We drive past this store daily and are loving the lively window displays.
Are they planning a grand opening event?

Cheryl, they already had their grand opening but there's a Ladies Night on Feb. 9 (details are toward the end of the story).

A sign of the times has now moved west to the BURBS!!!

People are dumb...no problem with the Lover's Lane next to the female clinic (I personally have no issue with either) but a similar store next to the Sybaris is scandalous? Amazing.

Ms. Lester has read the NYT Bestseller list -- and perhaps knows that 114 people have 50 Shades of Grey on hold at the DG Library -- and can see that there is a market for her boutique. Wishing her much success!

Jay Jay,

Downers Grove is not the town where Wally and Beaver lived in the 1960s. I get the feeling you wouldn't approve of a Victoria's Secret in DG, even though it's part of Limited Brands and has its fashion show on CBS.

Isn't this nice. We now have an Adult Store on Ogden. Along with Kings Massage parlor, the Massage Parlor across from Wannemakers, and the Massage Parlor at Fairview and Ogden. Along wit the Tatto Parlors on Ogden. The Downers Grove Village Counsel must be proud of having such a family oriented town. Our town is moving in the direction of like Lyons, IL was back in the 80's. I's it strange that Darien, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Lisle, and Naperville do not have facilities like that in thier towns? Why is that?

I have no problem with business but I have always found it odd that Lovers Lane is next to a mattress store (one of many - how do they all stay in business btw??) and a Planned Parenthood office! Sometimes I don't think very much thought is given to the types of businesses DG is bringing into the community (adult stores, massage parlors, Sybaris, puppy mill stores....). What's next - casinos?

Ernest: Get out of your house and look around. Every town has these type of businesses. Its all good, don't go in them if you don't like them. PS: Kings has been closed for a long time.

Actually - not every town has these types of businesses. Even Westmont lately seems to be getting more of the quality development - not DG

Okay, let's see what our town offers in the way of these types of businesses. The methadone clinic, pads shelter, child serve, sybaris, lovers lane, teresa's boutique, 24hr. spas, tattoo parlors, and anything else I have forgotten. It seems to me that Downers Grove is slowly becoming the town of ill repute. You can't really say if you don't like them don't go in them because that is not the only reason people might not want them around. You have to take into account the types of individuals that these establishments bring into the area. Isn't prostitution illegal? Since we all know that the 24hr spa is a front for pay by the minute or hour sex, why aren't the police shutting it down? Yes, Kings has been closed for a long time. However, the spa down by Fairview on the South side of the street popped up shortly there after. You can't miss it. It looks quite relaxing with its dark tinted window and the neon OPEN sign. And to say that every town has them is a silly argument. Just because someone else has them doesn't mean it's good and that we should join them. If that's the way you want to argue it, you can apply it to the HOT button gun issue debate. The WHOLE country of Switzerland has guns and they DO NOT have the violence we have. Using your argument, "it's all good"!

Time to move to Wheaton?

We moved to DG from the city because of the family atmosphere. An overabundance of businesses like the ones we're discussing hurts DG's image and opens the door to more & more. I'm not a prude but when I think 5-10 years down the road, on this current path, it could negatively affect all of us. I don't understand why that's acceptable.Time to move to Hinsdale or Naperville!

All sleazy businesses coming to town are overlooked nowdays...WHY?
Tax dollars $$$$ going into the town coffers RULES THE ROOST !!!!!

you know i am not against businesses trying to make money went to the store very classy has beautiful lingerie in front of store had a lot of items of interest in the back room stuff to keep spice in your life and keep your marriage fresh i guess if your spice is gone in your life it would make you not appreciate a store like this but i think this store is more positive then negative love the store hope they do well

I don't care as long as they keep their window display tasteful.

Is this any different than the era when many video stores weren't part of chains (Blockbuster, Hollywood, etc.), and there was a back room with "adult videos"?

By the same token, no one seems to mind a Victoria's Secret store, with small or sheer lingerie in the store window (except when the big store opened across Michigan Ave. from Water Tower Place).

I drove by today on the way to the car wash, and I think everyone can do without the dildo in the window.

That Downers needs the tax revenues from these types of stores suggests that the town has fiscal trouble brewing. This is understandable since they were trying to start a $25MM swimming pool (Fairview and 55th) in the middle of this recession, suggesting they have minimal fiscal sense.

That folks above think that citizens from Downers are supporting them, is pure speculation. Where's the data? Or, just fabricating things to back in, to your position?

Even blue-collar Westmont, with a much lower per-family annual income, education, and home ownership rate, had the wisdom to keep out the topless bar / restaurant (Fairview and 63rd - it's now a sports bar).

In the end, does DG want to be like Clar Hills and Western Springs or Lyons and Cal City?

