Sex and More Sex, Just in Time for Valentine's Day

A different kind of "toy" shop has opened on Oakland's Lakeshore Avenue and word of its arrival is reverberating around the community. 

Good Vibrations, part of a 35-year-old regional chain of woman and couple-friendly adult stores, landed in the busy shopping district not far from Piedmont earlier this month.

Sandwiched between a gift shop and Subway franchise, Good Vibrations  occupies two addresses along the block (3417 and the adjacent 3419 Lakeshore Avenue), replacing a restaurant and what was once the campaign office of former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.

While Whitman failed to win the hearts of voters and her office on the street sparked a neighborhood controversy, the arrival of the Good Vibrations store is getting a warmer embrace from locals.

“The first day we opened, a neighbor around the corner brought us cookies,” said Yvette Haughney, the Good Vibrations Lakeshore store manager, “and we have had many customers come in saying it is about time we opened a store nearby.”

The chain of stores has been around in the Bay Area since 1977 and East Bay residents are likely familiar with its Berkeley location. It also has three San Francisco stores and one in Massachusetts.

Known for providing education and information in addition to its retail products, the store gives new hires an initial 20 hours of training and continuing education coursework beyond that from the company’s resident sex experts, Drs. Carol Queen and Charlie Glickman, both Ph.D. sexologists.

While the store takes seriously its mission to provide a clean, safe place for its customers to get accurate and detailed information about all things sexual, it by no means resembles a clinic.

Haughney describes the ambiance of the Lakeshore Avenue store as classy. “We were looking for a storefront where we could be in the limelight and offer a boutique atmosphere for our customers,” she said, “and we found that on Lakeshore Avenue. This store is open, inviting and is visually stunning with chandeliers and beautiful, colorful product displays.”

The business allows only those age 18 and older inside. Guests are politely screened as they enter and asked to show I.D. Teenagers, for instance, who approach the entry but are too young to browse are stopped at the door and gently turned away by store staff. (The only exception to the age rule is that children up to age 2 may be allowed inside -- but only if they are being held in the arms of an adult, in a baby backpack or otherwise secured in a stroller or similar baby carrier.)

"We just can't have children running around the store," explained Haughney.

The store has distinct sections, she said, with one area appealing generally more to men and one with bachelorette party products. Some of the more expensive or fragile items for sale are kept inside glass display cases. There is a section of erotica books but no films at this point.

Good Vibrations' customers are varied, according to Haughney. Most are in the 20 to 40-year-old age range but some customers are well into their golden years. In fact, she said, the store has some products and workshops specifically geared to those who may suffer from chronic pain, arthritis or other health conditions who still want to enjoy sex but who may need information or special positioning pillows or other aides to achieve that goal.

Its clientele runs the entire spectrum when it comes to sexual orientation and interests, Haughney said. "We have all sorts of people who shop at our stores, queer, polyamorous, heterosexual, whatever," she said.

Right now the Lakeshore store has five employees, but may ultimately employ six or seven. It will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Grand opening event slated for Jan. 28

Although it has been operating for a few weeks, the store is hosting its actual grand opening party Jan. 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event will feature special guest Kandi Burruss, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer and producer who also appears on the television reality show Real Housewives of Atlanta. Burruss will unveil her own new luxury line of intimate products at the event. Free prizes will be given away and guests will be able to take home keepsake photos.

Feb. 2 "Mommy's Playdate" planned

On Feb. 2 the Lakeshore store will hold what it calls a “Mommy’s Playdate” from 7 to 9 p.m.  It is being billed as a fun, free, after-hours mixer for moms who want to learn how to put the spice back in their sex lives. Dr. Carol Queen, Good Vibrations staff sexologist, will offer helpful tips and answer questions at this event, which is open only to mothers.

Store's goal is to be of service to the community

Haughney said she is excited about her managerial role at the Lakeshore store. (She moved to California a year ago after a career on the East Coast at a similar sex-positive store where she ran educational workshops.)

“I enjoy the human aspect of it and helping people," she said. “It is very rewarding to be able to answer people’s questions.”

In fact, she makes such an impression on her customers that one couple recognized her during the Lakeshore store’s opening day from her having helped them years ago at a store on the East Coast.

Customers seem to be finding the new store via word of mouth and the manager says they have started running ads in the East Bay announcing its opening.

“We had been looking for an appropriate space in Oakland for a couple years,” said Haughney, “and when this spot opened up we knew it was right for us, with its easy access to the freeway and its busy community shopping area.”

Good Vibrations wants to give back to the wider community too. According to its website, it makes donations to a variety of charitable causes. It even invites customers to recommend worthy non-profits for it to consider supporting.

Among the local groups that have received donations from Good Vibrations are California State University, East Bay, Student Health Services, Oakland East Bay Men’s Chorus, Berkeley Free Clinic and the East Oakland Community Project, Haughney said.

"We are all about people being able to have an open dialogue about sex," said Haughney, "and helping people find ways to make each other happy in their relationship with one another."

And for those Piedmonters who have generally limited their Valentine's Day offerings to flowers and candy, the good news is a whole new world of unique gift-giving possibilities has just opened up to you close to home.

How sweet is that?