Tattoo parlor opens on site of former tattoo parlor in Gaslamp Quarter

"We really wanted to bring back the feeling of those bad old days before the Gaslamp was a gentrified tourist destination," says Brad Handlebar, proprietor of The Nasty Needle Tattoo Parlor. "Back before they built Horton Plaza, when the area was mostly a place for sailors on shore leave. Back then, the only things you could find in this neighborhood were tattoo parlors, X-rated theaters, and underground fleshmarket bars," says Handlebar, whose shop is located midway between Hustler Hollywood and Fluxx nightclub. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I was so excited when I found this location. I didn't change a thing."