Are you afraid of being lonely Feb. 14? Take this year’s Valentine’s Day celebration into your own hands and visit the Rubber Rose, North Park’s latest “”sexuality boutique.”” The splintered wood-shingle roof and the gauzy pink curtains scream, “”Lady Marmalade lives here”” – it’s a Bath & Body Works for the burlesque. Inside, the store struggles to transcend the modernity of the surrounding neighborhood. Antique telephones and automobile lubricators offset the studio lighting and the dark hardwood floors accent the blushing red color scheme. A vase of peacock feathers rests on a pedestal next to a mannequin in lingerie that greets new patrons. Slow hip-hop reverberates off the distressed tables and desks, something similar to the funky twang of Erykah Badu.

In the back left corner of the boutique, next to a sofa taken straight from Versailles and covered with wooden paddles of varying widths, lies a station equipped with a sink, soap, paper towels and a wide assortment of personal lubricants and massage oils. More familiar in other stores for testing the feel and smell of lotions, the sink acts as an experimentation table where patrons can explore the viscosity, absorption and, for some products, taste of lubricants. Peach and vanilla are actually quite palatable. Sprawled throughout the rest of the store are whips, massagers, trendy underwear and lingerie. It’s almost easy to miss the adjoining studio, a small room dedicated to art shows, readings and workshops. A young artist with short, platinum pigtails was working on a mural of a gigantic bunny surrounded by skulls and muffins with hearts on them – love muffins. The Rubber Rose is a sex shop where the lights are dim, the music is funky and the batteries last longer than anywhere else.

The Rubber Rose

3812 Ray St.

San Diego, CA 92104