Reason Magazine looks at one town's struggle to save mom-and-pop porn shops. Are legitimate adult uses a new strategy for community development?
"The Penthouse Boutique is one part porn shop and two parts Wal-Mart... A recent New York Times article places Milford, Connecticut first among a host of suburban towns forced to reckon with large, upscale 'adult emporiums.' Milford's main streets have been lined with blacked out windows for years, but the store in question has rejected the traditional low-profile facade, and the mayor is not pleased. Daniel Quinn, owner of the 10,000 square foot 'Penthouse Boutique' is engaged in a war with Milford's city council over zoning laws and police permits. But even amid the controversy, the store's instant popularity suggests that pornography continues to shed its stigma and widen its appeal."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Sex and the Suburb

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