- Alexandria, Va.
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- Orlando, Fla.
- Miami
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Columbia, S.C.
- Cincinnati
- Murfreesboro, Tenn.
- Gainesville, Fla.
- Tallahassee, Fla.
- Vancouver, Wash.
- Round Rock, Texas
- Pittsburgh
- Salt Lake City
- Arlington, Va.
- Las Vegas
- Clarksville, Tenn.
- St. Louis
- Dayton, Ohio
- Frisco, Texas
-Source: Amazon.com
Portland’s bedroom community apparently has a lot going on behind closed doors.
In a national ranking of cities over 100,000 people, Amazon.com on Tuesday named Vancouver the 11th most romantic city in the country.
As inconceivable as The Couv being the Paris of the Pacific Northwest sounds, it turns out our city is among the top per capita buyers of romance novels and relationship books, romantic comedy movies, Barry White albums and sexual wellness products since Jan. 1, the online retailer reports.
The ranking earned an incredulous “Vancouver? Really?” from most people upon first hearing it — especially following news this week that Clark County’s divorce rates are soaring above national and statewide trends.
But then folks started to figure that maybe there is a spark of the old amour in the air around here.
“That’s stretching it, but if that’s what they think, then hey — I’ll go along with it. It’s kept my business going for 18 years,” quipped Ruth Johnson, owner of Private Lives adult store in Orchards. “We are the bedroom community of Portland, everybody knows that. And when it comes to a bedroom community, we have activities.”
Valentine’s Day brings her best sales, as customers come in for candles, books and “anything to touch and feel,” Johnson said.
Be swept away by a poll about the romance of Vancouver here.
Amazon’s Top 20 list rated Alexandria, Va., as America’s most romantic city, while Vancouver managed to best Sin City, Las Vegas (No. 16), and not-so-sin city, Salt Lake City (No. 14).
El Monte, Calif., and Paterson, N.J., were among the least likely places to find your heart aflutter.
“Overall, you guys happen to consume a lot of this romantic content,” Amazon spokeswoman Cat Griffith said. “We really do this mostly because it’s fun. It’s a great way to really get customers excited about upcoming holiday.”
Even Vancouver’s mayor, a bachelor, said he owns Barry White’s greatest hits — although he got it at Fred Meyer, not online. “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” is one of his favorites.
“I’m sure trying to do my part to add to the romanticism of our community,” said Tim Leavitt, 40, who added he gets his romantic advice from GQ magazine and the occasional Cosmopolitan article sent to him by female friends. “Though, if you ask any of the ladies I date these days, they’d say: ‘Tim needs to be reading more GQ articles and Cosmo articles.’ “
Leavitt pointed out that Vancouver was also recently named America’s sixth gayest city by The Advocate, a Los Angeles-based online magazine that chronicles gay and lesbian political and cultural affairs.
“We’re making the charts one way or another,” he said.
At Luepke Florist downtown, co-owner Maria Adler said she was busy getting red roses ready for Monday’s inevitable crush of orders. She said Vancouver’s men were pretty darn good at wooing with flowers — and the messages they send along with them.
“Some of them just go way over the top,” she laughed. “They’ll say, ‘I’m embarrassed to tell you this, but this is how I want it signed: Love, Pookie.’ Some of them get really sentimental.”
At Treat, a gourmet cupcake store in Evergreen Marketplace, owner Stephanie McNees said customers have been swooning over her heart-topped red velvet cupcakes, and that she also has a special Valentine’s menu planned.
“I think that the whole world’s romantic,” she said. “I think all humans are looking for love.”
Andrea Damewood: 360-735-4542 or andrea.damewood@columbian.com.
