings from Matty and he was great. He was awesome to talk to, he explained everything perfectly, and made sure I was doing all right. I got an inner conch piercing for $50, which is a standard price. My piercing is perfect. Read Less

Been there before for nose and naval piercings.Then I went there a couple months ago for my first tattoo, a simple couple words. As a first timer I was nervous. They explained the process and everything was very clean and sanitary. Artist was very gentle and took the time to make sure it was done perfectly.It came out wonderful, I couldn't be happier - and people always ask where I got it done because the font is so lovely. Plan on going back for many more. Read Less

Fantastic vibe. Jeste is an artist there and is by far one of the best. Im unsure about the other tattoo artists but overall by the artwork displayed i can assume they are good. The guy that did the bad tattoo in the other review and the racist comments got fired. I asked. This shop is a overall great shop that keeps improving Read Less

Beautiful shop right in the art district of New Haven. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Mike tattooed me today and his work is beautiful. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone looking for a piece that's proof of a talented artist. He was willing to retrace and fill in a poorly lined piece I had started elsewhere two years ago, and the end result was more than I ever could have dreamed of. The location is excellent and the shop is extremely clean, and very well priced. Welcoming and humble, it's definitely a gem. Read Less

Love this place! I recently got tattooed here and I was very happy it's my visit. Very professional and clean environment. The artists are all very nice and accommodating. I have quite a few tattoos at this point and a lot of them were done by different artists but After I found keys I won't likely go anywhere else from now on. I had an appointment with Steve at 1:00pm. I showed up a little early so I checked out some of the art hanging on the walls, very cool stuff in there! When Steve was ready we went to his room and got started. He made me feel comfortable and kept a friendly conversation going throughout the appointment. When we were done he gave me instructions on tattoo care for the following 3 days which I didn't need but was cool especially if you're someone who is getting their first tattoo. I'll definitely be going back to keys on kites and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a quality tattoo. Read Less

Let me start out by saying I've been getting tattooed by Steve an artist at keys on kites . He's done some of the most incredible artwork I've ever seen and I'm lucky to have it on my body . He's done an extremely important and heart felt portrait for me which means the world to me . Steve and the whole crew at the shop have showed me nothing but respect and concern for my needs and wants . The shop is EXTREMELY clean and well rounded. I recommend this shop to anyone for any type of tattoo you would be considering getting for yourself .they will be more than happy to cater to you and guarantee that you will be pleased when you are finished . Extremely talented artist and all around great vibe given from here. Read Less

Amazing shop and gallery!  Everyone there is very helpful and extremely talented. Call the shop or show up and you'll be helped with anything you need. Great vibe in there from everyone. If you're ever near by and want to check it out go for it. There's always incredible art hanging inside that's always changing and the graffiti murals that wrap around the side of the building into the parking lot are unreal and also always changing. Cool place! Cool people! Cool art! Cool tattoos! If I had an extra pair of hands I'd give them four thumbs up! Read Less

I would highly recommend if you're in the area and or looking somewhere local to get a tattoo or look at some intricate artwork to stop in and check this place out. There are a bunch of very skilled artists with wide ranges of skills here. I sure will always come to this tattoo shop because of the friendly environment, professional service, and most of all very talented tattoo artist. Read Less

like some of the other reviews on here, I was disappointed with the artwork that was shown to me as a rough draft of my tattoo. the lines weren't straight and would curve or change in width in random areas. when I asked the artist to fix it, he scoffed and told me he knew what I wanted and this was just a rough draft. rough draft or not, this thing is going on my body and will be there forever. ended up leaving and going to a more respected parlor in downtown new haven with artists that seem to care for my concerns. Read Less

Keys on Kites is one of the best shops I have been to in the past decade. Not only is the crew there the coolest earthlings ever, but they are professional and extremely talented. I personally use Erik and Steve. Everyone is the shop makes me feel welcome when I come in. Bang up job guys, you have a good thing going! Read Less

Alright so I been thinking lately in getting my first tattoo so I figured I check this place out since its in walking distance from my home..As soon as I walked in there an employee says "weppa" I'm Hispanic and hearing that from a white person makes me feel not welcome at all.instead of greeting the customer which nobody ever did they went right to the point "how can I help you"  immediately I knew that I was not getting my first tattoo at this place. I proceeded and asked the employee if they had samples of their work he pointed at a table and told me "you can go see those" at this point I really didn't feel comfortable in sitting in that place and having 10 men starting at me.I asked if they had their art work online and he says "you can always check Facebook" Another employee came out and handed me a Flyer with their website on it and told me " to check there at my leisure" I believe that was an owner or the manager.(he was somewhat helpful because at least he handed me a flyer)Not very helpful or welcoming place. Read Less

I went to the shop an hour before closing thinking the artist would still take their time considering they said yes to taking an appointment. However he seemed rushed from the beginning but kept reassuring me he knew what I wanted in the details of the tattoo. The stencil was accurate and the artist told me he would add the extra details after. I wanted the quote to be in a rounded monogram style...he told me he understood but clearly did not. He added loops and squiggles from the letters making it hard to tell what the words even are. The letters are also not evenly spaced. I felt as though he rushed through the tattoo to "get out of work on time" and was dishonest about understanding my design. This is my 19th tattoo...and my most disappointing. I will never return to this place or recommend it to anyone. He was unprofessional and unskilled. An established artist should be able to properly space words so they read correctly. See picture in gallery "you reap what you sow" Read Less

I didn't love this place. I brought a very intricate design in that I loved for its intricacy. The guy seemed lazy and told me that he "had" to simplify it and take away some of the complexity. Basically, it's not what I wanted and I could have gotten something intricate (I've seen far more intricate things done on people) had I gone to a more experienced artist. Plus, it's been 2 months and I'm still bruised from this guy. He was waaaay too rough. Not a gentle hand at all. Either it's bruising or, even worse, blowout. While I'm totally fine with the tattoo (I have to be, right?), I wish I had gone somewhere a little bit more skilled. Read Less

Fantastic shop. Was tattooed by Travis while my friend got a piece done by Steve. Awesome shop to hang out in with a lot of sick paintings and artifacts all around, made for a very comfortable environment. Travis worked with me to get the perfect design after I changed my mind about a few things with no problem. Being that this was my first tattoo, I knew little about the process specifics. Aware of this, Travis brought me through all the details of the equipment and process including their cleaning methods, their strictly disposable needles and how to tell they're sterile, his method of coloring, aftercare, etc. There was plenty of space and each tattooing station was in a separate room, again all very clean. Travis made sure to keep me comfortable through all 3 hours of my session. Finished product was incredible. I let Travis do some little additions to my design on the fly by his request, and I am very happy that I did. I ended up with a tattoo far exceeding what I had imagined coming into the shop.Altogether a great experience. Everyone made us feel at home in the shop, and the price he charged for the tattoo was much less than I had expected. Will most definitely be returning next time I'm in the market for some new art! Read Less