Sex. Some places are defined by it. (Don’t worry, this article is safe for work.) Now sure, the more puritanically minded may not approve, but whether these places are to be reviled are celebrated is up to you. And whether one approves or not, these places can be quite impressive to behold, just like the tower of Babel. Below, we have a list of just a few of these places.
Playboy Mansion
We’ll start with the big one. The Playboy Mansion, a house brimming with sex that even your grandmother has heard of. Located in Holmby Hills, the Playboy Mansion was completed in 1927. The mansion’s modern reputation began in 1971 when it was purchased by Playboy and became the personal residence of Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner. To give one an idea of how extravagant the property is, it is the only private residence in Los Angeles permitted to host fireworks displays. The house also sports a zoo and an aviary. The house itself features a Gothic-Tudor style of architecture, is 22,000 square feet in size, and contains 29 rooms. When it comes to sex, however, the mansion’s most famous feature is without doubt its man-made grotto. Curiously enough, the house next door to the Playboy Mansion is an exact replica, only smaller. One might think this second home was built by Hugh Hefner, but it was in fact built by the original owner as a house for his sister. This second house was purchased by Hugh Hefner in the 90’s to serve as a home for his estranged wife and their children. The house was recently placed on the market.
The Great Western Savings Bank Building
One may wonder why a building named after a bank is on a list of buildings and locations associated with sex. Well, the building has another name, “The Flynt Building”. Since 1984, the Flynt Building has been owned by Larry Flynt and served as headquarters for Flynt Publications, which publishes Hustler Magazine. The building was originally built for the banking institution Great Western Savings. The bank’s television spokesperson, John Wayne, is still immortalized outside as a statue that has become a Los Angeles landmark. The building itself is especially unique for its oval shape, which provides for a much more efficient floor layout. Today, the Flynt Building still houses Flynt Publications, but also has office space available to lease for anyone who wishes to by Flynt’s neighbor.
Columbus, Ohio City
“What in the world’, you may ask, ‘is Columbus, Ohio doing on a list of places associated with sex?” Columbus is home to none other than Victoria’s Secret, the largest lingerie retailer in the United States. Victoria’s Secret got its start in San Francisco, California when Stanford Business School graduate Roy Raymond set out to create a lingerie store in which men could feel comfortable purchasing lingerie for their significant others. Five years later, the company would be sold to “The Limited”. The next time you receive an order take a look at the packaging and you undoubtedly see quaint, Columbus, Ohio as the return address.
San Fernando Valley
If we’re going to talk about locations associated with sex, then we’re all but required to mention the San Fernando Valley. Yes, this is “The Valley” from which “Valley Girls” come from. It is also the pornography capital of the United States. As humorous as that may sound, it’s a numeric fact. Today, nearly 90% of all legal pornographic films in the United States were either filmed in the San Fernando Valley or organized by a company located there. The Valley acquired this title in the 1970’s when Hollywood filmmakers in need of cash began driving “over the hill” to work on a cheap, yet incredibly lucrative genre of film. Little has changed.
Hollywood
Tinsel-town knows sex sells. There’s a reason why the San Fernando Valley happens to be in its backyard. Ironically though, you may have noticed Hollywood went through a dry spell. In 1934 Hollywood began enforcing the Hays Code, a list of guidelines forbidding all sorts of content that would be considered laughably tame by today’s standards (although some could be considered serious even today). The code was enforced all the way up until 1968 when the MPAA began using ratings instead. So yes, many films from the silent era of the 1910’s and 20’s are considerably more edgy and sexy than films produced in the free-love 1960’s.
Nevada
There are only two states in the United States that allow some form of legal prostitution. One is obviously Nevada. The other, surprisingly, is good ol’ wholesome Rhode Island. That being said, Rhode Island’s peripheral restrictions keep their prostitution at bay. You may wonder why this section isn’t simply labeled “Las Vegas”. After all, isn’t that “Sin City” itself? On the contrary. Prostitution is legalized on a county by county basis in Nevada, and in Clark County (home of Las Vegas), prostitution is 100% illegal. That’s right, prostitution is entirely illegal in Las Vegas. Curiously, because these other Nevada brothels are legal businesses, they pay federal taxes. Now, what happens when a business doesn’t pay its taxes? The Federal Government can step in and take over. Yes, this has happened. At certain points in our nation’s history, the United States has literally run a brothel. (Cue the healthcare jokes.)
Whether it be a mansion, an office building, a city, or even an entire industry, it’s a simple truth that some places exist, because of sex. One may complain, but every coin has two sides. If there’s a Vatican, then somewhere else there is destined to be a place not so chaste. But after all, sex can’t be all bad. Without it, none of us would be here.
