Photo courtesy of The Garden
If things go according to plan, this summer Jessica VonDyke will open The Garden, a sexuality resource center and toy shop, on Capitol Hill. If you are thinking The Garden is just another clichéd store featuring gifts perfect for bachelor parties and your uptight best friend’s 30th birthday party, think again.
When it opens, The Garden will feature two floors of not just retail space but ofclass space as well. “One floor will be dedicated to retail and classroom space and a second floor will be dedicated to wellness center spaces for the community,” says VonDyke.
Space will be available to “therapists, body workers, life coaches and other sex-positive, body-positive professionals.” The second floor will also offer meeting space for support groups and various other educational opportunities, which means The Garden can bring in ,“big name educators more often, which means access to high quality, nationally-known educators and presenters,” according to VonDyke.
The retail space that VonDyke is interested in is the middle of a very popular block on H street NE, but she needs investors before she can sign a lease. To advance the Garden, VonDyke has started an Indiegogo campaign to reach investors and local residents interested in supporting the unique store and educational space.
To contribute before the June 17 deadline, visit indiegogo.com/thegardendc and then join VonDyke on Saturday, June 30, at the Red Palace, where The Garden will host An Evening in the Garden of Earthly Delights–a night of burlesque, belly dancing, side shows and sexy talk to benefit The Garden. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the tickets and tips will go to The Garden.