Hubbard Books

This is too perfect. What better way to end a night of Hubbard Street boozing with your friends than by strolling through rows of Hustler brand roleplay costumes, dildos of all shapes and sizes, vintage Playboys, and hundreds of DVDs catering to fetishes of all kinds while you’re pleasantly buzzed?
There’s a back area with about 10 different «private viewing rooms» if you want to «preview» one of the DVDs… but sadly, I couldn’t muster up the curiosity or the courage to venture into one without a hazmat suit.

Now THIS is what I think of when I picture an «adult bookstore». When it comes to a porn shop, the intended goal should be to make patrons feel welcome, make the merchandise easily-​accessible, and make sure your customers leave satisfied.
The entrance to the store is pretty inviting, and you start with all of the adult product merchandise — various «massagers» and products for both genders and supplies for bachelor/​bachelorette parties. And then you reach the stacks of magazines, organized by genre and including not only the most recent issues, but back issues in sealed bonus packs featuring multiple magazines for a discounted price. My only qualm is that the newer single-​issue items are the ones that feature bonus DVDs that come with the magazine — and everything packed up for discount are non-​DVD-​inclusive. So you have to make a choice of the expensive product that comes with the videos or just a discount pile of literary smut. Well, you could always step over and check out the DVD selection here…
The selection here is not as wide as the porn-​mongering facility across the street — but the atmosphere here is much more inviting. The previewing booths in the back are quiet and isolated. I wouldn’t even have known they were there if I hadn’t ventured down that aisle and saw the doorway with the signs stating what goes on back there. Even with a smaller selection, I think all of the pornography genres are well-​represented.
And that’s all that really matters to me, I guess. Maybe I’m not a connoisseur of dirty videos, but in my opinion, if you’ve seen one «[Ethnicity] [Gender] Who Love Large [Body Part]» video, you’ve seen ‘em all — no matter what number comes at the end or which production company made it. And if that particular combination’s what you’ve got a hankering for, this place probably has something to satisfy.
The clerk seemed understanding and friendly, rather than skeevy or off-​putting. She wanted you to come in and feel comfortable enough to make a purchase. I expect she’d also be able to answer any questions you might have about the particular products in the front.
Either way, if I had to pick one adult bookstore to spend some time in on Hubbard Street at 3am — this would be it.