Patch61: With all due respect, your comment contains some unsupported speculation itself. Here are the facts:

First, regarding the Village’s fiscal situation, I suggest that you review the 2013 Budget document for the true picture, which is one that depicts good financial stewardship, a balanced General Fund, appropriate reserves, enhanced investment in critical infrastructure, and a decrease (yes, decrease) in the property tax levy for the second year in a row. See: http://www.downers.us/govt/village-budget (1/3)

Next, regarding attracting and retaining businesses that help drive sales tax revenues and keep our overall tax base healthy (and property taxes relatively low), the Village and the Economic Development Corporation work very hard to identify and pursue opportunities that will be solid additions to the community, such as the terrific new Aston Martin auto dealership at Ogden and Cumnor. In the face of economic uncertainty and heightened competition from other communities, it would be irresponsible not to diligently pursue such opportunities for significant sales tax generation. (2/3)

Finally, all that said, the Village does not have the ability or the right to hand-pick each and every business that comes to town. No one does. Instead, like most other municipalities, we have a Zoning Ordinance that establishes and allows for a variety of permitted uses in our designated commercial districts. So long as a business is one of those permitted uses and meets all the zoning and other code and legal requirements, they are welcome in our community. Of course, everyone seems to have their own personal (and conflicting) opinions about what businesses should or shouldn’t go where, but it is ultimately up to the law-abiding, prudent business person to determine where they think they will be most successful. This is often called "free enterprise." And, yes, we do like to have successful businesses in our town and we strive to maintain an environment that attracts and facilitates such success. (3/3)

And this ladies and gentleman is exactly why we have the mess that is Ogden, Belmont, Butterfield, etc.

Doug: It is a pretty broad, cursory brush that you use to paint practically the entire town as a “mess.” To that end, I’d be glad to sit down with you, copies of the zoning map and the Comprehensive Plan, and discuss your specific questions/concerns about development and re-development over a cup of coffee. I am pretty sure having some more history and information would go far toward enlightening your views as to what is both possible and practical. Likewise, we are always looking for opportunities to enhance the commercial corridors in our community and I would appreciate benefiting from your specific ideas on how we could do better. Just let me know what’s convenient for you: 312.927.1562. Many thanks.

I don't think a store selling frilly underthings and scented lotion marks the downfall of our fair city, but I've been wrong before.

If more people visited stores like this maybe the divorce rate would be lower!LOL

There is a lot of mention regarding the Village Taxes, Economic Development, and other businesses that are coming into the village. Those types of business are in alignment of the expected economic growth and places of business that, in the opinion of this DG citizen, that would bring in mostly respectful people. However most of the responses in the later part of the original topic are now falling out of scope.
So, I’ll reiterate my original question, “Isn’t it strange that Darien, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Lisle, and Naperville do not have facilities like that in their towns? Why is that?”.
If someone can point out to me that there are Massage Parlors, Adult Theme Stores, and Tattoo Parlors in the other nearby towns I mentioned above, I will take a back seat to this topic. However, “AS A PARENT”, and when I have to drive past places like the ones I mentioned above, I cringe and hope my child doesn’t ask me “what is that place?”. And if you don’t have kids, you have no clue what that feeling is like.

Welcome, Teresa's Boutique! Don't sweat the crazy here.

If lingerie and vibrators are outlawed, then only outlaws will have lingerie and vibrators.

I applaud all the reasonable people here, and especially Mayor Tully's offer to sit down and discuss facts with those who are so quick to slide down the slippery slope to our fine community going to hell in a handbasket because - gasp - a store that sells sexier underwear and toys than they are into has opened. Oh the humanity!

Ernest, I'm a parent. You do know how that happens, right? I hope you don't break out in a cold sweat when confronted with the provocative reminder of a couple in public with their baby in tow and the possibility of being forced into having to explain where babies come from.

Newsflash...the world contains all kinds of realities that we'll have to explain to our children. A small lingerie and adult sundries shop on Ogden isn't one of them, unless you make it one (in which case I HIGHLY suggest you refrain from certain areas of Lincoln Park and North Halsted downtown).

My favorite part of writing this is that there is a Victoria's Secret Swim 2013 ad below this comment box, with a model (Candice Swanepoel to be exact - I'm a fan) far more scantily clad than anything in Teresa's Boutique's window. Its an outrage!!! Or not...

Susan Carroll, just do a couple zombie shots and walk into any massage parlor, maybe you won't be so uptight anymore

The right defends all, anything goes !!!
Look around, the melting pot has turned into a cess pool.
Morals and decency be damned, get with the immoral times coservitives.

@JAY JAY How does any of what you just said relate to this post? Sounds a tad racist and socially ignorant.

So chickens will lower property values but adult stores and tatoo palors are O.K.

"I'm not a prude, but ... "

Translation: I am a guaranteed prude.

(not that there's anything wrong with that. just be honest)

Hi everyone,

Do you know if I can buy a magic turtle and and extra-large love claw at this place? I usually go to the Love Shack in Berwyn, but they were closed in a prostitution raid. Thanks in Advance!!

Naperville had/has (not sure if its still there since it has been a while) an adult store right in the shopping center on Washington and Chicago. It wasn't hurting anybody, and this store isn't either. Plus there are lovers lane stores all over the place. I don't mind the business bringing revenue into our town, but I doubt they will survive because there's so much online shopping now. Good luck to them! And to the people who think this store will bring down the moral value of our city, I think you have very naive views on what type of person wears lingerie or uses vibrators...trust me, it's not just for the stripper types...

I noticed the store on my drive home today. Windows look nice and the store looks bright and inviting. I hope they do well.

DHD HAS A DIRTY MIND HES HIDING SOMTHING