Fourth Street Tattoo has all the makings of a traditional tattoo parlor. Each square inch of wall space is taken up by original artworks and flash sheets (pre-drawn tattoo designs) of varying styles. One large sign in the entryway reads "NO drunks, drinks, children, deals, food, phones, smoking, or photos of art."
However, studio owner Jacob Redmond has made sure to add his own personal flair to the space. Shelves filled with plants (mostly cacti) line the shop's northwestern windows from floor to ceiling. Two old-school, coin-operated gumball machines filled with surprise tattoo designs sit in the corner between the two botanical barriers. A few taxidermied animal heads are spread out around the studio, too.
In addition to Redmond, who's been tattooing for nearly three decades now, the shop has four artists: Chris Jacobson, Shawn Peaks, Jake Casey and James Fanara. Each has a different style focus, which Redmond says makes the shop's environment less competitive.
"That way, we can direct people to the [artist] who would do the best job," he says.
That collaborative environment and wide array of available tattoo styles is part of the reason that folks love Fourth Street so much.The proof is in the polls. This is the third year in a row that Inlander readers have named Fourth Street as North Idaho's best tattoo studio — the shop will be approaching its fourth anniversary this year.
Four years ago, a fire ripped through a downtown Coeur d'Alene building in the dead of night, displacing six local businesses. A salon, a burger joint, an art cooperative, a haberdashery and an insurance brokerage were among the blaze's wreckage. The sixth and final affected business was Heart City Tattoo, a studio owned by Redmond.
Fortunately, it wasn't the tragedy it seemed to be. The fire happened a few months before the pandemic shuttered businesses across the country, leaving Redmond in the perfect place to build back better than before.
"The pandemic actually worked out really well," he explains. "It gave us time to build this place out while everybody else was sitting at home."
Redmond says it wouldn't have been possible without the influx of community support the shop received. The new location right off the highway was helpful, too.
"When we were downtown there were a lot of problems with parking," he says. "Then, if there was any sort of downtown event going on, it would just kill business for the day."
Rebuilding also meant rebranding. Less than a year after Heart City burned down, Fourth Street Tattoo was born. And like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Redmond and his team of artists emerged stronger than ever before.
