I agree with you, MaryPaul. A storefront like this has no business in our downtown area.
While I find it a distasteful, destructive and unedifying line of work, we do live in a country of free enterprise, and, as long as what they are selling is legal, a person has a right to open and operate whatever kind of store they desire. I think this may fall under a zoning issue. There are several churches within throwing distance to this store that were here first. I would be interested to see what the zoning regulations are for this type of business. The store didn't start out as an adult only business; did they get their license based on the trinkets they originally sold? I also wonder if the landlord/s knows what kind of business they are in?
And how sad that some people think that our city isn't worthy of a great downtown! If someone wanted to open a strip club on Court Street, would anyone have a problem with it? I'm sure there are some of you that would welcome such an establishment, but think about it before you answer. Think about the kinds of crowds these types of businesses attract. Generally speaking, along with the sex shop/strip club comes a lifestyle of hard drinking, drugs and crime, prostitution. Look at other cities where these stores are located and see what area of town they are in. I don't want to add any more sorrow or problems to the city that I love. And for those of you who say you want a place to shop for toys and other things, obviously, you all are wired- shop online, in the privacy of your own home!
I don't want a sex/head shop downtown where children and teens could go. The "18 or older" rule will work only for the kids who obey the rules; the others will ignore it, just like they do the drinking/smoking age. My kids like to go hang out at Rivertown and then walk around downtown with their friends, sometimes. There are a lot of kids downtown during First Fridays. I would think One Luv would be a temptation of curiosity for some and a challenge to see if they can get inside for others.