I started getting inked when i was 17 years old. Getting my first while serving in the military in Gulfport, MS. I met Matt Stankis when I was 25, from the first time I talked to Matt you could just tell he cared about his work. The first tat he ever did for me was a special one, I got (at the time) all 4 of my children’s names on my shoulder complete with flowers and ribbons. I knew that day I would never let another person tattoo me. Now here we are 15 years later and i have a new son and was wondering how to add his name with the other kids. It took Matt all of 5 minutes to come up with an idea and I got it done that day. Currently he is working on a half sleeve for me, I would guess we are about half way done (roughly 15 hours in) and i always look forward to my next sitting. Even though I moved to Baltimore, Maryland and there’s about 25 tattoo shops between me and Northside Tattoos now but I gladly drive past every one of them to get to the BEST! I guess what I am trying to say is, if you want a tattoo that you can be proud to show your friends and done by someone who takes EXTREME pride in their work then Matt at Northside Tattoos is who you want. –Jim D.

Matt @ Northside Tattoos has been doing my tattoos for over 10 years, I’ve gotten 5 pieces of artwork that still look as new as the day they were done.  Northside is different than your average shop, they’re clean, bright and friendly.”  –Scott M.

Northside Tattoos is an awesome studio! It’s clean, unpretentious and Matt Stankis kicks out some amazing custom ink!  I love my bold, bright, custom tattoos! I’ve been coming here since it opened and won’t go anywhere else!  –Pattie M.

I was referred to Northside because of the level of cleanliness and dedication to providing solid art and service.  I was not disappointed!  By far one of the most immaculate places I’ve entered, you’ll be hard pressed to find a speck of dust or any of the décor or supplies out of alignment.  Bright and welcoming, Northside is a tattoo shop that doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable or uncool.

I knew what I wanted when I walked in, but that’s not what I got.  At first I was very disappointed that Matt refused to honor my request – it’s my body and my money, why can’t I get what I want?  Matt explained that the design I wanted (vines wrapped all around my arm) wouldn’t come out how I envisioned due to the shape of my arm and how a body will change over time.  He asked me for more thoughts about what I wanted, showed some options of existing art, and offered to design something for me.  I asked for “floral and feminine.”  A few days later I returned to see his creation and loved it right away.  I still get compliments on my art every day.

After getting daily compliments on my art, I began to feel imbalanced and naked on one side so I went back to Matt for more custom work.  This time I asked for a celestial design to match my flowers and was astounded at the detail he put into my sky work; the color detail alone is breathtaking.Overall:  Northside Tattoos will not give bad work.  Matt knows each tattoo is a representation of himself and his shop and won’t do anything less than amazing.  In addition to masterful technical skill, Northside is the opposite of the usual dank and sketchy shop.  I have recommended Matt to many friends and each one has been pleased. –Sarah T.

Matt Stankis is a hardworking man, and we’re all thankful for it!  I had a couple of tattoos done already by the time I heard of Northside and Matt worked with me to incorporate those into a complete sleeve.  He’s sure not to work too small (avoids blurring over time) and his colors are amazing.  I don’t use sunscreen everyday like I should but they’ve still kept their color over the past several years.  Go see this guy!  He’ll make sure you get something awesome. –Patrick T.