Everyone loves boobs and everyone loves food, which means everyone loves talking about that natural and naturally controversial topic, breast-feeding! First Lady Michelle Obama is promoting it, celebrities are doing it, there are foods being made from breast milk, many states require offices to have lactation rooms, and people (rightfully) get upset when they can't do so in public. But one Upper West Side condo board isn't so keen on "breast-feeding resource center" The Upper Breast Side, which is located in its first floor.

The NY Times reports that the board at the Pythian (135 West 70th Street) first complained when the Upper Breast Side's "brass door was improperly ajar — and fined it $250." UBS owner Felina Rakowski-Gallagher then "filed a discrimination complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. The door, she said, was too heavy for pregnant women and stroller-pushing mothers to open safely."

The state found “sufficient evidence” to support the complaint, and recommended a public hearing; a settlement conference is scheduled for March 23. Meanwhile, the board of the Pythian has escalated the argument, saying that the Upper Breast Side is not a consultancy or resource center, as Ms. Rakowski-Gallagher described it when she bought the space five years ago — but a retail store.

“Your use of the unit is not permitted under the building’s certificate of occupancy, which authorizes only ‘doctors offices’ on the first floor,” reads a letter from the board’s president, Laura Hartstein. “The building is located within the R8B zoning district, a residential district, in which commercial/retail uses are not permitted.”

The Upper Breast Side sells nursing bras, nursing accessories, and more and also rents out hospital-grade breast pumps. It does not sell "hooter hiders, nursing shawls or titty tents." Rakowski-Gallagher, a former cop who is described by many as being extremely no-nonsense, insists it's not a store (though sales are promoted on its Facebook page) but a community facility, which would mean it's allowed under the zoning laws, "They’re just blinded to what we do here for the nursing community."

Disclosure: This author has rented a hospital-grade breast pump from The Upper Breast Side. Rakowski-Gallagher asked a number of questions, which included why did I want to rent a breast pump and how was breast-feeding going so far, and also offered some advice and referrals. Also, the front door is heavy.