Oldest Tattoo Parlor Tahiti Felix’s Master Tattoo, Downtown OPENED IN 1949 Originals Read more about Tahiti Felix on page 152.
Not long after World War II, “Tahiti Felix” Lynch—an American married to a Tahitian named Nui— began tattooing sailors and other patrons in downtown San Diego. His parlor cycled through seven locations over the next 74 years, including a 1980s-era stint next door to an arcade and a topless joint. Now it’s on 5th Avenue, where it’s been for a decade, with a motto as indelible as its ink: “Bold, Bright & Neat Since 1949.”
37 SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE 103
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