Halloween Flash Tattoo Walk-Ins Every Day: Flyrite Tattoo

Flyrite Tattoo at 492 Metropolitan Ave in Williamsburg is open Monday to Sunday, 12 pm to 8 pm, and the shop's own site says walk-ins are welcome every one of those days. That makes it a straightforward place to chase a Halloween flash tattoo in the last week of October. Halloween 2026 lands on a Friday, so the shop's seven-day schedule gives you a full week of afternoons to walk in, pick a sheet off the wall and sit for something spooky.

The shop's history page starts in 1995, when Elio España, a Williamsburg local, took over a small studio on Metropolitan and Union Avenue and named it Fly Rite Studios after the Nat King Cole song "Straighten Up and Fly Right." Tattooing in New York City was still outlawed then. It only became legal to open a tattoo shop in 1997, and Fly Rite became known as the first legal tattoo establishment in Williamsburg.

In the spring of 2008 the crew moved two doors down into the larger storefront the shop still uses. Two years later Steven Huie, the artist with the most seniority, took over ownership from España and officially renamed it Flyrite Tattoo. Huie has been tattooing for more than 30 years and is described on his artist page as a fixture in the New York hardcore scene. The site calls Flyrite Williamsburg's longest-running tattoo shop and says, plainly, "30 years in and we're still going strong."

That hardcore and punk lineage still shapes the crowd. Early staff included Bee Cortes, Matthew Payne from Demonspeed and Squid from The Lunachicks, and the online store sells a "Back to NYHC Roots" album cover print by Huie next to a Slayer print. Regulars who grew up going to those shows treat the shop as a neighborhood institution. The same store sells a 20th Anniversary Tee, a reminder of how long this crew has been at it.

The current lineup has 8 artists: Steven Huie, Mike Lucena, Gill Gold, Renan Cavalcante, Damion Ross, Zach Bonime, Ben Hua Yu and Andrew Mann. Mike Lucena has more than 25 years of experience and focuses on classic, timeless pieces. A 2013 Brooklyn Magazine guide for first-timers singled him out for script and shading. Gill Gold, a New York native with over 18 years behind the machine, works in Japanese, American traditional and black and grey.

Ben Hua Yu is the newest name, with 5 years of experience in American Traditional and Japanese styles. His page says appointments are required for custom work but walk-ins are welcome, and it suggests asking him about his favorite boba order. Renan Cavalcante, from Brazil, has 17 years of experience and prefers appointments. Damion Ross, a Bronx native, and Andrew Mann, with more than 20 years, both specialize in large-scale Japanese work. Zach Bonime splits his time between big American and Japanese pieces and smaller detailed tattoos.

Flyrite runs on a simple model. Doors open at 12 pm, and the banner across the homepage repeats "Open 7 days a week" and "Walk-ins welcome." A December 2024 Yelp reviewer noted that the waiting area and the flash work sit together in the front of the store, so you can study the sheets while you wait. Brooklyn Magazine's 2013 guide also pointed out that artists are open to walk-in consultations to talk through ideas before anyone starts tracing.

For the last week of October, the best window is right at 12 pm on a weekday. Monday, October 26 through Thursday, October 29 give you the same hours as Halloween itself without the Friday crowd. Arrive with a design in mind, ask which artist is free, and expect a traditional flash piece to move faster than anything custom. If you want one specific artist, use the contact form or the email on their page a few days ahead instead of gambling on Friday.

Do not plan a large custom Halloween piece as a walk-in. Gill Gold's page states that larger work is by appointment, and Damion Ross and Andrew Mann focus on large-scale Japanese projects that take multiple sittings. Hoping for a full forearm of haunted koi on October 31 will only cost you the afternoon. A palm-sized flash design is the realistic goal for a same-day visit, and it fits the shop's traditional strengths far better.

Flyrite's artists are rooted in American traditional and Japanese tattooing, so the strongest Halloween choices are the classics those styles already own. Skulls, black cats, daggers, snakes, bats and Japanese hannya masks all read well in bold outlines with solid black and a few flat colors. A hannya or a skull with a peony from Gill Gold or Ben Hua Yu will age better than a tiny fine-line ghost, which is not what this shop is built for.

Size and placement matter for a 1-day visit. Outer forearm, calf and upper arm are the easiest spots to sit for, and they give traditional linework room to breathe. One Yelp reviewer recalled, via Brooklyn Magazine, an artist talking her out of all-white ink because it would not look like what she pictured. Skip white-only Halloween designs for the same reason and trust the artist's call on contrast.

Three kinds of customers show up again and again in the reviews and coverage. There are first-timers sent by a partner or friend, like the 2021 reviewer who sat with Steven Huie and called the shop clean and comfortable. There are walk-ins who find the storefront under the BQE and decide on the spot. And there are longtime locals tied to the hardcore scene who come back for classic pieces from artists they have known for decades.

The shop sits on Metropolitan Avenue just steps from the BQE overpass, which makes it easy to spot. If you are waiting for a chair to open, Union Pool on Union Avenue at Meeker Avenue is a short walk north. Time Out describes it as a dive bar with live music and an outdoor area with tacos. Save the drinks for after the tattoo, not before.

For a calmer loop, walk a few blocks north up Lorimer Street to McCarren Park, where the paths and benches are a good place to sketch out placement ideas while the shop works through its morning list. On the way back, Metropolitan Avenue toward Bedford Avenue has coffee shops and bodegas for snacks. Andrew Mann's page says he likes it when clients bring him snacks, so picking up something extra is a small, sourced way to start a session on good terms.

If every Flyrite artist is booked solid on October 31, the nearest fallback is Live By The Sword Tattoo on Bedford Avenue in North Williamsburg. Its Williamsburg shop lists hours of Monday to Sunday, 11 am to 9 pm. You trade Flyrite's 30-year neighborhood history for an extra hour at night, which matters if you can only get to Brooklyn after Flyrite closes at 8 pm.

The better plan B is to come back on a weekday. Flyrite keeps the same 12 pm to 8 pm schedule every day, so Saturday, November 1 or the following Monday works just as well for a spooky piece. A skull or black cat inked on November 2 looks exactly the same as one done on the 31st. Gift certificates from the online shop start at $50 if you want to give the visit away instead.

Flyrite Tattoo is at 492 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, in Williamsburg. Hours are Monday to Sunday, 12 pm to 8 pm. For a specific artist, use the contact link on that artist's page. The closest subway stop is Lorimer Street on the L, which connects to Metropolitan Avenue on the G, a few blocks west of the front door.