Lover’s Playground

I’ve been to a few adult shops before and always felt that the products were grossly overpriced and the selection just meh. The Paperback Grotto surprised me. After a viewing of Rocky Horror at the Egyptian a few curious friends and myself wandered in. I was very impressed with their selection of toys and the prices. There are high quality toys to suit all tastes and budgets, as well as videos, books, magazines, lubricants, enhancement products (for size and pleasure), and of course novelties. They even have a selection of incense and blown-​glass tobacco pipes. The woman in the store that evening was VERY friendly, knowledgable, and approachable. She helped another couple find a toy to suit their needs and explained to them how the toys worked. Should you choose to make a purchase they will remove the toy from its package so you can touch it and test the vibration strength prior to forking over your cash (this is a huge bonus since there is obviously a no return policy on these products). I’m glad DeKalb has this place. I’m certain many college kids come in to snicker and waste time, but if you are honestly looking for a place to get reasonably priced adult products in a nonjudgmental environment I highly recommend dropping by.

it’s still open?! i’ve become that guy as ‘i remember when i was goin to school there’
bought a pocket pu$$y here once with proceeds from the sale of used text books
my frosh roommate worked there too as i used to think it was a dream job… who am I kiddin, still do

Even though most people get their pornography through the convenience and privacy of the internet these days, and the notion of having a local «dirty book store» is somewhat quaint and antiquated, I am very happy the Grotto is still in business. Why? For the simple fact that it’s a slap in the face to the conservative, family-​friendly image that DeKalb tries so hard to portray!
It was even better in the 80’s when the only thing that separated the community from the horrible smut that lay inside was some moldy, yellowing, brown packing paper that was taped to the windows with some cheap pocket paperback books from the 1960’s peeking out from the sides. Ever since Ralph’s Newstand closed, the Grotto alone carries the torch of being the premier smut-​peddler of DeKalb, and DeKalb is a better place because of it! Where else in DeKalb can one buy plastic reproductions of human genitalia at 1 AM?!
UPDATE: Apprently the Grotto is now called «Lover’s Playground» and the window displays mannequins dressed in lingerie. DeKalb mayor John Rey’s reaction was:
«I have to say I was a lot more comfortable when it was a black window,» Rey said. «I’m less comfortable with the portrayal of scantily clad mannequins.»
I say, if DeKalb mayor John Rey is so uncomfortable with scantily clad mannequins he ought to move to someplace like Iran or Saudi Arabia where people share similar values and sentiment, and leave DeKalb alone to find it’s place in the 21^st century!

Ahhh … the grotto. Where awkward college freshman go when there’s nothing to do.
When I was still going to NIU, there were pretty much 2 things to do. 1) Eat some really greasy, really cheap fast food or 2) Go to Wal-​Mart. Sometimes, an adventurous friend would come up with the genius idea of getting something pierced or visiting the Paperback Grotto, you know — just to shake things up a little bit.
First, let me take a minute to bust a well-​known myth. It does NOT cost any money to just browse the Grotto. You’ve probably heard that it costs one or two dollars to just set foot in the store UNLESS you have a girl with you. This is false. So suck it up, make sure you’re wearing boner-​proof underwear, and get ready to relinquish your innocence.
The store is pretty organized and pretty clean. Some places in Chicago reek of cigarette smoke, but this establishment is actually pretty classy. There’s an assortment of products … toys, dvds, literature for whatever you’re into. There’s also a couple of booths in the back where you can watch some boom chica wow wow … but I’m not exactly sure about how that all works (i’ve never watched a clip there, not judging!).
So, if it’s Saturday night and you’ve had your fill of Wal-​Mart and Chinese buffets … grab a friend and drive on over to the Paperback Grotto. It’s a fun little adrenaline rush.