Tanya Brown is operating her 'romance boutique' in the basement of downtown Ann Arbor's Bongz & Thongz.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
The boutique — called “Get Curious with Safety Girl” after Brown’s 1990s Community Television Network show — sells women’s clothing and adult novelties.
According to the Ann Arbor Observer, Brown stepped in to run the adult novelties side of Bongz & Thongz after the store’s owner battled with the city of Ann Arbor over an obscure ordinance that restricted the sale of sex toys.
Tanya Brown, pictured in 2010 as her alias 'Ypsi Girl', shown with Jesse Sinatra while filming an episode of their show.
AnnArbor.com file photo
The 34-year-old ordinance does not allow the sale of sex toys at an adult entertainment business in the D1 district of downtown if they amount for more than 20 percent of a business’ sales. In an effort to open Bongz & Thongz quickly, owner Kilo Hassan just scrapped the adult novelties portion of his store.
That’s where Brown stepped in. (Read more about her history in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti from the Observer.)
The grand opening for the Get Curious with Safety Girl boutique is planned for Oct. 13 from 5 to 10 p.m., located in the basement space at 119 E. Liberty St. There will be a D.J., giveaways, refreshments, photo shoots with models and raffles.
Donations for the raffles will go to Plymouth-based First Step — an organization that works to reduce the incidence of domestic and sexual violence.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.