San Francisco as one of the most beautiful cities in America and we often imagine it to be one of the most open and sexually permissive too. However, a BDSM porn studio that produces such hits as Men In Pain and Hog Tied has caused considerable controversy when they chose their new headquarters in San Fran. It seems that even if you leave your heart there, they might prefer you left your tit clamps and heavy rope elsewhere than in the historic heart of their fair city.

Founder of Kink.com, Pete Acworth describes his company’s purchase of the old State Armory in the Mission District for US $14.5 million as a match made in heaven. As he prepared for his first leather-clad shoot in the historic building that has seen six decades of troops trained, he explained, “The basements in particular have a creepy, dungeony feel that is quite appropriate.”

It seems that the city has little recourse since the production house certainly meets any zoning bylaws for the area. However, Mayor Gavin Newsom who is currently dealing with his own scandalous admission of having and affair his with the wife of his campaign manager, states, “While not wanting to be prudish, the fact that kink.com will be located in the proximity to a number of schools gives us pause.”

Perhaps adding insult to injury in the surrounding working calls neighborhood, the Armory built in 1926 had stood empty from 1970 onwards, but at one point had been suggested to be used for apartments and offices before low-income housing advocates got any development plans kyboshed. The local merchants association can’t decide if the studio will issue in an economic boon or simply attract perverts to their part of town.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old, British-born Acworth seems surprised by the growing controversy. He says that his company and its 70 employees hardly attract much attention generally. The old Kink.com offices across form the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper went mostly unnoticed and no one even suspected they were the home to pornographic productions until he started holding monthly sex positive parties. He says, “The walls of the armory are so thick, the idea that anyone would have any idea what’s going on inside is ridiculous.”

He’s more of a diplomat than am I. I might have accidentally said something stupid like if the people next-door don’t like it, they should remember that no one will hear their screams. As far as there being any institutions of learning nearby, from what I’ve heard many of those places could do with some help in the discipline department anyway. Those eighteen-year old students can be a real handful and they raise some serious cash for new band uniforms.